Anime pilgrimage, or seichi junrei (聖地巡礼), might be a foreign term for most. In Japan, however, anime fans have taken it upon themselves to suss out and visit locations that look like or have inspired their favourite series.
From an obscure library in a rural town to mystical woodlands inhabited by ancient trees, we have put together 10 real life anime locations for a sacred anime tour around Japan.
Image adapted from: Toho and @cylut
Your Name is an anime film that broke box-office records in Japan and across the world. It tells the story of a boy in Tokyo and a girl in the countryside as they suddenly swapped bodies.
The film splits its scenes between two contrasting locations – the urban landscape of Tokyo that is home to male lead Taki, and the idyllic countryside setting of Itomori where female lead Mitsuha resides.
Image adapted from: Toho and @mr.daichi0228
Unbeknownst to many, the town of Itomori is fictional. But its mountainous landscapes are very much real and inspired by Gifu Prefecture.
Image adapted from: Toho and @wamazingjp
In the movie, Hida City in Gifu Prefecture is a neighbouring town of Itomori. After Mitsuha’s sudden disappearance, Taki travels from Tokyo in search of her. He makes a pit stop in the small town of Hida Furukawa, visiting the city library and other locations in search of Itomori.
Image adapted from: Toho and @konitanjp
As many locations featured in the film can be found in the rural town, it has now become a popular day trip destination for enthused fans. Even the Hida Tourism Association has jumped on the bandwagon, mapping out a comprehensive tour of all must-visit sites from Your Name.
Miyagawachō-Ochiai bus stop
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: Miyagawacho Ochiai, Hida-shi, Gifu, 509-4415, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Tsunogawa Station
Keta Wakamiya Shrine
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: 1297 Furukawacho Kamikita, Hida, Gifu 509-4212, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Hida Furukawa Station
Website
Hida Furukawa Station
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: 8 Furukawachō Kanamorichō, Hida, Gifu 509-4225, Japan
Hidashi Library
Opening hours: Hidashi Library: Tue – Sat 9AM-8PM, Sun 9AM-5PM, Closed every Mon and last Fri of the month
Address: 2-22 Furukawacho Honmachi, Hida, Gifu 509-4232, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Hida Furukawa Station
Website
Image adapted from: Nippon TV and @chiyaha_project
Chihayafuru is an anime about uta-karuta (歌かるた, poetry karuta), a competitive Japanese card game that is physically and mentally demanding. The deck of cards used in a karuta game comprises poems from Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (小倉百人一首), a classical collection of 100 Japanese poems by 100 poets.
Image adapted from: Nippon TV and @kentahasebe_photo
The beautiful vermillion Ōmi Shrine frequently featured in the anime is located in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. Famous for hosting the annual national karuta championships, the shrine is said to be connected to the creation of karuta.
Emperor Tenji, the 38th emperor of Japan and the founder of Otsu, is enshrined as a deity here. Ōmi Shrine was constructed in 1940 to commemorate 2,600 years of rule by the Japanese imperial family.
Opening hours: 6AM-6PM, Daily
Address: 1-1 Jingu-cho, Otsu City, Shiga
Nearest Station: Keihan Electric Railway Omijingumae Station
Website
A 4-hour ferry ride from Kagoshima will take you to the subtropical island of Yakushima, whose mystical woodlands have inspired the setting of Princess Mononoke.
Image adapted from: Netflix and @kichikintrek_yakushima
Apart from being renowned as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan, the island is also populated with yakusugi (屋久杉) – ancient Japanese cedar trees more than 1000 years old.
Foray into the island’s moss-covered forest grounds and you will find Jōmon Sugi (縄文杉), the oldest and largest cedar tree in Japan. Japanese scientists have estimated the tree to be at least 2,500 years old, though bolder estimates put the age closer to 7,000 years old.
According to the film, kodama are signs indicating that a forest is healthy
Image credit: @mamyako
Thanks to the popularity of Studio Ghibli films and Princess Mononoke in Japan and worldwide, Yakushima has become a popular hiking trail for fans of the film. Keep a look out for kodama (木霊, tree spirits) that might be hidden among the lush vegetation, as many will bring along figurines of tree spirits as props for their photos.
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: Miyanoura, Yakushima, Kumage District, Kagoshima 891-4205, Japan
Nearest Station: Arakawa-tozan guchi Bus Stop
Website
This life-size recreation of Satsuki and Mei’s rural house in My Neighbour Totoro is located in Nagakute, a city in Aichi Prefecture. The house was built in 2005 for the Aichi Expo Memorial Park and it remains a popular attraction today.
As the new Studio Ghibli theme park slated to open in 2022 is being built on the grounds of the Memorial Park, the house is closed temporarily. It’s a bummer, but at least we have something to look forward to when the current pandemic blows over.
Visitors will be surprised by the attention to detail in the replica house. From the hurriedly scribbled notes stacked on the desk to the hand-drawn calendar hanging on the wall, no detail is spared. Some have even sworn that they spotted susuwatari (煤渡り), the adorable black dust mites that have appeared in the film.
