It is no longer a secret, that sports anime are among the most popular and beloved categories today. Nevertheless, out of the multiple sports anime existing, Haikyuu!! is one that particularly stands out from the rest.
The way all the characters are developed, how they evolve throughout the series and the unpredictability of the matches makes it one of the best in its category. Moreover, it also stands out for the sport it highlights, volleyball! For many fans, Haikyuu!! is the best sports anime to exist up to date.
Haikyuu!! even takes time to explain the rules, regulations and calls of the sport in cute cartoon diagrams, so you can discover a new passion just by watching it. The present article will focus on the real life locations of Haikyuu!! for anime-trip lovers or for those willing to recreate great memories with the anime.
- Karasuno High School
- Shiratorizawa Academy
- Shinzen High School
- 7-Eleven
- Kamei Arena Sendai
- Tokyo Station
- Sumida City Gymnasium
- Tokyo Skytree
- Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
- Sendai Station
- Shibuya 109
- Karumai TownPeople Gymnasium
- Electronics store
- Ajinomoto National Training Center
- Ariake Arena
The Real-life Places of Haikyuu!! in Japan
Karasuno High School
Karasuno High School is a fictional public high school in Haikyuu, located in Miyagi Prefecture in Northern Japan. The school is based on the Karumai High School in Iwate Prefecture.
Karasuno High School in Haikyuu!!
Karumai High School, reddit.com
Address: Dai 9 Chiwari-34-1 Karumai, Kunohe District, Iwate 028-6302, Japan
Shiratorizawa Academy
The school is named Shiratorizawa Academy in the anime and is a private high school in Sendai based on real-life Tohoku High School. Most students studying there get accepted by studying hard or through sports scholarships as the entrance exam is rude.
The school was founded in 1950 as a school for the children of Christian missionary families. Initially known as Sendai American School, it changed to Sendai Christian Academy then back to Sendai American School and finally in 1997 its new name was Tohoku International School.
Shiratorizawa Academy campus in Haikyuu!!
Tohoku International school campus, theinternationalschools.com
Address: 7 Chome-101-1 Yakata, Izumi Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 981-3214, Japan
Shinzen High School
Shinzen High School is the third of the real-life locations of Haikyuu!! inspired to reproduce a school. It is based on the Karumai Middle School in the Iwate prefecture. In the anime, Shinzen players are masters at using combos.
One of their best combo plays is the synchronized attack, which is when all the spikers move at once to spike, leaving the opponents confused and making the attack unpredictable.
Unfortunately, They lost in the finals of the Spring High Saitama Prefecture Representative Playoffs in full sets to Higashihara High School.
Shinzen High School in Haikyuu!!
Karumai Junior High School
Address: Japan, 〒028-6302 Iwate, Kunohe District, Karumai, 6−17−1
7-Eleven
Dallas, Texa is the headquarters of this multinational chain of retail convenience stores. Since November 2021, 7-Eleven has operated and licensed many stores in approximately 19 countries all over the world. It sells packaged and ready-to-eat food. In the anime, it is renamed “8-Eleven”.
7-Eleven in Haikyuu!!
7-Eleven in Victoria, www.c-store.com.au
Kamei Arena Sendai
The next of the real-life locations of Haikyuu!! is an indoor sporting arena well-known to have hosted preliminary round games for the Basketball World Championship 2006 and the Asian Basketball Championship for Women.
It was named Sendai City Gymnasium but later became the Kamei Arena Sendai in July 2016. It is also the home arena of the Sendai 89ers of the Japan professional basketball B.League. In the anime, the arena was the venue for Block A and B team matches and the finals match in the Miyagi Interhigh Preliminaries.
Sendai City gymnasium in Haikyuu
Sendai City gymnasium view from the entrance
Address: 1 Chome-4-1 Tomizawa, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 982-0032, Japan
Getting to the arena
The gymnasium is a 5-minute walk from Tomizawa Station and it takes about 15 minutes to get to Tomizawa Station from Sendai Station on the Namboku subway line.
Tokyo Station
Tokyo station is one of the most attractive of the real-life locations of Haikyuu!!. It is Japan’s busiest station with more than 4000 trains daily. The station is located in Chiyoda with the east side called Yaesu and the west side Marunouchi.
In Haikyuu, however, the station has only made one appearance as it is seen in chapter 24 when Nekoma goes to Miyagi for Golden Week practice matches and when Kageyama goes to the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp in chapter 208.
Tokyo railway station in real life exactly as in the anime
Tokyo railway station in real life
Address: 1 Chome Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
How to get there
You can reach Tokyo station via JR trains(the Yamanote Line, Chuo Line, Sobu Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line). Marunouchi Line is if you are using Tokyo Metro lines
You could equally reach the station via long underground passageways linked to nearby Otemachi Station. The Shinkansen bullet train terminal serves as a way to come and leave other cities in the country
Sumida City Gymnasium
It is a multi-purpose arena located in Sumida, Tokyo. Sumida City Gymnasium consists of indoor swimming pools, a training room, a main arena, a Budo hall (martial arts performance hall) and rooftop facilities for enjoying a range of sports activities, including futsal.
