Hello everyone!
About ten years have passed since Love Live! Sunshine!! first aired, and it remains a hugely popular anime to this day. Numazu City is famous as the setting for the series, and walking through town, you’ll spot traces of the characters everywhere — it’s truly a treasure trove for anime pilgrimages!
For those wondering “Where should I start?” or “Which spots are absolute must-sees?”, this article introduces a curated selection of pilgrimage spots in central Numazu. After reading this, you’ll be able to efficiently visit the major locations and avoid that “I came all the way to Numazu and missed this place!” regret.
Numazu Station North Exit
If you’re doing a pilgrimage, we recommend starting by exiting through the North Exit.
This is the spot where the three main characters were handing out flyers to recruit members in episode 3 of the first season.
Plaza Verde
About a 5-minute walk from the North Exit is Plaza Verde, a large convention facility. In the anime, it appears as a gathering spot for the Season 2 members. The rooftop that appears in the show offers great views, so be sure to head up there when you visit. One thing to note: you can’t reach the rooftop via the escalator — you’ll need to take the elevator.
Hours: April–September 9:00 AM–7:00 PM; October–March 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Distance: 5-minute walk from the station
Bivi Numazu
Right in front of Numazu Station’s North Exit is Bivi Numazu. Inside, you’ll find a Love Live! Sunshine!! pop-up store. You can purchase official merchandise and also view display panels, so it’s definitely worth stopping by.
Hours: 8:00 AM–12:00 AM Distance: 3-minute walk from the station
Numazu Station South Side
You can’t pass from the North Exit to the South Exit without a ticket, so use the passage on the west side of the station instead.
The South Exit appears in episodes 5 and 11 of the first season. Right in front of the station, you can spot a specially wrapped Tokai Bus featuring the series’ artwork.
Main Street
About a 5-minute walk west from Numazu Station is the Numazu Nakamise Shopping Street. It’s a traditional shopping arcade with a variety of shops. In the anime, it appears in episode 6 during a music video filming scene.
While walking down this street, be sure to check out the manhole covers too — several of them feature Love Live! Sunshine!! artwork. Give it a look and see how many you can find.
Distance: 4-minute walk from Numazu Station
Former Site of Marusan Books, Nakamise Branch
This bookstore appeared in episode 3 of the anime, but by the time I visited, it had already closed down.
You can no longer see the interior, but the exterior alone is worth a visit.
Distance: 4-minute walk from Numazu Station
Kano River
The Kano River flows through the center of Numazu City. The steps along the riverbank are at just the right height for sitting, making it a good spot to take a break. In the anime, the characters are shown sitting here, and it also appears in episode 4 of the second season.
Distance: 10-minute walk from the station
Agetsuchi Asahi Inari Shrine
Located behind the Numazu Riverside Hotel, this is Agetsuchi Asahi Inari Shrine, which appears in episode 5 of the second season.
Say a prayer here for a safe journey before heading to your next destination.
Distance: 10-minute walk from Numazu Station
Café Orandakan, Shimogawara Branch
Following along the Kano River, the large river that runs through Numazu, you’ll find Café Orandakan, Shimogawara Branch — the shop that served as the model for Yō Watanabe’s family home.
On this visit, I ordered the cheese-topped hamburger steak curry. It came with a satisfying portion size.
The curry itself was mild and delicious, and the hamburger steak had a rich, well-seasoned ground meat flavor. With hamburger steak curry, the curry’s flavor can sometimes overpower the meat, but here you could really taste the savory richness of the meat.
Hours: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM Official X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/kawara_oranda Distance: 20-minute walk from the station
Numazu Port Byuo (Large Observation Floodgate)
Heading further south, you’ll reach Numazu Port, home to the floodgate “Byuo,” which appears in the series.
Byuo isn’t just a functional floodgate — it’s also known as a spot offering a panoramic view of Numazu City. On clear days, you can even see Mt. Fuji.
Hours: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM Admission: ¥100 Distance: 36-minute walk from the station Website: https://byuo.jp/
Summary
How was it?
Walking around Numazu Station, you’ll find Love Live! Sunshine!! characters displayed everywhere you look. It really drove home just how strong the connection is between the town and the series.
At the same time, there are things I regret — like waiting too long to do this pilgrimage. The bookstore mentioned in this article, for instance, could still have been visited inside if I’d gone during the period I originally planned to, but by the time I finally made it there, it had already closed. As with pilgrimages for other series, I really felt how important it is to go sooner rather than later.
Next time, I’d like to introduce the pilgrimage spots in the southern part of Numazu!!
Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end.
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