I went on an anime pilgrimage to the sacred sites of A Place Further Than the Universe (commonly known as Yorimoi).

I visited Tatebayashi City in Gunma Prefecture, the central setting of the story. The weather was perfect that day, and it turned out to be an absolutely wonderful trip chasing the anime’s scenery under a clear blue sky.The moment I arrived at Tatebayashi Station in the morning,

my heart swelled with excitement — “This is it!” The station view I had seen so many times in the anime spread out right before my eyes, and I could truly feel the everyday atmosphere that Kimari and the others lived in. As I walked around the station area, I found myself reflecting again on Kimari’s restless desire to “start something,” and many other scenes from the show.After exploring the area around the station, I headed first to Tsutsujigaoka Park. When I stood inside the small pavilion (azumaya), the sunset scene from the anime immediately came to mind, and emotions naturally welled up. Thanks to the great weather, the lush greenery of the park and the distant scenery felt incredibly refreshing. I felt like I had stepped right into a scene from the anime. I sat on a bench for a while, just spacing out, and I could really sense the vivid youth of the four girls —

it made my chest feel warm.At the Tsutsujigaoka Fureai Center inside the park, I got to see official goods and life-sized panels, which really excited me as a fan. Many people had also left messages in the sacred site notebook, and it was a heartwarming spot that let me feel the kindness of the Yorimoi fandom.

After that, I went to Morinji Temple. It’s famous for the Bunbuku Chagama tanuki (the lucky raccoon-dog teapot), but in the anime, it’s a special place where Kimari and Megumi stop by after school or where everyone gathers to talk. The rows of cute tanuki statues on the grounds were adorable, so I took tons of photos. Of course, I sat on the bench too 😊

While visiting various other small spots, I really felt how the whole town of Tatebayashi gently embraces the series. Not only are the anime backgrounds faithfully reproduced, but the detailed sacred site maps are also impressive.