Sumida City Gymnasium is a five-story building that hosts basketball, badminton, and volleyball tournaments in particular
In Haikyuu!!, the volleyball tournament for the Tokyo representatives was held in this Gymnasium
Sumida City Gymnasium in the show
Sumida City Gymnasium, Tokyo
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree located in Sumida, Tokyo, is a broadcasting and observation tower. In 2010, The tower became the tallest structure in Japan. Later on in March 2011, the tower reached its full height of 634 meters high, making it the world’s tallest freestanding broadcasting tower with an observation deck boasting 360-degree views.
It is also one of the most important real-life locations of Haikyuu!! since it’s the main television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region.
In Haikyuu, the tower is observed during the Tokyo Expedition Arc as Hinata, Nishinoya, and Tanaka keep mistaking regular steel towers for the Skytree.
Tokyo Skytree in chapter 230 of Haikyuu
Tokyo skytree in real life, wanderweib.de
Address: 1 Chome-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045, Japan
How to access the tower
You can access the Tokyo Skytree Station via the Tobu Skytree Line from Asakusa.
From Tokyo Skytree Station to Tokyo Skytree Town is straight away. But you could equally take the Keisei Oshiage, Hanzomon or Asakusa lines to Oshiage Station
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
Built in 1954 for the World Wrestling Championship, Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is a sporting complex located in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo Prefecture. Its main arena can hold 10,000 people and has already hosted a variety of national and international sports competitions like the table tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Haikyuu
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in real life
Address: 1 Chome-17-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan
How to get there
From the Sendagaya Station to the gymnasium is just a one-minute walk on the Chūō-Sōbu Line and Kokuritsu Kyogijo Station on the Toei Oedo Line
Sendai Station
The station combines various means of transportation from inter-provincial buses and two underground subway links. It is also a major station for the Shinkansen Express train having extensive shopping, restaurants and hotels attached to the railway complex.
Although the main JR train station and the subway station are physically separated, there are underground passageways connecting the two. The main Sendai Station is above-ground and is a hub for JR East containing both the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen lines and several other local lines. If needed, there is a tourist information centre available at the station.
The Sendai station keeps its name in the Haikyuu manga and you can see the main exit when Nekoma returns to Tokyo after the Golden Week.
Sendai station as seen from outside
Sendai station in Haikyuu manga
Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Central, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0021, Japan
Shibuya 109
Just like other popular anime, Shibuya is among one of the cities that inspired the real-life locations of Haikyuu!! In the anime, the Shibuya 109 appears during Takeda’s speech to Karasuno after their practice match against Aoba Johsai.
It is a unique fashion building, offering a wide selection of the hottest brands and trends. The spot is so famous in Shibuya because there are more than 120 shops inside the building and it is the place where young ladies’ fashion trends begin and at reasonable prices! You can have more information by visiting their official website.
Shibuya 109 in Shibuya city, Tokyo
Address: 2 Chome-29-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan
How to reach Shibuya 109
Shibuya 109 is a 1-minute walk from Shibuya Station. Use the exit at the station, cross the Shibuya crossing then walk a hundred meters west. Note Shibuya Crossing is a location that features in series like Tokyo Revengers so it may be a chance for you to revive some scenes from the series.
Karumai Townpeople Gymnasium
As its name indicates, it is a local gymnasium located in Karumai. In Haikyuu, it was used as inspiration for the town gymnasium where Kageyama and Hinata first met back in junior high school.
Karumai Townpeople Gymnasium in Haikyuu!!
Karumai Townpeople Gymnasium entrance in real life
Address: Dai 6 Chiwari-34-1 Karumai, Kunohe District, Iwate 028-6302, Japan
Electronics store
The store is another one of the real life locations of Haikyuu!! found in Karumai, Iwate prefecture. It is located on the main strip of the shopping street and appears in Haikyuu!! when Hinata first saw Karasuno’s Little Giant playing at nationals.
Hinata in front of the electronic store – Haikyuu!!
The same electronic store in Karumai
Ajinomoto National Training Center
Ariake Arena
Ariake Arena according to their website offers the most advanced live entertainment in the world. It contributes to both a mentally and physically healthy culture and society with the goal to become Tokyo’s new sports and cultural centre.
After the Tokyo 2020 Games, the arena became a new sporting and cultural centre, hosting various events, including international competitions with a seating capacity of up to 15,000 spectators in the Main Arena.
Ariake Arena first appears at the end of chapter 401 of the Haikyuu!! manga. The arena equally features in the special chapter Yūki Ishikawa Collaboration.
Ariake Arena
Ariake Arena in the manga
Address: 11-1, Ariake 1-chome, Koto-Ku, Tokyo
How to access
From the Nearest Stations
Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Yurikamome Line
- Get off at “Shin-toyosu Station”, it is about 8 minutes on foot
- Get off at “Ariake-tennis-no-mori Station” and the arena is about 8-minutes on foot
Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line
- Get off at “Kokusai-tenjijo Station”, then it will take about 17 minutes on foot
- Get off at “Shinonome Station”, the arena is about 17-minutes on foot
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image credit: haikyuu.fandom.com
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