), one of the biggest hits of Japanese animation in recent years, Studio Ghibli’s permitted. An untimely juvenile love story halfway between the Japanese Tanabata myth and the magical realism of Haruki Murakami (of whom Shinkai is a confessed admirer), whose depiction of nostalgia and existential longing captivated audiences around the world.
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One of the outstanding aspects of director Makoto Shinkai is the extreme faithfulness in representing the real locations and scenarios in which the story is based. So much so that his films have worked wonders as promoters of local tourism to visit all those places that audiences have seen on the silver screen as a way to immerse themselves in the story within the real world.
Kimi No Na Wa.
The anime industry is one of the greatest ambassadors of Japanese popular culture, whose success has been reflected in the exponential growth of the international market compared to the domestic market. According to the latest report published by AJA (The Association of Japanese Animations), while the domestic market growth has stagnated over the last decade, the international market keeps on growing, highly likely to surpass the former in a few years.
It’s no secret that much local and international tourism in Japan is fueled by manga and anime fans. Even in Spain, we had a taste of this phenomenon when thousands of Japanese people flocked to the town of Cuenca when they found out it was the inspiration for the setting of an anime series. The concept of “pilgrimage” in the world of manga and anime has been a solidly established practice for years, which has also recently spread to other spheres, like the tourist craze triggered by a popular video game. Thus, talking about the social and economic effects of fiction in Japan takes on new dimensions beyond simply discussing consumption data in terms of readership or viewership.
On more than one occasion, Shinkai had expressed his fascination with the city of Tokyo, which he first visited from his native Nagano when he finished high school. More than two decades later, his fresh vision of the great Japanese Metropolis continues to win over audiences, not just for his emotionally charged stories but also for allowing us to see it through his eyes. This time he draws on his childhood experiences growing up in Nagano to depict the charm of the countryside and the beauty of the mountainous landscape.
Kimi No Na Wa / Your Name
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The vast majority of locations exist just as depicted and can be visited without any problems. The only exception is Itomori, Mitsuha’s hometown, which is completely fictional. However, that doesn’t mean that its appearance is not inspired by places that do exist. Next, we will take a detailed tour of all the identified locations so far.
The events taking place from the young Taki’s point of view correspond to the city of Tokyo, particularly the Shinjuku and Minato areas, two of the most central spots concentrating a large part of the most emblematic locations. As for Shinkai, there is also a special reason why Shinjuku frequently appears in his works. It was the first place he saw when he visited Tokyo for the first time in his youth. Thus, the author shares a piece of himself from those nostalgic emotions with the audience through Mitsuha’s awestruck attitude upon arriving in Shinjuku.
Real Life Locations Seen At Kimi No Na Wa (your Name)
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Although the exact view shown in the movie is impossible to achieve, the closest viewpoint is obtained on an elevated pedestrian bridge over this avenue.
Shinjuku Station is one of the busiest nodes in the city. A plethora of public transportation lines converge at this titanic station, which is surrounded by many offices and shops. Here on Google maps, we can see one of the entrances to the station, on the side that faces Koshu-Kaido Avenue, one of the most important in the city because it matches the historical route of the same name, one of the five routes that connected the old Edo with the rest of the provinces.
A Pilgrimage Through The Locations Of Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name
Nishi Shinjuku (literally, Shinjuku West) is where you’ll find some of Tokyo’s best-known skyscrapers, making it a popular spot for architecture enthusiasts. This particular location is famous for its huge and peculiar circular structure that supports the various traffic lights and traffic signals.
These huge advertising screens in front of Kabukicho are an important symbol in Shinjuku. In operation since 2010, it’s a large advertising platform that also broadcasts some live events (in the film they appear broadcasting live coverage of comet Tiamat). They are located exactly here.
Unlike other famous skyscrapers in the city, the NTT Docomo tower is not open to the public. But its eye-catching architecture and nighttime lighting have made it one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Tokyo since its opening.
Anime Movie “kimi No Na Wa (your Name)”: 6 Real Life Locations From The Movie
The Italian restaurant where Taki works part-time is an almost exact copy of Cafe la Bohème, except for the design of the entrance and the fact that it’s located on a quiet street with hardly any traffic, unlike its fictional counterpart. The location of this restaurant is also significant, as it’s right in front of Shinjuku Gyoen, the beautiful park where the better part of the scenes of The Garden of Words, a film also directed by Shinkai, take place.
The restaurant’s fictional name is a little Easter egg for the director’s fans: it’s an Italian translation of the name of his previous film, The Garden of Words.
It is probably the most famous Starbucks in all of Japan because of its strategic location on the larger-than-life Shibuya Scramble crossing. Taki and Okudera-senpai share a good time in the window seats overlooking said crossing, providing them with one of the most coveted tourist views.
Kimi No Na Wa (your Name)
This is where Taki comes hurriedly to meet Okudera-senpai on the day of their date. From the story events, it transpires that this is the area where Taki lives.
One of the most popular observation decks in the city is located on the 52nd floor of the Roppongi Hills complex, where there are also stores, restaurants, and a small museum where there are often interesting exhibitions.
This popular cafe is located within the premises of the National Art Center, designed by the extraordinary Kisho Kurokawa. Thanks to the striking building structure and its interesting exhibitions throughout the year, a must in the city for architecture or art lovers. For those who want to stroll or have a coffee, the restaurant is accessible without necessarily buying admission tickets for the exhibitions.
Wallpaper Id: 519930 / Tokyo, Night, 1080p, Kimi No Na Wa., Anime, Your Name., Sky, Building, Traffic Light, City Free Download
The Shinanomachi Bridge is located in the vicinity of Shinanomachi Station in Tokyo. This is where Taki realizes he can no longer contact his friend.
The devotion to detail doesn’t spare even the inclusion of similar lettering on the windows of the office building facing the pedestrian bridge.
In addition to being one of the largest and most important stations in the city, the brick facade corresponding to the original structure of Tokyo Station is a very interesting example of late 19th and early 20th-century neo-baroque architecture. It’s from this station that Taki rides the bullet train with his friends to go in search of Mitsuha.
Finally Managed To Recreate The Stairs Scene!
At the time of writing, access to the tower in front of Tokyo Station was limited, so it wasn’t possible to reproduce the view accurately. This is as close as possible.
We end the list of Tokyo locations with the now legendary stairs leading to Suga Shrine in Yotsuya. It’s a picturesque shrine in a residential area close enough to Shinjuku’s hustle and bustle while still remaining somewhat quiet, a sample of what these types of neighborhoods look like in Japan. It’s worth noting that even though it’s been a few years, it’s still common to find visitors taking photos at this iconic spot, for obvious reasons.
We can see that the promotional image of the film (top) embellishes a bit the scenery, while the scene from the film itself (center) stays true to the neighborhood’s actual appearance (bottom).
The 2016 Ranking For Japan’s Anime Pilgrimage Sites Released
The tourist impact on the Tokyo locations can be considered just another part of the steady trickle of tourists that the Japanese capital already enjoys. However, the effect in these remote regions has been comparatively more spectacular. Unexpectedly, the world’s spotlight was placed on several locations that were previously not as famous. For example, this interesting interview with the mayor of Hida highlights what happens, with its advantages and complications, when the tourism whirlwind suddenly decides to single you out. The tourism explosion experienced by many of these locations also brought some legal challenges to the table. When
