As Your Name ( Kimi no Na wa 君の名は ), a movie directed by Makoto Shinkai gone famous and hit the box office with over 20 billion yen of ticket sales, we began growing interest with this film. The story line of Your Name goes around a guy, Taki, who studies in Tokyo High School and a girl, Mitsuha, who lives in a small town called Itomori. One day when they woke up, they realized that they had exchanged body with someone else. They initially thought that it was a dream but as this happened repeatedly, they started to write down diaries in each other phone. Slowly, they began to know that it is happening in reality. The film continued with many emotional and touching scenes. Both Taki and Mitsuha trying to find out the “who are you” that had influenced their life, unintentionally.
This story is actually based on same name Kimi no Na wa novel written by Makoto Shinkai too. He first gained attention from the public with his debut film ‘Voices of a Distant Star”, followed by The Garden of Words in 2013, a film that won him the AniMovie Award. Your Name received overwhelming feedback once it was released in the cinema. The movie was then screened in many countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Thailand. Hong Kong, South Korea, just to name a few. By 2017 Jan, there’s already 125 countries in the screening list of Your Name. Impressive result.
Interesting storyline aside, what makes this anime movie noteworthy is none other but the scenes, drawn with attention to details. Many places appeared in the movie are inspired from several real life locations in Japan, particularly Tokyo and Hida-Furukawa in Gifu Prefecture. In fact, each second of the scene was so beautiful, almost comparable to real landmarks. We too, couldn’t help but felt so want to fly to Japan while watching the movie.
As the movie ended, we began wondering: “Is Itomori town real?”; ” If it is real, then at which part of Japan it is?”? We google online, and learnt that Itomori is actually a fictional town. It doesn’t exist in real life but for many other scenes, such as subway stations in Tokyo, trains in Itomori town and some shrines can be found in Japan. We were glad that during our recent trip to Japan, we managed to cover few of the real landmarks seen in Kimi no Na wa movie. Let’s follow our guide for a tour to Your Name movie real locations. Perhaps you can keep this for your future trip to the Land of Rising Sun, and found more. Btw, we only got 10. Haha.
1. Hida Furukawa Station
The station that Taki and his friends got down when they came to look for Matsuha in Itomari from Tokyo. You can trace the best spot to take the train arriving photo with the location pinned by the city government.
The bus rotary in front of the station provided the setting for the scene where Taki asked the taxi driver for information about Itomori. So lucky that there was a taxi parking by the roadside when we were there, making the real location more similar as in the movie.
Address: Hida Furukawa Station 飛驒古川駅
8-22 Kanamori-machi, Furukawa-cho,
Hida, Gifu prefecture
2. Hidakuro
The moments when Miki Okudera and Tsukasa Fujii jumping happily seeing this Hidakuro in the station. It was by real human In Kimi no Na wa movie, it was a mascot. In reality, it is a cardboard. Haha, doesn’t matter, still cute.
3. Hida City Library
When Taki was having Takayama ramen in a shop, the shop owner saw Taki holding the sketch of Itomori town and praised his great drawing skill. He thought the owner will know where is Itomori town location, only to learn that Itomori town had been destroyed by comet 3 years back. Not giving up, he went to Hida City Library, running through many books to look for more information about the incident. He found out Mitsuya was on the victims list.
The library has designed a special area for movie Your Name. Visitors can take photos around but no flash, and need to register at the counter for approval. Lower down your voice, afterall it is a library.
Address: Hida City Library 岐阜県飛騨市の飛騨市図書館
2-22 Furukawacho Honmachi,
Hida, Gifu Prefecture 509-4232, Japan
Phone:+81 577-73-5600
Opening Hours: 9AM – 8PM. Sunday closes at 5 pm. Closed on Monday.
How to reach: 5 minute walk from Hida Furukawa Station
4. Ochiai Bus stop
Taki and his friends resting in this bus stop, because they were so tired in locating Itomori town. The real place looks exactly the same as in the movie. Hands down. It is a bit far though, need about 10 minutes drive from Hida-Furukawa station. Nearer to Kadokawa station with 10 minutes walk. There are also posters of Kimi no Na wa pasted inside the resting house, so it is hard to get the wrong bus stop haha.
Address:
Miyagawacho Ochiai
Hida-shi, Gifu, 509-4415, Japan
5. Keta Wakayama shrine
It was said that there are several shrines appeared in Your Name movie. Keta Wakayama Shrine is one of them.
