Anime Travel 4 – Hanasaku Iroha in Real Life

4/28/2022 09:22:00 AM

Anime Travel 4 – Hanasaku Iroha in Real Life

Yunosagi Station depiction in winter

This anime was aired way back in 2011 when I was still in Junior high. The story is quite unique yet realistic; the MC is a granddaughter of an old Japanese inn owner called Kissuisou (喜緑荘). But instead of being treated like an heir of the inn, she needs to work hard to survive. (I won’t spill all of the details so you can enjoy it too!)

Back then, this anime was graphically stunning and made me think of one day visiting these places in real life. Luckily, I can finally fulfill one of my little childhood dreams, and now I am writing about these trips in this blog.

The setting is heavily inspired by various places around Kanazawa city and the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa prefecture. A trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa should take 2.5 hours by Shinkansen.

(But I am a cheapskate, so using the 18-kippu meant a grueling journey of more than 12 hours, hopping on a bunch of different local trains… It was fun though! Note that I went there twice, during winter (Jan ‘22) and spring (April ‘22), just to complement the documentation with each other. And yes, that shows how much of a freak I really am.)

So anyway, this should be one of my longest posts yet. So please relax and enjoy the ride!

I was lucky I was able to rode the special Hanasaku Iroha themed Noto train

1. Nishigishi Station

The first spot is the station where Yunosagi St. is based. There were many cuts in the anime where Ohana and her friends are rushing to the station since we all know that trains in rural Japan usually operate only once every hour.

This station is located within the Noto peninsula and is operated by Noto Railways. Here is the location of Nishigishi St.

Appearance of Yunosagi St. in one of the scenes
©花いろ旅館組合

The same angle of the station in real life

The girls are rushing to the train, a “national-sport” I also like to do to avoid missing a train
©花いろ旅館組合

Another view of the station from the similar angle

View of the station platform from the other end in the anime
©花いろ旅館組合

The same angle in real life

Ohana & Okami standing on the platform

©花いろ旅館組合

View of the platform from a similar angle

I like how they recreated the fictional ”Yunosagi St.” sign from the anime.

And here’s how it looked like during winter, which is gorgeous.

They made this station the official site of Hanasaku Iroha’s point of interest, as we can find many posters, mangas, etc., related to the anime. (For some reason, Osomatsu-san’s pillow can also be found here…)

Another Hanasaku Iroha Posters

2. Noto-Nakajima Station

The second location is still located around Noto peninsula. It is one station apart from the Nishigishi St., called Noto-Nakajima St. In the anime, this place is known as Komatsuzaki St., which should be close with Ohana’s school. Here is the location of Noto-Nakajima St.

The appearance of Komatsuzaki St.
©花いろ旅館組合

Noto-Nakajima St. in real life

Yuina is catching up with the girls in front of the station.
©花いろ旅館組合

The same staircase in real life

The girls are waiting for the incoming train
©花いろ旅館組合

The stairs that connecting each platform in real life.

Girls chatting at the Komatsuzaki St. platform
©花いろ旅館組合

The view where Noto-Nakajima St. sign is shown in real life

3. Yuwaku Area

The third area I went to was an onsen resort town at the outskirts of Kanazawa by the name Yuwaku. This place heavily inspired the setting of onsen town of Yunosagi. Contrary to popular belief, this place is located faraway from the previous two stations which are located in Noto peninsula.

The first area I visited was the around the town of Yuwaku which should inspire the town of Yunosagi in the anime. Here is the location of Yuwaku.

This should be one of the main junction in Yunosagi
©花いろ旅館組合

The same junction in real life

The town of Yunosagi
©花いろ旅館組合

Similar angle of Yuwaku area, some buildings have been modified or demolished

Yuina with a heron from ED scene
©花いろ旅館組合

They kept the same bench which is nice

Scene of Yunosagi near the post office
花いろ旅館組合

The view of Yuwaku town from post office

Staircase leading to a shrine in Yunosagi during Bonbori Festival
©花いろ旅館組合

The same staircase in real life

Yunosagi shrine
©花いろ旅館組合

Yusaku Shrine

Kouchan standing in front of Yunosagi shrine
©花いろ旅館組合

The other side of Yuwaku Shrine

You can find many signs here in Yuwaku related to Hanasaku Iroha, including this treasure hunting challange feautring Nako-chan among other girls

The second area that I visited was the Hyaku Raku Inn, which inspires the design of Yuina’s luxury inn ”Fukuya”.

