- Anime
- Oshi no Ko
- Area
- Takachiho, Miyazaki
- Sources
- 4 official pages
Takachiho, a town steeped in Japanese myth, is the model for scenes in episodes 23 and 24 of the anime, and the town ran an official collaboration in 2024–25. The local tourism association lists the gorge, Takachiho Shrine and Amano Iwato Shrine among the model locations. The gorge's cliffs were formed when pyroclastic flows from Mt. Aso cooled and hardened, and were then eroded.
Written and checked by AnimeTrails Editorial
Please be a considerate guest: keep your voice down, keep paths clear and leave the place as you found it.
How the gorge formed and what it looks like
According to the Takachiho Tourist Association, the gorge was carved when a pyroclastic flow from Mt. Aso cooled and hardened and the Gokase River then eroded it into steep cliffs. The cliffs reach about 100 m at their highest and average about 80 m, running roughly 7 km from east to west. The gorge was designated a national site of scenic beauty and natural monument in the Showa 9 era and became part of Sobo-Katamuki Quasi-National Park in the Showa 40 era.
The association explains that the pillar-shaped rock faces are columnar joints, a pattern that forms as a thick flow cools. Its best-known sight is Manai Falls, one of Japan's 100 selected waterfalls, which drops roughly 17 m into the water. Local tradition says its water comes from a sacred spring that a deity moved here when the land had none.
Walking path, bridges and boat rental
A walking path of about 1 km runs along the gorge, and the association describes the view from the waterfall viewing platform as the highlight. Takachiho Three Bridges, a spot where three arched bridges of different styles can be seen together, is described as a photo point and said to be the only such place in Japan.
Rowboats can be rented to look up at the falls from the water. Reservations are online only, with no phone bookings, and open two weeks before the boarding date at 9:00 and close at 9:00 two days before. The operating status is updated around 8:00 each morning, and the first Mishio parking lot is not reserved for boat users.
Other model locations and local services
The association's collaboration page says the scenes in episodes 23 and 24 are based on several places around town, and it lists Takachiho Shrine and Amano Iwato Shrine among the sightseeing spots. Takachiho Shrine is the head shrine of the town's 88 shrines, and its main hall and a pair of iron guardian dogs are designated Important Cultural Properties. Amano Iwato Shrine enshrines the cave where the sun goddess is said to have hidden, which can be viewed from the west shrine with guided tours at set times.
The tourist information office is about one minute on foot from the Takachiho bus center. It offers baggage storage for about 500 yen per item from 8:30 to 17:00 and coin lockers from about 400 yen, cash only. The collaboration campaign ran from Nov. 1, 2024 to Mar. 31, 2025, so check the association's page before you go. Visitors are asked not to enter private land and to be considerate of others when taking photos.
Station map