The Anime Codex

The cities of My Hero Academia provide the foundation for many of the series’ most significant events. Kohei Horikoshi combines fictional cities with real Japanese locations to create a setting that is both believable and adaptable to the needs of the story. While many of the locations are original creations, they are often situated within real prefectures or inspired by existing Japanese cities, allowing the world to feel grounded despite the existence of Quirks and Hero Society.

Musutafu 

Musutafu is the primary setting of My Hero Academia and serves as the geographical centre of the series. Located within the real-world Shizuoka Prefecture, Musutafu is home to U.A. High School, Japan’s leading academy for hero education, along with numerous professional hero agencies, residential suburbs, shopping districts, and government facilities.

Many of the series’ central characters – including Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Shoto Todoroki, and All Might – either live, study, or work within the city. Early locations such as Aldera Junior High School, Dagobah Municipal Beach Park, and U.A. High School establish Musutafu as the starting point of Midoriya’s journey toward becoming a professional hero.

Hosu City

Hosu City serves as the headquarters of the Meta Liberation Army and is the primary setting of the Meta Liberation Army Arc. The city becomes the site of an extensive conflict between the League of Villains and the Meta Liberation Army, resulting in widespread destruction and the eventual formation of the Paranormal Liberation Front.

Deika’s history is closely connected to the teachings of Destro and the philosophy of unrestricted Quirk usage, making it one of the most politically significant locations in the series.

Jaku City

Jaku City becomes one of the most important battlefields during the Paranormal Liberation War. The city contains Jakku General Hospital, where Dr. Kyudai Garaki secretly conducted Nomu research and experimented on Tomura Shigaraki under the direction of All For One.

The heroes’ raid on the hospital marks the beginning of the war, leading to one of the largest conflicts in Hero Society’s history and causing extensive destruction throughout the surrounding area

Naruhata

Naruhata is the principle setting of the spin-off manga My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Unlike Musutafu, which focuses on licensed professional heroes, Naruhata explores the lives of unlicensed vigilantes operating outside the official hero system.

The city provides a different perspective on Hero Society, highlighting the experiences of ordinary civilians, underground heroes, and street-level crime before the events of the main series.

Esuha City

Esuha City is introduced during the Final Act of the manga and becomes one of several locations affected by the escalating conflict between heroes and villains. Although it receives less attention than Musutafu or Jaku City, its inclusion demonstrates that the impact of the Final War extends well beyond a single region of Japan.

Qing Qing City

Unlike the other locations listed, Qing Qing City is situated in China rather than Japan. According to the series, it is the birthplace of the Luminescent Baby, and the first publicly documented individual to manifest a Quirk. This event marks the beginning of the Age of Quirks and represents one of the most important historical locations within the My Hero Academia timeline.

Otheon

Otheon is a fictional island nation introduced in the feature film My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. The country’s capital functions as a modern metropolitan centre featuring advanced infrastructure, extensive public transportation, and architecture inspired by several Western European nations.

Otheon serves as the primary setting of the film, where heroes from multiple countries work together to stop the extremist organization Humarise and prevent a global catastrophe.

Real Japanese Cities and Regions

Although many locations within My Hero Academia are fictional, the series regularly references genuine places throughout Japan.

Fukuoka, the largest city on the island of Kyushu, is the hometown of the Pro Hero Hawks (Kiego Takami) and plays an important role during the Paranormal Liberation War through Endeavor’s Hero Agency.

The island of Kyushu is also the setting of several significant battles, including Endeavor’s confrontation with the High-End Nomu Hood, demonstrating that Hero Society operates across the entirety of Japan rather than being centred exclusively around Musutafu.

Shizuoka Prefecture, where Musutafu is located, provides the geographical foundation for much of the series, while Nagona Prefecture serves as the inspiration for the mountainous region surrounding the U.A. Forest Training Camp.

Other Notable Locations

Several important settings function much like cities despite not being traditional municipalities.

I-Island is an enormous artificial island dedicated to scientific research and technological development. Introduced in My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, it houses research laboratories, residential districts, commercial centres, and advanced support technology facilities, making it one of the world’s leading centres of Quirk-related innovation.

Nabu Island, featured in My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, is a small rural island community where Class 1-A undertakes a work-study program. Despite its isolated location, the island becomes the site of a major battle against the villain Nine, demonstrating that hero activity extends to even the most remote regions of Hero Society.

Significance

The cities of My Hero Academia are more than simply locations where events take place. Each city reflects a different aspect of Hero Society, from education and professional hero work to political conflict, scientific advancement, and the consequences of villain activity. By combining fictional municipalities with real Japanese geography, Kohei Horikoshi creates a world that feels authentic while providing the flexibility needed to support the series’ expansive narrative and world-building.

References

• Horikoshi, Kohei. My Hero Academia. Tokyo: Shueisha, 2014-2024.
• Furuhashi, Hideyuki; Betten Court. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Tokyo: Shueisha, 2016-2022.
• My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. Directed by Kenji Nagasaki. Bones, 2021.
• My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. Directed by Kenji Nagasaki. Bones, 2018.
• My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising. Directed by Kneji Nagasaki. Bones, 2019.