One of the rival inn Fukuya from faraway view
©花いろ旅館組合

The similar angle of Hyaku Raku Inn

Ohana visiting Fukuya Inn
©花いろ旅館組合

The close look of Hyaku Raku Inn

The third area that I visited was the ruins of what used to be a luxury inn called ”Haku Unrou” hotel. Around the top of the hill lies the ruins of Haku Unrou hotel (JP: 白雲桜ホテル). Seemingly this hotel has been demolished in 1998 due to financial difficulties. The ruins of this hotel is now turned into a park and observation deck.

A scene when Ohana and Tohru met at a foggy morning.
Heading right of the junction should lead to Kisui Inn.
©花いろ旅館組合

In real life, you can go to the ruins of Haku Unrou Hotel if you take the right
uphill road

View to Yunosagi on the way to Kisui Inn
©花いろ旅館組合

The similar view of Yuwaku town from the above

Ohana walking back towards the inn during dusk
©花いろ旅館組合

The same road leading to Haku Urou hotel ruins

Ohana visiting Kisui Inn for the first time ©花いろ旅館組合

Here’s the photo of the old hotel
(Source: http://discoverjunk.web.fc2.com/haikyotop/hakuunrou/Pamphlet/index.htm)

The park where the old hotel used to be built

Pool scene from the movie making arc
©花いろ旅館組合

Here is the abandoned pool of the old hotel

The is the other part of the park

4. Kanazawa College of Art

Kourin High (JP: 香林高校、Kourin Koukou), a school where Ohana transferred to near Yunosagi inspired heavily from the Kanazawa Collage of Art (JP: 金沢美術工芸大学、Kanazawa Bijutsu Kougei Daigaku). I was there during weekend so there was almost no student and I was able to take pictures.

View of Kourin High from the main gate
©花いろ旅館組合

Kanazawa Art College in Real Life

Main gate of the school during Kourin High Festival
©花いろ旅館組合

Right wing the campus from the main gate

The exact spot in real life, this spot is mostly used for parking bicycles

The similar staircase but it is mirrored/reversed in real life

This should be the similar angle of the same building in real life
(I took this shot during winter)

5. Shiinoki Guest House

This western styled building can be found in the anime when Tohru was attending his friend’s wedding ceremony, then Ohana went to the city looking for him in order to bring him back to the inn. This building is located at the center of Kanazawa city near the Kenrokuen Park (JP: 兼六園). I was visiting this place during winter so there should be snow seen within the shots below.

Shiinoki Guest House in real life

This building looks gorgeous in winter

6. Korinbo Area

Korinbo is the most popular shopping discrict in Hokuriku area. Located at the center of Kanazawa and can be accessible by bus from Kanazawa St. There were many cuts in the anime shown that is inspired from this area.

The same crossing in real life

Korinbo Atrio in real life

Daiwa shopping center in the anime
©花いろ旅館組合
Daiwa shopping center in real life

Ohana and Nakochi running through the staircases
©花いろ旅館組合
Might not be the exact same level but it's very similar

Ohana and Nakochi running towards the top of the shopping center
©花いろ旅館組合
Too bad I only took this sign (not the correct angle)

The amusement park at the top of the shopping center
©花いろ旅館組合
The rooftop of Daiwa shopping center

One of the crossing in the anime
©花いろ旅館組合
The same crossings in real life

At the end of Korinbo, we can find an iconic green bridge called Saigawa Big Bridge (JP: 犀川大橋、Saigawa Oohashi) which should appear in several scenes as far as I remembered.

The bridge in the anime
©花いろ旅館組合
The same bridge in real life

7. Kanazawa Station Area & Omicho Market

The final area that I think I can share is around the main station of Kanazawa. There were some scenes where the city’s station was shown in the anime.