Tsukigakirei

Synopsis

"Tsuki ga Kirei" (As the Moon, So Beautiful) is an original TV anime produced by feel. and broadcast in 2017. Set in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, it follows third-year junior high students Kotaro Azumi and Akane Mizuno, who gradually grow closer after being placed in the same class. Kotaro is a shy boy who aspires to be a novelist; Akane is lively and runs on the track team. Their awkward yet earnest first love unfolds tenderly through text messages and the quiet moments of their walks to school. Facing worries over exams, the future, and the anxieties of adolescence, it is a fresh and heart-touching youth romance.

Why visit the real-life locations

The story is set in Kawagoe, known as "Little Edo." Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, where the two hang votive plaques with their wishes, is the emblematic site of the tale. The Kurazukuri warehouse-lined streets of central Kawagoe, the iconic Bell of Time, and Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley) make for a stroll full of retro charm. Historic temples such as Kitain and Renkei-ji, along with the Kawagoe Festival Museum that colors the couple's story, are also highlights. Starting from Kawagoe or Hon-Kawagoe Station and walking as far as the area around Hatsukari Junior High School, you can retrace the very school route and seasonal scenery Kotaro and Akane shared.