While this library is a functioning library serving the literary needs of the small city of Hida, it rose to prominence as one of the key settings of the hit 2016 movie Your Name (君の名は, Kimi no Na wa). The staff was very generous for allowing us to take pictures inside the library, however, the rules included that we could not include any of the patrons in any of our shots.

A visual guide for the movie sits atop one of the shelves.

It proved to be difficult, as locals wandered up and down the aisles during our visit, but it was nice to see our first spot of inspiration for the wildly popular movie. As we continued throughout the day, we visited other notable sites.

Of course, Hida-Furukawa Station is one of the most popular sites to see on the Your Name pilgrimage. Right after the release of the film, people came from far and wide to photograph the old-school trains that can be seen in the movie.

Standing on the pedestrian bridge above the rails, you can capture a picture straight out of the movie and make your friends green with envy.

Next, we made our way to Hida-Furukawa’s Keta Wakamiya Shrine (気多若宮神社). The shrine in the movie is believed to be an amalgamation of a few shrines in the area, including this one.

The shrine seen the animated movie was a very big part of the film and any visit to Hida-Furukawa wouldn’t be complete without making a spiritual journey. And the scenery at Keta Wakamiya Shrine, only 15 minutes away from the station, is very serene and calming, even on a gray and rainy day.