Japanese Lesser-Known Attractions: Filming Locations of 'Your Name'

Have you seen 'Your Name,' the movie that took over social media?

At the end of the film, when Mitsuha turns around and they ask together, "Your name is…?", at that moment of tears, I felt like my tear ducts were really clogged.

Some people secretly wiped their tears in the cinema, while others chose to go to Japan, to travel to the filming locations of 'Your Name,' to find the Itomori Town where Mitsuha lived, and to see the Tokyo where they lived...

Let's take a look at some of the filming locations that you can really visit once travel reopens.

1. Hida City, Gifu Prefecture

The town where Mitsuha lives in the film, Itomori Town, is a fictional town based on Hida in Gifu Prefecture, combined with Suwa City in Nagano Prefecture (the birthplace of director Makoto Shinkai) and Aogashima Island in the Izu Islands, forming the local Japanese backdrop in the film.

Hida City is the northernmost city in Gifu Prefecture. It is a city under Gifu Prefecture, located in the western highlands of Honshu Island, at the northern end of Gifu Prefecture. It is the prototype for Itomori Town in 'Your Name.' In Hida City, the train station that appears as Taki searches for Mitsuha is modeled after Hida-Furukawa Station.

Address: 8-22 Kanamori-cho, Hida-Furukawa-cho, Gifu Prefecture

Access: About 4 hours by train from Tokyo Station, or about 6 hours by express bus from Shinjuku Station (very tight schedule)

2. The street from the station to Suga Shrine

Walking from Shinano-machi Station to the stairs next to Suga Shrine is like the scene in the animated film where the two main characters meet again after many years. Although they don't remember each other's names, they are deeply drawn by their familiar feeling for each other. The real-life filming location is highly faithful to the painting; you could even say it's exactly the same! Both the stairs and the steps are faithfully recreated. If you take photos at dusk, you'll feel like you've accidentally stepped into an anime scene.

Address: 5 Suga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0018

Access: About a 10-minute walk from Shinano-machi Station, with an uphill slope

3. The National Art Center, Tokyo

The National Art Center, Tokyo is an art museum located in Minato-ku, Tokyo. It opened in 2007 and has the largest floor space of any art museum in Japan. It is the place where Taki has a lunch date with his senior, Miki. The restaurant is called 'Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée,' located on the 3rd floor of the museum. Those interested can go on a pilgrimage there.

Address: 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Access: About a 1-minute walk from Nogizaka Station. Closed on Tuesdays.