The Hida Takayama area holds the highest density of officially certified anime pilgrimage sites in Japan — Your Name (Kimi no Na wa)'s Hida Furukawa Station and Kida Wakamiya Shrine, plus Hyouka's Takayama Jinya and town. Three sites within a 30-minute JR Hida Line radius, all on the Anime Tourism Association's "88 Selected" list since 2018. This is the complete one-day route from Nagoya — with JR Hida Express timings, specific filming angles, and integration with the area's broader tourism resources.
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Why is Hida the densest anime pilgrimage area?
The Hida mountains (northern Gifu) hold 3 certified pilgrimage sites + 2 perennially certified works on the official 88 list:
- Your Name (君の名は。, 2016, Makoto Shinkai) — Hida Furukawa Station and Kida Wakamiya Shrine appear in the film as the places Taki visits while searching for Itomori. Shinkai has stated in interviews that Itomori itself is a fictional composite town with no single real-world model, but the Hida scenes are reproduced with high fidelity
- Hyouka (氷菓, 2012, Kyoto Animation) — Takayama Jinya, the old town, and Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine are Houtarou's daily settings
All 3 points sit within a 30-minute radius on the JR Hida Line, alongside Furukawa and Takayama's broader tourism resources (old town, morning market, Hachiman shrine) — making it possible to combine "anime pilgrimage + traditional Japanese castle town" in a single day.
💡 What 88-Selection certification means: The Anime Tourism Association's annual 88 list is co-selected by rights holders, local governments, and fan voting. Selection means rights holders publicly welcome pilgrimage + local governments invest in signage and infrastructure. Both Your Name and Hyouka have been listed every year since 2018 — top-tier certification status.
Site 1: Hida Furukawa Station (Your Name)
The scene: Mitsuha and her sister wait on the platform bench searching for Taki — the pivotal moment where Taki realizes Itomori = Hida. Appears in the film's middle section.
Specific filming spots:
- Platform 1 (boarding side for Hida-bound trains) — the bench where Mitsuha's sister sits; the angle facing the platform roof matches the film exactly
- Station waiting area — Taki's arrival scene in the opening
- Station front roundabout — the wide establishing shot in the film
Field info:
- Address: Furukawa-cho Kanamori, Hida City, Gifu (Google Maps)
- An official "Your Name Pilgrimage Info Center" inside the station has stamps, ema, and route maps
- Hida Tourism Association: hida-kankou.jp
Site 2: Kida Wakamiya Shrine (Your Name "Musubi" origin)
The scene: Mitsuha and her grandmother weave "musubi" (kumihimo) braided cord — the family-shrine setting at the heart of the film's "Musubi" philosophy. The Miyamizu family shrine design, the cord-weaving ritual, and grandmother's teaching scenes all reference Kida Wakamiya's ancient Japanese "Musubi" tradition.
Specific filming spots:
- Plaza before the main hall — the Miyamizu family ceremony scene
- Cedars inside the precinct — Mitsuha's "barrier forest" run scene
- Goshuin office — for shrine prayer stamps. Note: Kumihimo (Musubi cord) experience is not at the shrine — it's at Hida Furukawa Sakura Bussan-kan, where the officially licensed Your Name kumihimo workshop runs
Field info:
- Address: Kamikida 1297, Furukawa-cho, Hida City (Google Maps)
- 15-min walk / 5-min taxi from Hida Furukawa Station
- The precinct is quiet and used daily by local elderly for prayer — lower your voice, don't set up character standees or props in the sacred space
Site 3: Takayama Jinya and town (Hyouka)
The scene: All of Kyoto Animation's Hyouka — Houtarou Oreki and Eru Chitanda's high-school daily lives, Classics Club activities, town walks. The Takayama representation in Hyouka is "the entire anime functions as a single city's tourism ad" level of fidelity.
Specific filming spots:
- Takayama Jinya (Edo-era magistrate's office, only surviving example) — the historical backdrop for the Chitanda family setting (Google Maps)
- Sanmachi Traditional Architecture District (Kami-Sannomachi) — the wooden streets Houtarou and Eru walk through
- Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine — the shrine near "Kamiyama High"
- Miyagawa Morning Market (7am-12pm) — the morning vegetable-buying scene
Field info:
- Takayama Jinya: open 8:45-17:00 (Nov-Mar until 16:30), entry ¥500 (raised from ¥440 on 2026/4/1)
- 12-min walk from JR Takayama Station to Jinya; 5 min to the old town
- Hida Takayama Tourism: hidatakayama.or.jp
One-day route from Nagoya
Core: JR Hida Express #3 (the only morning train that puts you in Furukawa before noon). Order "Furukawa → Takayama → Nagoya" is most efficient.
