Tokyo (Shinjuku), Gifu (Hida-Furukawa)
Kimi no Na Wa’s excursion is a journey to the roots of this beloved and magnificent film, set in the countryside of Gifu Prefecture and the urban environment of Tokyo.
The Tokyo section is easy and effortless to complete by public transport, although there is also a reasonable amount of walking - an estimated few kilometers. The hike takes half a day on foot, and you can get there faster if you plan your route carefully and use the metro as much as possible.
The Hida-Furukawa section takes practically an entire day with the transition, but if there is interest and time, I warmly recommend exploring Gifu Prefecture even more. For example, the next day you could continue your journey to, say, the historic village of Shirakawa-Go and Higurashi's landscapes!
Directions
Shinjuku can be reached quickly by public transport within Tokyo, such as the subway or JR-Lines, there are always several options, no matter where you go from Tokyo.
The fastest route to Hida-Furukawa (if you are departing from Tokyo / Osaka) is by shinkansen via Nagoya to Takayama, from where you can take a local train to Hida-Furukawa.
Tokyo, Shinjuku
The journey most naturally starts at Yotsuya Subway Station, where Taki meets Okudera-senpai for dating - from here it is worth continuing to the series to the most famous landmark, the staircase where the couple finally find each other. In the vicinity of Yotsuya station when everything is found and seen, it is worth continuing the journey towards the next place - the passage where Taki is waiting, the cafe where he is working part time, the intersection seen in the series & other landmarks. All of these can be found at a reasonable distance from each other!
Hida, Hida-Furukawa
Hida Prefecture, and Takayama in particular, has greatly raised its profile as a tourist destination in recent years, and as a result, the city now has a significant number of foreign tourists exploring the sights. Fortunately, the attractions of otaku are in Hida-Furukawa, a few local train stops from Takayama where the Japanese countryside looks truly unique, with no experience specifically designed for tourists.
Once you get to Hida-Furukawa station, you can start following the same route as Taki! The station itself is already an experience for those who have seen the movie, the taxi stand outside is still the same - take the Kimi no Na Wa map sheet on the station rack for free and head on! From here, we recommend continuing your journey towards Hidashi Library. The library has its own area for film fans with its materials, and taking pictures is also allowed with certain restrictions. Be sure to check in with the staff next to the entrance each time the rules and give visitors visitor cards. It is therefore worth visiting the library first and well in advance during the day. This is because admission for film fans is limited in time due to the peace of mind of local students and other library users.
Another place worth visiting is Ajidokoro Furukawa Restaurant, which was very peaceful when we visited - the restaurant staff immediately guessed what it was all about and put the soundtrack of the movie to play while we ate ..! =)
I also recommend going to the other side of the temple on the steps of the temple, they are also easily identifiable - and if you have enough time, you should travel a few more stops by train, so you will also find the bus stop in the movie!
Note! On the way from the station to the staircase you can constantly see around the familiar fields and greenhouses, Remember that you walk the same route…!