The shrine where Mitsuya and her younger sister performed a Japanese traditional dance and kuchikamizake. After the ritual ended on the way back, she ran down from the staircases shouting that she wanted to be a Tokyo guy in her next life, as she hated this small town that did’t even has a cafe. Also appeared in the scene where Taki ask few of the locals on where is the exact location of Itomori town.
Address: Keta Wakayama shrine気多若宮神社
1297 Furukawacho Kamikita,
Hida, Gifu Prefecture 509-4212, Japan
6. Kumihimo Braid experience at Sakura Gift Shop
Last stop, at Hida Sakura Gift Shop. In the movie Kimi no Na wa, Mitsuya is good at braiding under the taught of her grandmother. We had hands-on experience on “converse, take shape, twist & tangle” at Hida Sakura Gift Shop. 500yen class session and here’s the lucky charm that I made!!
7. Kuchikamizake
Kuchikamizake 口噛み酒, performed by Mitsuha during a traditional ritual, can be bought in Hida-Furukawa too! It is actually one of the earliest sake types, made by first chewing the rice, spilting it out into a container, keep and let it ferment. But of course, this sake you see in real life is not made from chewed rice, not hygenic wei.
Address: Sakura Bussankan / Hida Sakura Gift Shop 飛騨古川 さくら物産館
2-20, Sannomachi,
Furukawa-cho, Hida city, Gifu
Operating Hours: 9AM – 4.30PM Closed on Thursdays
Address: Watanabe Sake Brewery 渡辺酒造店
7-7 Furukawacho Ichinomachi,
Hida, Gifu Prefecture 509-4234, Japan
Opening Hours: 8.30AM-5.15PM
Done with real scenes and activities related to Kimi no Na wa in Hida-Furukawa. Let’s move our attention to Tokyo, where Taki lives in. We only get to covered 5 places because we only have 3 hours in the city that morning. Check it out:
1. Scene facing NTT DOCOMO YOYOGI Building in Tokyo
This scene appeared in the very beginning of the movie to symbolize Tokyo city. One of the easiest scene to reach, also our favourite scene. Just hop on JR Chuo-Line and stop at JR Sinnanomachi station信濃町. After walk out from station Exit 1&2, to your right, you will see the tall building.
Address: JR Shinanomachi Station 信濃町駅
34 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 160-0016, Japan
How to reach: Exit 1,2 from station will see
2. Pedestrian Bridge at Shinanomachi Station in Tokyo
The place where Miki Okudera and Taki had conversation before saying goodbye to each other. After Miki left, Taki decided to call up Mitsuha but failed to reach her. It is located at the same Sinanomachi Station. If NTT Docomo Yoyogi Buidling scene is on your right, this pedestrian overpass will be on your left upon exiting the station.
Address: JR Shinanomachi Station 信濃町駅
34 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 160-0016, Japan
How to reach: Exit 1,2 from station will see
3. Staircases Next to Suga Shrine,Yotsuya District
Staircases next to Suga Shrine 須賀神社 appeared in the last few minutes of before the film ended. Taki and Mitsuha saw each other in passing trains, ran out and looked for their “who are you” in memory and finally met at the staircases. Most touching scene to us in Kimi no Na wa movie. Haha.
The real staircases doesn’t look very special though haha. Close to Yotsuya-sanchome Station but a bit far, maybe need 10 minutes of walking. The shrine is open to public, free admission. You may have a visit after this.
Address: Suga Shrine 須賀神社
5 Sugacho, Shinjuku 160-0018,
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
How to reach:
8-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Yotsuya-Sanchome Station
10-minute walk from JR Yotsuya Station
4. The Underpass in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Loving this architecture appeared in Kimi no Na wa movie. This scene is used in the trailer, also in the beginning of movie.
Address: Cross road near to Shinjuku police station
Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo
How to reach:
10 minute walk from Shinjuku station, Exit A18
3 minute walk from Nishi-shinjuku station, Exit E7
5. Shinjuku Station View from Pedestrain, Tokyo
This scene took place in Shinjuku, happened when Mitsuha exchanged body with Taki, being “transported” to Tokyo. She was so fascinated with the modern surroundings filled with skyscrappers. In the end, she reached school late as she got lost in the city. Haha.
Address: Shinjuku Station 新宿駅
1 Chome-1-3 Nishishinjuku,
Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
Besides these few places, there are more landmarks to locate for Kimi no Na wa movie. Tokyo Station, Yogoyi Station, Yotsuya Station, Sendagaya Stations are also real locations flashed through in this film. Enjoy the contrast of Hida-Furukawa nature beauty and Tokyo metropolitan as you get this reallife places in Your Name ticked one by one!
