8 Tokyo Sights Featured in the Anime “Your Name”

For those unfamiliar with the film, Your Name (君の名は。 / Kimi no Na wa) was a feature-length Japanese anime written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. Featuring fantasy elements from body-swap to time travel, the tale follows protagonists Mitsuha and Taki who work together to prevent a major disaster. Tokyo was one of the film’s two major settings, with many of the cities’ sights rendered beautifully in the artfully crafted masterpiece. So for anime fans out there interested in seeing the inspiration for the art, check out the 8 sights below!

1. Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku Station(新宿駅) is a major railway station in Tokyo, Japan and holder of the Guinness World Record for the busiest transport hub (3.64 million people per day in 2007). West of the station is Shinjuku’s skyscraper district, home to famous hotels and Metropolitan Government Office’s twin towers. In the Northeast lies Kabukicho, Shinjuku, where travellers would get to see Tokyo’s different ways of life, from fashion trends to hostess bars.

Photo Credits: http://astral01.hatenablog.com/entry/2016/10/26/210639

2. Yunika Vision

Yunika Vision (LABI)- a communication facility that utilizes its 3 large LED screens to display digital contents tailor-made for the Shinjuku area. The content played by the LED displays varies day to day, from real time news streaming to advertisements. Yunika Vision’s strong media presence has an incredible impact on the people passing through Shinjuku, ensuring an experience that travellers would not soon forget.

Photo Credits: http://astral01.hatenablog.com/entry/2016/10/26/210639

Photo Credits: http://www.yunikavision.jp/

3. Suga Shrine staircase

Suga Shrine(須賀神社) staircase- Suga shrine is one of the many shrines in Shinjuku. The shrine is open to all people, locals often come to worship and pray. The shrine is known for its iconic red staircase outside, which has appeared in various movies and anime. Check out the scenes from the movie below, and act them out yourselves!

Photo Credits: http://lee-pen9.blogspot.hk/2016/10/your-name.html?view=flipcard

Photo Credits: http://lee-pen9.blogspot.hk/2016/10/your-name.html?view=flipcard

4. DoCoMo Tower

As the fourth tallest building in Tokyo, Docomo Tower houses call centre and equipment rooms for NTT Docomo, Japan's largest telecommunications company. Its name, Docomo, literally means “wherever”, acts as a simple yet clear reminder to its customers that they can communicate with each other wherever they are. Though the interior of the building is not an attraction to tourists, remember to take a photo of the exterior! After all, its appearance certainly is a prominent landmark of Tokyo.

Photo Credits: https://fastjapan.com/cht/p112544

Photo Credits: http://astral01.hatenablog.com/entry/2016/10/26/210639

5. Shinjuku Police Station

Shinjuku Police Station is the largest among all Japanese police constructions. It has a huge number of police officers working inside as its jurisdiction covers west Shinjuku, in which also lies the famous entertainment district, Kabukicho. The police station works not only to provide safety, it is also a can’t miss landmark of Shinjuku!

Photo Credits: http://mikehattsu.blogspot.hk/2016/09/your-name-shinjuku-station.html

Photo Credits: http://astral01.hatenablog.com/entry/2016/10/26/210639

6. Aogashima（Tokyo）

Aogashima is one of the natural wonders in Japan that most people don’t know about. On this large island, most of the land is formed by layered volcanic deposits and hence steep cliffs are commonplace. Even to this day, it is still classified as a Class-C active volcano after its last eruption in the 18th century. If you wish to admire the awe of nature and meet the small yet happy population on Aogashima, remember to check the weather and do adequate preparation, because you can only travel to and from there by shuttle ship or helicopter.

Photo Credits: https://fastjapan.com/cht/p112544

7. Cafe La Boheme

Cafe La Boheme is an Italian restaurant with an elegant and welcoming interior design and a can’t miss for Taki fans, since this is where he worked. More importantly, customers love the food, wine and the service is excellent! The restaurant is a great place to converse with friends and family. So if you are ever in the neighbourhood, don’t forget to check it out!

Photo Credits: https://haveagood.holiday/plans/58772

Photo Credits: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKcsgHnANZy/

8. National Art Center, Tokyo

Art lovers (and Your Name fans) mustn’t miss the National Art Center, Tokyo, one of the largest museums in Asia. NACT is an “empty museum,” it doesn’t have a collection or a permanent exhibition of arts. Instead, the museum focuses on serving as the venue for various art exhibitions. Bring your loved one here and experience the lunch date Taki took his crush on at “Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée.”

Photo Credits: http://lee-pen9.blogspot.hk/2016/10/your-name.html?view=flipcard

Photo Credits: https://fastjapan.com/cht/p112544