I went to Japan for a few days before, and on the last day, there was nothing to do, so Chu Xue suggested that we go see the Bunny Girl Senpai.
On April 7th, at 11:30 in the morning, we got up early and took the JR train to Shonan, starting our pilgrimage to the locations of "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" - Enoshima, Kamakura High School, Shichirigahama, and Fujisawa Station.
Enoshima#
We took the JR train from Shinjuku and headed south to Enoshima, which was quite far. It took us over an hour to get there, but luckily we got there by 1 p.m.
In addition to being the location of Bunny Girl Senpai, Enoshima is also a holy place for many anime and Japanese dramas. The Enoshima Tourist Information Center even has a special map for anime pilgrimage.
The first thing we did after arriving on the island was to look for the limited edition peach-flavored soda endorsed by Mai Sakurajima.
We had to search through several vending machines before finding it, but we were super happy. Yes, it's the taste of the Bunny Girl!
I could drink 10 bottles in one go.
Continuing on, we passed by many shrines on Enoshima. The shrine that Master and his junior visited in episode 6 is the Enoshima Shrine on the main road.
The observation deck where the climax of episode 6 takes place.
Then, take the elevator climb to the top of a tower, where you can see a great distance.
After touring Enoshima, we returned to the subway station via the bridge, passing through an underground passage.
Kamakura High School#
Now back at Enoshima Station, we took the Enoden Line to the next stop - Kamakura High School Front Station.
The Enoden Line is a special green train with beautiful scenery along the way, including streets and coastlines.
After getting off at Kamakura High School Front Station, we walked in the direction of Yuigahama along the railway line and arrived at the scene where the first kidney kick scene appeared in the opening.
We waited by the roadside for a long time to capture a scene with a train just like in the anime, and after taking the photo, we were pleasantly surprised to find that even the car on the left was remarkably similar.
Then we returned to Kamakura High School Front Station. This is the location where Mai's sister replaced her in the CM photoshoot in episode 9.
Just a minute's walk from Kamakura High School Front Station towards Shichirigahama Station, we found many girls taking photos. This is the famous railway crossing where Sakuragi Hanamichi and Akagi Haruko meet in "Slam Dunk".
Across the railway crossing is Shichirigahama Beach, where you can see Enoshima not far away. Many scenes on the beach in the anime were filmed here, but we didn't have time to go.
Shichirigahama#
Next, we took the Enoden Line to the next stop, which brought us to the most frequently appearing station in the anime - Shichirigahama Station.
The station in the anime is incredibly accurate, whether it's the entrances or the vending machines on the platform. It felt like I could turn my head and see Mai Sakurajima.
There are also many other locations such as Minehara High School where Master and Mai go to school, the coastal park in the ending, the Fujisawa City Comprehensive Civic Library where they first meet the Bunny Girl, the Osogadani Park where they kick each other's butts, and the restaurant where Master works. However, we were running out of time as our flight was about to depart, so our pilgrimage ended here.
Fujisawa Station#
On the way back to Tokyo, we passed by Fujisawa Station. This is where Master starts his journey to school, taking the Enoden Line to Shichirigahama Station.
There are many other locations near Fujisawa Station, but we were in a rush as we were about to miss our flight, so we didn't have time to look around. We just took a random photo.
The ticket gate where Master and Mai were late for their first date.
After picking up our luggage at Tokyo Station, we rushed all the way to Narita Airport.
A photo of us together on the Narita Express.
We made it to the boarding gate just as they were starting to board. Luckily, we didn't miss it, otherwise we would have had to go to Chu Xue's house and spend the night.
Next episode preview: We spent a total of 9 days in Japan. This article covers the last day of our trip. In a week or two, I will edit a vlog of the 9-day trip, 9 times the fun. Don't forget to watch it!
Reference for pilgrimage:
舞台めぐり - アニメ聖地巡礼・コンテンツツーリズムアプリ on the App Store