Mitsuha and Taki are total strangers living completely different lives. But when Mitsuha makes a wish to leave her mountain town for the bustling city of Tokyo, they become connected in a bizarre way. She dreams she is a boy living in Tokyo while Taki dreams he is a girl from a rural town he’s never visited. Later, after returning to unexpected life changes, they discover they have been swapping bodies. What does their newfound connection mean? And how will it bring them together?

Suga Shrine in Yotsuya has become a primary location for driving international anime tourism. Even among others spots in the film and across Shinkai’s filmography, to many it stands out as uniquely striking, especially due to its relevance to the emotional core and conclusion of the film. Like with the Joker stairs in New York City, this degree of sudden attention can be a surprise to residents. Suga Shrine is ultimately a local shrine in a quiet neighborhood, and was not prepared for the extreme degree of hype and traffic it received. Fortunately, since the film’s release, the constant photography and publicity has slowed down to more manageable levels.

Many of the other spots featured across Tokyo are more well-traveled and tourist-friendly, such as the round cafe in the National Art Center or the Starbucks location near Shibuya Crossing.

The place name “Itomori” is fictional, however many of Itomori’s locations are designed after spots in Hida, Gifu prefecture, which marketed the town’s relation to the movie with some maps and promotional campaigns. Fans certainly turned up in a major way. According to Soranews24, the city brought in ¥18.5B off of its tourism push in 2016. Key spots around town include the train station and bus loop, the city library, a ramen shop, and Keta Wakamiya Shrine.