Tomobiki

Tomobiki is a fictional suburb of Tokyo created by famed manga artist Rumiko Takahashi as the setting for her famous series Urusei Yatsura. The name comes from the Japanese Buddhist calendar, in which Tomobiki translates as "dragging friends along". This refers to the fact that day, while not especially lucky or unlucky, will cause one's luck, whether good or bad, to transfer to another person. The name likely refers to how the arrival of Lum the alien has made the town a very weird place, with other aliens often visiting and various disasters befalling it, usually the local high school or protagonist Ataru Moroboshi's house, and usually having something to do with Lum and her friends. As such, it is a rather strange thing to name a town.

The town, known formally as Tomobiki-cho, or Tomobiki Town, is located in Tokyo's Nerima Ward. It has one high school, Tomobiki High, whose arch-rival is Buttsumetsu (Death of Buddha) High School. It is also served by commuter trains to Tokyo via Tomobiki-cho, Shimotomobiki, and Dumotomobiki stations.

Popular eateries there include Mach Speed Noodles, which serves ramen and other noodle-related dishes, the Cat Cafe (not related to the Neko Hanten in Ranma 1/2) for ramen and takoyaki, Nippon, which serves okonomiyaki, the Shrimp Hut for taiyaki, Akamaru Bakery for ice cream and pastries, and Kotobuki for kebabs.

Tomobiki might located near the other fictional suburb of Furinkan, home of Ranma 1/2, which is also located in Nerima Ward.