| Time | Itinerary |
|---|---|
| 8:43 | Nagoya Station → Hida #3 Express → arrive Takayama ~11:00 → arrive Furukawa ~11:15 |
| 11:11-12:30 | Hida Furukawa Station platform photos (Mitsuha scenes) + info center for stamps |
| 12:30-13:30 | Kida Wakamiya Shrine walk/taxi + prayer + goshuin |
| 13:30-14:00 | Furukawa old town walk + lunch (Aji-dokoro Furukawa, Hida beef cuisine) |
| 14:24 | Furukawa → Hida #24 Express → Takayama 14:39 (15 min; or 15:05 local → 15:28) |
| 14:30-16:30 | Takayama Jinya + Kami-Sannomachi + Sakurayama Hachiman (Hyouka locations) |
| 16:33 | Takayama → Hida Express → arrive Nagoya 19:06 |
Tickets:
- Nagoya → Takayama Hida Express one-way: non-reserved ~¥5,610, reserved ~¥6,140 (2026 fares, verify on JR Central site)
- JR Takayama-Hokuriku Pass 5-day ~¥19,800 — worth it when combined with Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, Toyama
- Hida Area Free Ticket 3-day ~¥12,370 (Nagoya ↔ Hida area; replaced the old "Hida-ji Free Ticket" in Sep 2023)
Extension routes: Shirakawa-go, Gero, Shinhotaka
One-day Hida pilgrimage is a missed opportunity — Takayama is central Japan's tourism hub:
Route A: Pilgrimage + Shirakawa-go winter illumination (2D1N)
Day 1: Hida pilgrimage → Takayama hotel. Day 2: Takayama → Nohi bus to Shirakawa-go for illumination (specific weekends Jan-Feb) → return Nagoya.
Related: Shirakawa-go Winter Illumination Guide 2026 (includes lottery process)
Route B: Pilgrimage + Gero Onsen (2D1N)
Day 1: Hida pilgrimage → Takayama → JR Hida Line south to Gero → stay at Suimeikan (one of Japan's Big-3 hot springs).
Related: Suimeikan card · off-peak ¥16,830/person incl. 2 meals
Route C: Pilgrimage + Shinhotaka Ropeway (2D1N)
Day 1: Hida pilgrimage → Takayama hotel. Day 2: Takayama → Shinhotaka Ropeway (Northern Alps panorama) → Toyama → Nagoya.
Pilgrimage etiquette
Anime pilgrimage in Japan is actively supported by local residents, shrines, and governments, but follows 4 basic rules:
- Lower voice inside shrines, no character standees — Kida Wakamiya is a daily prayer site for elderly locals, not a fan meetup space
- Don't photograph from the track side of platforms — Hida Furukawa Station is operational; staff will intervene during train arrivals
- Stay out of residential and private property — parts of Takayama old town are still inhabited private homes
- Don't disturb crops or shrine vegetation — Kida Wakamiya's cedars are sacred
The Anime Tourism Association and local governments actively cultivate "polite pilgrimage culture" — good behavior earns more sites on the 88 list; bad behavior leads to bans like the 2023 Kamakura-Kokomae photo restriction.
FAQ
Is Your Name really based on Hida Furukawa? Did Shinkai confirm officially?
Yes and no. Makoto Shinkai has stated in multiple interviews that "Itomori" itself is a fictional composite town with no single real-world model. But Hida Furukawa Station + Kida Wakamiya Shrine do appear in the film as the places Taki visits while searching for Itomori — with high reproduction fidelity. Hida Furukawa Station hosts a Hida City Tourism Association info center where you can pick up the free "Your Name walking map" and the broader Hida pilgrimage guide.
How faithfully does Hyouka recreate Takayama?
Extremely faithfully. Kyoto Animation conducted multiple location-scouting trips to Takayama, and the old town alleys, Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine, and Miyagawa Morning Market are recurring on-screen settings. The Hida Takayama Tourism Association publishes an official "Hyouka × Hida Takayama Location Map" so fans can pilgrimage by following the official guide.
Day trip or stay overnight?
Depends on purpose. For pure pilgrimage, day trip works, but Takayama's morning market (opens 6:30am), evening wooden streets, and traditional ryokan experience only unlock with an overnight. Best value: combine with Gero Onsen (1hr south) or Shirakawa-go (1hr west) for 2D1N.
Are there official Hyouka or Your Name merchandise?
Yes. Marutto Plaza (Hida Takayama Antenna Shop on Honmachi Street) houses the official "Hyouka Exchange Corner" stocking Kyoto Animation–licensed merchandise (folders, postcards, official goods). Avoid unofficial doujin merch — supporting official goods supports continued creation by KyoAni.
Related reading
🎬 Other officially certified anime pilgrimage sites → Full 88-Selected Anime Pilgrimage Map
♨ Pair with Gero Onsen → Suimeikan · one of Japan's Big-3 hot springs
❄ Pair with Shirakawa-go winter illumination → Illumination guide 2026
Data and copyright
Site list compiled from Anime Tourism Association's 88-Selected list 2018-2026 editions. WaTabi holds no copyright to "Your Name" or "Hyouka" stills, posters, character designs, or music — this article uses only real-world geographic data + work titles. Scene descriptions are based on the films' public afterwords, Makoto Shinkai's interviews, and Kyoto Animation's location books. Local information follows Hida Takayama Tourism Association.
Pilgrimage etiquette: respect local residents, don't disrupt shrine ceremonies, don't enter private property, don't photograph from track-side platforms.