Natsume's Book of Friends
Yuki Midorikawa's supernatural shōjo (LaLa, since 2005; anime since 2008): Takashi Natsume, an orphan who can see yōkai, inherits his grandmother's 'Book of Friends' and, with the guardian cat Nyanko-sensei, returns the spirits' names. The series' rural landscapes portray Hitoyoshi and the Kuma valley (Kumamoto), the author's homeland, which officially promotes its locations.
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Hitoyoshi Stationpilgrimage gateway
The gateway to 'Natsume country': the station of the Kuma-valley onsen town appears in the series and gathers the pilgrimage information, with corners devoted to Nyanko-sensei.
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Amamiya Shrine (Sagara)the yōkai forest
The little shrine wrapped in a sacred grove on a Sagara hill is one of the series' most recognisable settings: its tree tunnel and steps appear in openings and episodes, and the village signposts it as an official location. (Approximate coordinate by address.)
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Hitoyoshi Castle Ruinsa walk among spirits
The stone walls and riverside meadows of the old Sagara clan castle evoke the settings where Natsume strolls and talks with spirits; the grounds are a National Historic Site overlooking the old town.
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Kajiyamachi Street — Hitoyoshi Old Townlife with the Fujiwaras
The old blacksmiths' street, with its wooden houses, sake breweries and century-old tea shops, distils the atmosphere of the quiet town where Natsume's life with the Fujiwaras unfolds.