Alice in Borderland, one of Netflix’s biggest international hits, returns for its third season on Thursday, 25th September after a three-year hiatus. The Japanese sci-fi drama, starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, follows two strangers forced into deadly games in an empty version of Tokyo.
Much of the series was filmed in the Japanese capital, including the Dōgenzaka district of Shibuya. However, recreating the iconic Shibuya Crossing proved difficult due to the city’s population density. The production team used a combination of sets and visual effects at Ashikaga Scramble City Studio in Tochigi, where key features like the road and ticket gate were real.
Other locations include the Sakuya Konohana Kan greenhouse in Osaka’s Tsurumi Ryokuchi park, used for a memorable sequence. The Beach resort was represented by two hotels: the Royal Oak Hotel Spa & Gardens in Otsu, Shiga (exterior shots) and the Nanki Shirahama Resort Hotel in Wakayama (interior scenes). The Royal Oak has since closed due to bankruptcy.
Tokyo Bay’s Rainbow Bridge, a 798-metre-long landmark, serves as a backdrop for pivotal moments. The Five of Spades game of tag was filmed in an empty apartment complex at 4-2 Koeidai, Kita-ku, Kobe, which was vacant for renovations in 2019 but is now occupied.
Season three’s exact filming locations remain under wraps to avoid spoilers, but trailers suggest the setting remains the parallel Tokyo. Fans planning a pilgrimage can still stay at the Nanki Shirahama Resort Hotel.
