1.
sacred place; holy land; holy ground
A place of religious significance or spiritual importance. Refers to sites considered sacred in any religion.
エルサレムは三つの宗教の聖地だ。
Jerusalem is a holy city for three religions.
聖地を訪れる巡礼者が毎年増えている。
The number of pilgrims visiting the holy sites is increasing every year.
古くから聖地として守られてきた森に入ることは禁じられている。
Entering the forest that has been protected as sacred ground since ancient times is forbidden.
2.
mecca; pilgrimage site (figurative)
A place strongly associated with a particular activity, interest, or fandom. In modern Japanese, commonly used for locations connected to anime, manga, or other pop culture.
あのラーメン店はラーメン好きの聖地だ。
That ramen shop is a mecca for ramen lovers.
アニメの聖地巡礼で町おこしに成功した地域もある。
Some areas have succeeded in revitalizing their towns through anime pilgrimage tourism.
秋葉原はオタク文化の聖地として世界的に知られている。
Akihabara is known worldwide as the mecca of otaku culture.
USAGE:
Sense 2 has become very popular in modern Japanese. 聖地巡礼 (sacred pilgrimage) is widely used for visiting real-world locations featured in anime, manga, movies, or games. This phenomenon has become a significant tourism driver in Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 聖地巡礼 (pilgrimage — religious or pop-culture)
- 聖地を訪れる (to visit a sacred/iconic place)
- ～の聖地 (the mecca of ~)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 霊場: sacred site — specifically Buddhist or Shinto, more traditional
- 名所: famous place; notable site — general tourism term without the sacred or devotional nuance