This critically acclaimed animation from director Makoto Shinkai has been wowing audiences in Japan and around the world ever since it premiered last August. ‘Your Name‘ (original Japanese title: ‘Kimi No Na Wa‘) is a beautifully animated teen romance film with fantasy elements but most importantly many of the locales featured are actual real places in Gifu and Tokyo.

I actually began tracking down some of these locations back in November 2016 but then got distracted by other things so having re-watched the film recently I took many screen shots and set about visiting them all via bicycle one Sunday over the space of about four hours, including the journey from the Tokyo Fox Global Operations Centre to Shinjuku ward and back. The order I did them in was done geographically but for simplicity they are listed here in the order which they appear in the 106 minute movie. The time codes given are approximate and may be slightly different to the DVD or blu-ray versions.

Warning: Contains spoilers! 

Labi Shinjuku Higashiguchi-kan (3-23-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) is the first recognisable Tokyo landmark to appear as the capital scenes start 20 minutes into the film. This giant electronics store is just a couple of minutes walk from the east exit of Shinjuku station and it features a couple more times.

The view of the south exit of JR Shinjuku Station taken from a footbridge soon follows.

On 30 minutes the Nishi Shinjuku traffic intersection next to the L-O-V-E sign outside Shinjuku I-Land Tower (6-5-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) can be seen. The fancy architectural Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower can be seen in the background.

A wider shot of Labi Shinjuku Higashiguchi-kan (3-23-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) taken from a further distance is visible on 32 minutes.

The National Art Center (7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku) appears on 39 minutes and was used for the scene where Taki takes colleague Miki on their doomed lunch date. The name of the restaurant is Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée and it’s on the 3rd floor.

The sun can be seen rising behind the the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (5-24-3 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku) in the distance of Minamimotomachi in Shinjuku ward on 41 minutes (and again on 95 minutes).

This pedestrian bridge (Minamimotomachi 19, Shinjuku-ku) is located by Shinanomachi station and was used for a few scenes (41 and 73 minutes) including one where Taki tries to call Mitsuha.

Mitsuha is waiting on the JR Sobu line platform of Yoyogi station on 74 minutes heading (presumably) in the direction of Yotsuya station which appears a couple of minutes later. She sees Taki on the train and tries to talk to him but because of the whole time separation matter he has no idea who she is.

As aforementioned, Yotsuya station appears shortly after that on 76 minutes.

Miki waits for her date with Taki on 94 minutes outside the Akasaka entrance of JR Yotsuya station.

Even the Hotel New Otani (4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku) features briefly as its revolving restaurant appears on 94 minutes. This place already has a cinema history as it played the part of Osato Chemicals in the James Bond film ‘You Only Live Twice‘ (1967).

Labi Shinjuku Higashiguchi-kan (3-23-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) is seen yet again on 95 minutes.

It’s the familiar curved walls of the Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Credit Corporation (1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) skyscraper which are seen on 97 minutes followed by the foot-bridge outside where Taki walks.

Suga Shrine (5-6 Sugacho, Shinjuku-ku) is quite possibly the most famous location from the film as it is on the posters and DVD/blu-ray cover. During my ten minutes or so at this place, there was a steady trickle of patrons taking pictures of the steps from the top but very few seemed to capture the initial shot of the steps to the side of the shrine which first appears on the 100 minute mark.

Having recognised each other when their trains draw parallel, Taki and Mitsuha jump off their trains and go looking for each other before finally meeting for the first time proper on this staircase. Sensing they’ve met before, they ask for each other’s name and the end credits roll.

Now I’ve completed the Tokyo locales for this anime-hit I guess the obvious next step is to make a pilgrimage to Hida City in Gifu prefecture to complete the rest of the films locations. Watch this space…

Click here to read ‘Hiroshima-ken 2015 Pt VII: Tomonoura – Ponyo Locations’ 

Click here to read ‘Hiroshima-ken 2015/16 Pt III: Kamichu! Filming Locations’

For other Japan filming locations click on the links below:

You Only Live Twice    Lost In Translation    Kill Bill    Babel    Godzilla    Walk Don’t Run  Into The Sun    Monster    Wasabi    The Ramen Girl   The Toxic Avenger Pt II    The Wolverine    Memoirs Of A Geisha    The Last Samurai   House Of Bamboo   The Grudge 2