Cities
Gifu
Gifu City is located in the Chubu region of Japan, serving as the prefectural capital of Gifu Prefecture. Situated in the Nagara River basin, it has been an important hub for transportation and culture since ancient times. It boasts a Sengoku period historical background, represented by figures like Oda Nobunaga, and also preserves numerous natural landscapes and traditional streetscapes. Gifu City is famous for Nagara River cormorant fishing and Gifu Castle. Due to its atmosphere as a "typical Japanese regional city," it is often chosen as a filming location or source of inspiration for anime, manga, and TV dramas. Compared to large cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the pace here is more relaxed, making it ideal for in-depth pilgrimages, location scouting, and photography. Gifu City often serves as an archetypal setting for "Japanese regional cities," "Sengoku historical backgrounds," or "nature coexisting with the city," making it suitable for real-world location comparison-style pilgrimages. Although some anime and live-action works do not directly name Gifu, clear similarities can be found in their urban structure, rivers, and mountain castle landscapes.
Suwa
Suwa City, located in the central part of Nagano Prefecture, is the hometown of director Makoto Shinkai and also the real-life sacred place that served as the prototype for "Itomori Lake," a core scene in the film "Your Name." The biggest highlight here is undoubtedly Lake Suwa. To relive the emotion of the "Kataware-doki" (twilight) moment from the film, it is recommended to visit Tateishi Park, located halfway up the mountain. From there, overlooking the scene, the circular lake basin topography and the surrounding mountains perfectly replicate the view Taki saw during "Kataware-doki" (twilight), especially at sunset, when the evening sun casts its glow on the lake, as if a comet is about to streak across the sky. Besides the pilgrimage, there is also the famous Suwa Grand Shrine (one of Japan's oldest shrines, known for its spectacular Onbashira Festival) and Kamisuwa Onsen (hot springs) by the lake, making it an excellent place to experience "Japan's original scenery."
Kyoto
Kyoto pilgrimage routes — the historic city for slow travel.
Tokyo
Tokyo anime pilgrimage routes — from Shinjuku to Odaiba.