Every summer, a bakery in the Tasmanian town of Ross attracts up to 200 excited Japanese tourists.

The sign outside the bakery boasts of the world’s best vanilla slice - of course - and their uniquely Tasmanian scallop pies.

But it’s the small sign on the door that hints at why most Japanese tourists are stopping over:

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Whatsapp A message in the Ross Bakery guestbook.

'Many believe it was here that Hayao Miyazaki drew inspiration for Majo no Takkyubkin (Kiki's Delivery Service).

'We don't know if this is true. What do you believe?'

Kiki’s Delivery Service is the 1989 anime film from the famous Japanese animation house, Studio Ghibli, that also made Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.

Studio Ghibli has a huge following around the world and is considered the Japanese equivalent of Disney - although plenty of film buffs would argue Ghibli is even better.

Kiki’s Delivery Service was directed by one of the greatest animators, Hayao Miyazaki.

The film itself is about a sweet 13-year-old witch named Kiki, who moves away from home for a year, as is the tradition for young witches.

She wears a big red bow in her hair, a black dress and rides a broom, and winds up working in a bakery and living above it in an attic room with her cat Jiji. It’s a coming-of-age story about a little witch in a big city.

The Ross connection

About 25 years ago, the owners of the Ross Bakery first noticed some Japanese tourists visiting their bakery and getting excited.

Owner Carl Crosby told Hack the story about the author started back then.

“They say he stayed and got the inspiration to write the book from this bakery, and then it was adapted into a feature-length film,” Karl said.

Nowadays, scores of tourists come and have the same reaction.

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“Some of them will come dressed up with bows in their hair and black dresses and with brooms.” Karl told Hack.

“A lot of them get very happy and giggly, there’s screams.”

When Hack visited the Ross Bakery on a cold August Thursday, it didn’t take long for some curious Kiki fans to arrive.

“She’s a big fan of the movie, that’s why we came here today.”

The bakery’s owners have also set-up a guest room in an attic behind the bakery that’s modelled on the attic room the character Kiki lives in.

Media pilgrimages

University of Tasmania lecturer in social sciences, Dr Craig Norris, has written a research paper on the Kiki phenomenon at the Ross Bakery.

He told Hack many of the fans are motivated by the connection they have to Kiki’s struggles in the coming-of-age film.

“It’s such a fascinating convergence of the story that’s going on in Kiki’s Delivery Service and this little bakery in the middle of nowhere!

“... they identified with this witch, they saw themselves after a year of studying in Australia or working holiday challenges, finding sanctuary in the middle of nowhere in this little bakery in Ross.”

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Dr Norris has studied the broader phenomenon of people travelling to places because they’re featured in a book or movie, and says it’s a challenge to get it right.

“If you get it wrong, if you charge too much or you’re seen as exploiting this space, then the fans are more than likely to rise up against it, downvote or complain about it as morally problematic," he said.

For locals, the excitement around the Ross bakery might come as a surprise - the bakery itself looks like plenty of Aussie country bakeries.

The bakery shop itself also doesn’t bear a striking resemblance to the wood-panelled animated scene in Kiki’s, although owner Carl says it used to be similar.

“Until they put in the refrigerated cabinet, there was more of a resemblance.

“The older cabinet that didn’t have refrigeration, I’ve seen a picture and it’s very similar yes.”