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Fujita Memorial Garden

5 Recommended "Flying Witch" Pilgrimage Sites Recommended by Locals! [Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture]

Set amidst the beautiful natural scenery of Aomori, the manga"Flying Witch," which depicts the growth of the protagonist Makoto Kowata, continues to be serialized even eight years after the anime aired, and is a representative manga of Aomori. In this article, we will introduce five "Flying Witch" pilgrimage spots that you can actually visit in Aomori Prefecture.

What is Flying Witch?

Flying Witch

"Flying Witch"is"Bessatsu Shonen Magazine."a fantasy slice-of-life manga serialized bimonthly inof Makoto Kowata,to visit the locations featured in the series"pilgrimages"have started

The reason Hirosaki City is the setting for this story is because the author,Chihiro Ishizuka,is from Hirosaki. Ms. Ishizuka still lives in Hirosaki City and posts pictures of herself enjoying rural life on her social media.

It was adapted into an anime in 2016, and as of April 2024, 12 volumes of the manga have been released

Flying Witch pilgrimage recommended spots

"Flying Witch"is also famous as a work that can be visited on a pilgrimage to its real-life locations, and it was recently"Matsuko's Unknown World." From here, we will introduce some recommended "Flying Witch" pilgrimage spots in Aomori Prefecture.

Taisho Romantic Cafe

Fujita Memorial Garden
Fujita Memorial Garden

located right in front of Hirosaki Castle,Western-style building,the anime "Conclusiowhich served as the model for the cafe inthe Taisho Romantic Cafe." As you can see in the anime, the path from the entrance of the Fujita Memorial Garden to the Taisho Romantic Cafe is meticulously recreated. From the table arrangement to the furnishings, it's almost exactly the same!

Fujita Memorial Garden Taisho Romantic Tea Room
Fujita Memorial Garden and Taisho Romantic Tea Room

Cafe Concursio is a shop that won't appear until you bow twice, clap twice, and bow once in front of the building, so if possible, you'll want to bow twice, clap twice, and bow once before entering. It might also be nice to sit in the same seat as Makoto and the others, eat the same apple pie and gateau au chocolat, and take a photo

Information

Google Map

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Ishiba family residence

Makoto's friend, Ishiwatari Nao, is the Ishiba family residence, located near Hirosaki Castle. During the Edo period, the Ishiba family was a merchant family favored by the Hirosaki domain, mainly dealing in straw products. As times changed, the products they dealt in also changed, and it seems they now sell alcohol and tobacco.

Although it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on February 23, 1973, it is still used as a residence today. There is a sacred place pilgrimage notebook inside the store, so it's definitely worth stopping by if you're on a pilgrimage!

Information

  • Name: Ishiba family residence
  • Location: Oaza Kamekocho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0172-82-1642 (Cultural Properties Division)
  • *For facility tours and events, please contact the owner or manager

Google Map

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Aeon Town Hirosaki Hinoguchi store

Aeon Town Hirosaki Hinoguchi store
Aeon Town Hirosaki Hinoguchi store

Aeon Town Hinoguchi, which is crowded with local shoppers on weekends, is also famous as a pilgrimage spot for "Flying Witch."

This is the place where Makoto bought her broom in volume 1 of "Flying Witch." The site is quite large, so it can be difficult to find, but the broom section is on the hardware store side on the right side when viewed from the front. As of 2024, the store name has changed, so you may not be able to take the exact same photo, but the parking lot remains the same, so why not stop by if you're in the area?

Information

  • Name: AEON Town Hirosaki Hinoguchi store
  • Address: 2-9-6 Hinoguchi, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0172-37-0609
  • URL:Aeon Town Hirosaki Hinokuchi
  • Opening hours:
    • Specialty stores and food courts: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (some stores open from 10:00 AM)
    • MaxValu: 7:00-23:00
    • DCM Sanwa...9:30-20:00
  • Closed days: Varies by store

Google Map

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Iwakiyama Shrine

Iwakiyama Shrine
Iwakiyama Shrine

Iwakisan Shrine appears many times in "Flying Witch" and is an essential spot for pilgrimages. The scene where the spring bringer appears above Iwakisan Shrine has an indescribable atmosphere, and you can experience the same feeling by actually visiting Iwakisan Shrine. Incidentally, there is also an upside-down guardian dog statue that was featured on the cover of volume 9

Information

  • Name: Iwakiyama Shrine
  • Address: 27 Terasawa, Hyakuzawa, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0172-83-2135
  • URL:Iwakiyama Shrine Website

Google Map

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Hirosaki Castle

Hirosaki Castle
Hirosaki Castle

It goes without saying that the most popular pilgrimage spot for "Flying Witch" is Hirosaki Castle (Hirosaki Park)

Unfortunately, Hirosaki Castle is currently undergoing repairs due to its age, so it can no longer be seen from the bridge. However, it is scheduled to be returned to its original location around 2025, so if you want to take a photo from the same angle as Makoto and her friends, try visiting Hirosaki Castle after 2025

Information

Google Map

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Lost pilgrimage spots

There are many pilgrimage spots for Flying Witch, but unfortunately some of them no longer exist

where Makoto and her friends ate after school"POPO,that served as the model for"POPO," the restaurant. POPO was located on the first basement floor of the Ito-Yokado Hirosaki store and had long been a popular spot for local junior and senior high school students. However, due to renovations at Ito-Yokado, its appearance changed to one different from that in "Flying Witch." Furthermore, it has been decided that the Ito-Yokado Hirosaki store will cease operations by 2024, and POPO will also be closing down.

Information

  • Name: Poppo (Ito-Yokado Hirosaki store, basement floor 1)
  • Address: 3-2-1 Oaza Ekimae, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0172-33-5511
  • URL:Ito-Yokado Hirosaki Store
  • Business hours: 9:00-21:00 (Some specialty stores have different business hours)
  • Closed: Open all year round (some specialty stores have different opening hours)

Google Map

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Flying Witch pilgrimage recommended spots route

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summary

In addition to the places introduced this time, there are many other Flying Witch pilgrimage spots in Aomori Prefecture. Be sure to visit the same places as Makoto and her friends and immerse yourself in the world of Flying Witch

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