Wanderlust Japan

RuroKen Location Site Tour <10> Hachimanbori, Shiga Prefecture

Hachimanbori is also in Shiga Prefecture, and a very famous location site for many period dramas and films. In 白雲館 (Hakuun-kan) you can see some of behind the scenes of them.

In Hachimanbori, the first place to go is close to ‘かわらミュージアム (the Tile Museum)’, which is a white building in the back left in Photo 1. In RuroKen, this place is supposed to be close to Kamiya dojo. At the beginning of RK1, Kenshin appears on the screen, smiling on a boat on this moat.

(Photo 2)

You see several larger boats in Photo 1, right? You can enjoy cruising starting from here like Kenshin. It takes about half an hour.

In the film, you can see  a woman doing laundry and playing children along the moat.

It is around ② in Photo 3. Take a close look at the stone wall in Photo 3 and Photo 4&5.

There is a pontoon bridge at ① in Photo 3.

(Photo 6)

Kenshin ran away after the first fight with Jin’e, and crossed this pontoon bridge, pulled on the arm by Kaoru LOL

(Photo 7)

Photo 2, 7 and two more bts photos were displayed above the bench at the boarding point.

③ in Photo 3 is the place where Megumi came running on an aisle in the rain, making an escape from Kanryu. This aisle is actually a water way.

(Photo 8)

Pay attention to a reddish stone in the right stone wall and check where it is in Photos 9~11, especially in Photo 11, where Megumi bumps into Yahiko. Then you’ll notice Dir Otomo used this place very skillfully.

If you walk westward on the southern bank, you’ll get to this place.

(Photos12&13)

In RK1, Megumi talked with Kenshin about her past and his crossed scars here.

The landing bridge was set by construction staffs.

And above this place on the bank, you’ll find this place!

(Photos 14&15)

Yes, that heart-breaking parting scene… Check the shape of each tree to identify the exactly where that scene took place! Then just hug your partner there and say, ‘Arigato, soshite, sayonara (Thank you and good-bye)’.

Photos 1~11 show the places in the larger square, and Photos 12~15, in the smaller square in Photo 16.

Sometimes this happens to me, there will be a person approaching some sort of open space, they will start to head towards the space, they look up and see non-Japanese faces and then they hesitate.

I always wondered what the hesitation is stemming from…It is just surprise or shock because there are just not that many non-Japanese people around…or is it this?

mother : are you all right? me :  

I am not a person who is good at just sitting around when I go to a beach…