Opening hours: Closed until further notice
Address: Yazako, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1103, Japan
Nearest Station: Expo Memorial Park Station
Website
Image adapted from: Netflix and @pyooon_079
The players of Haikyuu!! are no strangers to hard-fought matches in Kamei Arena Sendai, formerly known as Sendai City Gymnasium.
Image adapted from: Netflix and @rererenoreeeeo
Located in Kurasuno High’s homeground, Miyagi Prefecture, important matches like the Miyagi Interhigh Preliminaries and Representative Playoffs were held here.
The gymnasium is open to the public daily. Fans can visit the gym anytime to take photos, though they have to be careful not to disturb athletes who are using the facilities.
Opening hours: 9AM-9PM, Daily
Address: 1 Chome-4-1 Tomizawa, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 982-0032, Japan
Nearest Station: Sendai Subway Tomizawa Station
Website
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is a romantic comedy with a straightforward premise – the main female and male characters try to win a confession from each other.
Most of their exchanges are set in school or the student council room, though on rare occasions, fans are given a glimpse of their life outside school.
In episode 3 of the first season, the sheltered Kaguya gets a chance to commute to school on her own. She passes by Tamachi – the informal name for the area surrounding Tamachi Station in Minato, Tokyo.
Home to a number of company headquarters and organisations, Tamachi is indeed a fitting area to be featured alongside the daughter of one of the top four conglomerates in Japan.
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: 5 Chome-33-36 Shiba, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Tamachi Station
With a knack for visual storytelling, Shinkai Makoto is renowned for his attention to detail and conscientious effort in background drawing. Like in Your Name, Weathering With You draws heavy inspiration from Tokyo’s urban landscape.
Hina and Hodaka reunites near Tabata Station
Image adapted from: Toho and @kei_baphoto
Near the end of the film, Hina and Hodaka reunite right outside the south exit of Tabata Station, an unassuming station on the JR Yamanote Line.
Compared to the bustling Shinjuku Station that appeared in Your Name, Tabata Station is awfully quiet for a place in Tokyo. You can take photos to your heart’s content at the south exit of Tabata Station without the watchful gaze of the train station staff as it’s unmanned.
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: 1-chōme-17 Higashitabata, Kita City, Tōkyō-to 114-0013, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Tabata Station
Image adapted from: Netflix and Majyo no takkyūbin
Shōdoshima in Kagawa Prefecture is famous for its olive production due to the ideal Mediterranean climate, with approximately 2000 olive trees and 130 kinds of herbs grown in the Shōdoshima Olive Garden located on the island.
Nowadays, the garden has become a pilgrimage destination for fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service – a Studio Ghibli classic that follows 13-year-old Kiki as she completes her training to become a witch.
The set used for the live-action version of the animated film is now open as a zakka (雑貨) shop. Modelled after the European-style bread shop in which Kiki lives and works, the miscellaneous goods shop sells everything ranging from gardening supplies to pastries. Seedlings of herbs are also available for green-fingered visitors.
Opening hours: 8.30AM-5PM, Daily
Address: 1941-1 Nishimura-kou, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa 761-4434, Japan
Nearest Station: Olive Koen Guchi Bus Stop
Website
Image adapted from: Netflix and Wikimedia
Food Wars!, or Shokugeki no Soma, follows young aspiring chef Yukihira Sōma and his journey in a prestigious culinary institute in Japan. In this episode, students are assigned to various cooking locations across the country as part of their internship.
Our male protagonist, along with Hisako, are assigned to a small local restaurant near a busy train station – Shinagawa Station. As one of Tokyo’s busiest stations, it is the perfect introduction to the episode. We later find out that the restaurant is struggling to keep up with the barrage of orders from commuters, and naturally, our protagonists use their culinary expertise to help the owners get back on track.
Opening hours: 8AM-10PM, Daily
Address: 3 Chome-26-27 Takanawa, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan
Nearest Station: JR Shinagawa Station
Demon Slayer is set in the historical Taishō era, which means that we unfortunately can’t visit places that look exactly like the ones in the anime. But dedicated fans have managed to find a real-life split boulder located at Amanotateiwa Shrine in Yagyū, a village near the city of Nara.
This huge stone that is split into two down the centre, as though with one swift stroke, is aptly named itto-seki (一刀石), which means “a stone split with one stroke of the knife”.
Image credit: @7mj2lO6PWahvbx2
At the beginning of the series, Tanjiro is tasked by Urokodaki to slice a boulder with his sword. This is his final challenge before he is allowed to enter Final Selection – a test administered by the Demon Slayer Corps that will determine if Tanjiro can become a demon hunter. After 6 months of consistent failure, Tanjiro finally manages to slice the boulder into half cleanly.
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Address: Okugaharacho, Nara, 630-1232, Japan
Nearest Station: Yagyū Bus Stop
Website
Anime pilgrimage is hugely popular in Japan and slowly gaining traction internationally among anime lovers. But even if anime is not your cup of tea, it is a cool way to travel and discover new hidden spots that are off the beaten path.
Check out these articles for more anime related content:
Cover image adapted from: Toho and @wamazingjp
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