[AIR] Holy land pilgrimage information released!

2025.07.29

"AIR" is famous as a tear-jerking media mix work. Released in 2000 by the bishoujo game brand "Key," "AIR" became an unprecedented hit when it was adapted into an anime in 2005, sparking an anime boom. Here we will reveal information on pilgrimages to "AIR" holy sites.

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The sacred ground of "AIR" is in Wakayama Prefecture

The sacred ground of "AIR" is "Mihama Town, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture"

Mihama Town
Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The sacred ground of "AIR" is Mihama Town, Hidaka County, Wakayama Prefecture, located on the border between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Although Mihama Town is located on the border between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it faces the Pacific Ocean, so the ocean that appears in "AIR" is the Pacific Ocean.

Access via JR West Kishu Railway

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

To get to Mihama Town, Hidaka County, Wakayama Prefecture, it's best to take the JR West Kishu Railway and get off at Gobo Station.

If you're driving, it's a good idea to take the expressway.

If you're coming from Osaka, it's a good idea to take the Hanwa Expressway and exit at Gobo-Minami Interchange.

A List of Locations Appearing in "AIR"

Locations Where Otoko Walked in Episode 6

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The Kishu Railway line is abandoned beyond Nishi-Gobo Station, the terminus of the line, and the tracks where Otoko walked in the story also appear. While there is no bridge over the actual line, it is still the exact location that appeared in the story.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

It was a memorable, romantic scene from the film.

The railroad tracks where the deceased walked in the opening credits

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The railroad tracks where the deceased walked in the opening credits are also here.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The path Oto and Misuzu walked at dusk in Episode 2

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

You'll also find the path you walked with Misuzu in Episode 2. Visiting at dusk will give you a better feel for the atmosphere.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The impressive "Beware of Tsunamis" sign on a utility pole was a shared path.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

There's also a path I walked with Misuzu to a strangely memorable sign on a utility pole that read "Approximately 5.0 meters above sea level" and "Beware of Tsunamis." This is the location that appeared in Episode 1.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The road that appeared in Minagi's flashback is actually narrow.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Although it's a bit small, you'll also find the spot where Minagi walked as a child. This place, too, is even more atmospheric at dusk.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The path he walked with Haruko in episode 5 matches up perfectly

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

While the actual sacred site may differ significantly from the image, the location where Oto and Haruko walked in episode 5 matches perfectly.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Winged People Tradition Society

The location where Hijiri speaks with Owari-san also matches perfectly

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

There's also the bridge where Hijiri and Otoko conversed at dusk.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The place where Michiru was rummaging through trash is actually a mess.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The area where Michiru likely scavenged is actually a messy, unsightly coastline, unlike the beautiful coastline depicted in the story.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Locations used on the "AIR" DVD packaging

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Mihama Town is also likely where Yoshino and Sei are thought to be in the second volume of the "AIR" DVD. It's a little different, but the atmosphere is perfect at dusk.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

When you think of "AIR," you think of the ocean!

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The coastline that appears in "AIR" is called "Enjugahama," and it is a stretch of beach that roughly borders the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Although Enjugahama is located almost on the border between the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea, it faces the Pacific Ocean, so it's clear that "AIR" was set in the Pacific Ocean.

An "AIR" holy land is also in Hyogo Prefecture

Kami Town in Hyogo Prefecture is also a holy land for "AIR"

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

In fact, "AIR" is not only sacred to Mihama Town in Wakayama Prefecture, but also to Kami Town in Hyogo Prefecture.

So, was the sea in "AIR" the Sea of Japan?

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Since Kami Town and Maizuru face the Sea of Japan, it's possible that "AIR" is set on the Sea of Japan. Fans often speculate that the beach featured in the series is "Kemurigahama" in Wakayama.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

However, since "Kami Fishing Port" in Hyogo Prefecture appears in "AIR," we cannot rule out the possibility that the sea in "AIR" was the Sea of Japan.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The sacred site of "AIR" in Kami Town, Hyogo Prefecture

The observatory where Minagi appeared in the opening credits

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The observatory shown with Minagi in the opening credits is actually called the "Kami Town Kasumi Astronomical Observatory."

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

This is a must-see for Minagi fans.

The bridge that appeared in Episode 1 also exists.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The bridge that appeared in Episode 1 also exists in Kami Town.

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

Path through the rice fields

Source: Air ©VisualArt's/Key/Tsubasajin Denshokai

The road through the rice fields that appears in the work also exists in Kami Town.

There's an AIR Location Hunting Map

The Kami Town Tourism Chamber of Commerce has created the "AIR Location Hunting Map," supervised by regular fans, for fans of "AIR" who are making a pilgrimage to the original locations.

You can pick up an "AIR Location Hunting Map" at the tourist information center, so fans will want to get one too.

Even 13 years later, in 2018, "AIR" fans continue to visit Kami Town.

As of 2018, many "AIR" fans still visit Kami Town, and even a visitor notebook was created last year.

Key's latest work, "Summer Pockets," was released in 2018 and became a huge hit. As the title suggests, "Summer Pockets" is a "summer story."

"AIR" was released 18 years ago, but it's been brought back into the spotlight thanks to the influence of "Summer Pockets," and it could spark a resurgence in popularity along with "Summer Pockets."

The setting of "AIR" was also in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture

The third sacred place of "AIR" is Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture

The third sacred place of "AIR" is "Kyoto Prefecture It is said that there is also one in Maizuru, and the Yura River Bridge shown in the image appeared in the story of "AIR."

The path Misuzu and Haruko took in Episode 12

The path that Misuzu and Haruko took in episode 12 is also included.

The sign looks the same.

[AIR] The Kamio Family Was in Hakodate

The Kamio Family Is Far Away in the North

While the sacred sites of "AIR" were thought to be scattered around Osaka, the Kamio Family is located in the far north of Hokkaido, in Hakodate.

This is a must-see for fans.

【AIR】Pilgrimage Summary

Some places have the same feel, while others have a different feel

I've introduced some of the pilgrimage sites related to "AIR." While some are identical, others are quite different.

While visiting the actual locations can be disappointing because they're far removed from the atmosphere of the series, there are also places where you can truly experience the atmosphere of the series, so I recommend it.