What do an alien, a time traveler, and an esper have in common in Japan? All three are summoned to Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture by a bored high school girl – Haruhi Suzumiya. While we can’t guarantee you’ll encounter supernatural beings like Kyon has, try summoning yourself to a “Seichi Jyunrei” – a pilgrimage to famous spots in anime, and visit all the locations where the SOS Brigade’s adventures took place! Let’s see which iconic spots you can swing by.
Koyoen Station
Make your way into the area on the Hankyu Railway Hankyu Koyo Line. Stopping at Koyoen Station and getting off will immediately put you in the shoes of the main character Kyon as you see the train station that he always gets off at when heading to school. Within walking distance, you will find familiar spots such as the building Yuki Nagato’s apartment is based off, and Nishinomiya Kita High School, where the main cast go to school (feel free swing by these spots but entering is prohibited.)
Hinoike Citizen's Swimming Pool
If you visit during the summer, you can visit the public pool that the brigade went to countless times during the infamous “Endless Eight” arc. They are open from beginning of July to the end of August and have an entry fee of 500 yen. Make sure you bring your swimsuit, and watch out if you feel any sense of DeJa’Vu… Make sure to consult esper Itsuki Koizumi if you do!
Hyogo Prefectural Kabutoyama Forest Park
Get your video cameras ready as you head to the Hyogo Prefectural Kabutoyama Forest Park, the park where a lot of the action took place when the SOS Brigade were putting together their film for the school festival! There are a lot of unique sections of this park to visit. Can you spot the areas where Yuki and Mikuru had their epic showdowns?
Kannō-ji Temple
In the same area as Kabutoyama Forest Park is Kannō-ji Temple. Viewers of the second season will remember this location where Haruhi released all the cicadas they caught during their bug catching competition. Goodbye summer…hopefully.
Amagasaki Chuo Shotengai
Finally, just a little further away from the other locations mentioned today is the shopping arcade “Amagasaki Chuo Shotengai.” Right outside Hanshin Amagasaki Station is the shopping street that Kyon, Haruhi, and Mikuru visited, looking for sponsors for their movie. Make your way down the street and see if you can find the toy shop that sponsored them and any of the other shops that made an appearance in the show!
What did you think? Do you want to visit Nishinomiya City in Hyogo prefecture to relive the scene from “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?” Keep an eye out for anything Haruhi related in the area, as many places promote their local area with anime tourism! Just, try to watch out if you see a peculiar group of high school students when visiting.
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