Attack on Titan Pilgrimage Guide: Hita Bronze Statues, Original Manga Art Museums & Fuji-Q Ride

In Hita City, Oita Prefecture—where Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama grew up—bronze statues of protagonist Eren Yeager and his childhood friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert stand looking up at the towering wall of Oyama Dam, while a bronze statue of Survey Corps Captain Levi greets travelers outside JR Hita Station and two local museums showcase original manga manuscripts and commentary by the author.

Joined by a 10th-anniversary memorial tree, a cafe displaying all 34 manga volume covers, and local restaurants serving character-inspired dishes—plus a motion ride at Fuji-Q Highland in Yamanashi where visitors join the Survey Corps in battle—this guide introduces the hometown landmarks and attraction alongside the characters and production history of the series.

Visiting the Bronze Statues and Manuscript Exhibits of Hita and the Ride in Yamanashi

1Oyama Dam: Young Eren, Mikasa, and Armin Looking Up at the Wall

At Oyama Dam in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, bronze statues of young Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stand gazing up at the 94-meter-tall concrete dam wall—cast as Wall Maria from the story to recreate the iconic opening scene of Attack on Titan in real life.

The statue was funded through a citizen-led crowdfunding campaign launched to build monuments in creator Hajime Isayama's hometown, and Isayama himself attended the unveiling ceremony on November 8, 2020 alongside roughly 250 fans.

Located at 2008-1 Nishi-Oyama, Oyama-machi, Hita City, the downstream plaza where the statue stands is open 365 days a year with free parking; although the dam administration office operates from 8:30 to 17:00 on weekdays and closes on weekends and holidays, the downstream plaza remains freely accessible every day.

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — Oyama Dam / Hita City — Boyhood Trio Bronze Statue

2Hita Station South Plaza: Captain Levi Welcoming Visitors Outside the Station

In the South Plaza right outside JR Hita Station stands a bronze statue of Captain Levi, unveiled on March 6, 2021 as the second crowdfunded hometown monument following the childhood trio at Oyama Dam.

Depicting the humanity's-strongest captain of the Survey Corps, the statue stands alongside the Oyama Dam monument as an official bronze sculpture crafted in Hita.

Located at 11-1 Motomachi, Hita City, the statue stands in the open public plaza outside the station and can be viewed anytime.

Sources: Hita City — Captain Levi Statue / Shingeki no Hita — Spot Guide

3Attack on Titan in HITA Museum: Original Manga Manuscripts Selected by Hajime Isayama

Located inside the roadside station Michi-no-Eki Mizube no Sato Oyama is the Attack on Titan in HITA Museum, which inaugurated a new permanent exhibition on April 24, 2026 featuring 26 original hand-drawn manga manuscript pages personally selected and annotated by Hajime Isayama.

Visitors can examine the raw pen strokes, production notes, and correction marks on the original pages alongside commentary written by Isayama himself, with captions provided in four languages: Japanese, English, Korean, and Traditional Chinese.

The adjacent roadside station shop also carries local specialties and official collaboration merchandise.

Located at 4106 Nishi-Oyama, Oyama-machi, Hita City, the museum is open from 9:30 to 16:00 on weekdays and 9:30 to 17:00 on weekends and holidays. Admission is 500 yen for visitors aged 18 and older and free for visitors under 18; in fiscal 2026 the museum closes on the third Wednesday of each month as well as December 31 and January 1.

Free parking is available on site, or visitors can take the Tsuetate Line route bus from Hita Bus Terminal and get off at 'Mizube no Sato Oyama-mae' (check return bus times in advance, as service is infrequent).

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — 2026 Exhibition & Hours / Museum Access Guide / Mizube no Sato Oyama

4Museum ANNEX: Selected Scenes from All 34 Volumes and a Three-Screen Digital Theater

Situated on the grounds of the Sapporo Breweries Kyushu Hita Brewery, the Attack on Titan in HITA Museum ANNEX exhibits reproduction manuscript pages selected from all 34 volumes of the manga paired with personal commentary by Hajime Isayama, alongside childhood photographs and early drawings from the author's youth in Hita.

Large wall collages, character standees, tapestries, and collaboration goods fill the hall, joined in November 2023 by an 'Immersive Comic' installation that projects scenes from the manga across three giant screens inside an approximately 6-meter-square space.

Located at 6979 Oaza Takase, Hita City, the ANNEX museum is open from 10:00 to 19:00 (closed over the New Year holidays) with admission of 700 yen for visitors aged 18 and older and free admission for those under 18; on-site parking is available, and route buses stop at 'Sapporo Beer Kyushu Hita Kojo.'

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — Museum ANNEX / 2026 Visitor Guide / Immersive Comic Installation

5Takubara Beautiful Forest Park: ‘The Tree on That Hill’ Planted for the Anime’s 10th Anniversary

At Takubara Beautiful Forest Park grows a metasequoia tree planted to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the TV anime: on November 18, 2023, creator Hajime Isayama and Eren voice actor Yuki Kaji heaped soil around the roots and unveiled a memorial stone.

Named 'The Tree on That Hill' (Ano Oka no Ki), the memorial tree evokes the hilltop tree depicted on the cover of the 34th and final volume of the manga.

Located at 1595-6 Nishi-Oyama, Oyama-machi, Hita City, the park offers on-site parking along a hillside road.

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — Memorial Tree Planting / Official Anime — 10th Anniversary Project in Hita

6Shingeki no Hita Cafe: All 34 Manga Covers and Captain Levi’s Chair

Serving as the official hub of the town's revitalization project, Shingeki no Hita Cafe first opened inside Patria Hita on April 29, 2022 before relocating to its current Chuo-dori storefront on April 26, 2025 and expanding to a 2nd-floor exhibition space on April 29, 2026.

Suspended from the 2nd-floor ceiling are the covers of all 34 volumes of the manga, accompanied by photo panels featuring the Colossal Titan, the coronation of Historia Reiss (formerly known as Christa), and the cover art of Volume 10.

Relocated from the ANNEX museum, Captain Levi's chair is also displayed on the 2nd floor, with seated photo opportunities offered to visitors using designated campaign benefits.

Inside, visitors will also find a Hita-exclusive photo sticker machine, an electric wire-loop game ('Iraira-bo'), character stamps of Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Levi on the 1st floor, and stamps of Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith and Squad Leader Hange Zoë on the 2nd floor.

Located within walking distance of JR Hita Station at 1-1-16 Chuo, Hita City, the cafe is open from 10:00 to 18:00 with irregular holidays and no dedicated parking lot; check the cafe's latest official notices for open days and benefit terms.

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — Cafe 2nd Floor Opening & Visitor Guide / Season 1 Official — Survey Corps Characters / Official Guide — Christa & Historia

7SLOW café Maruyama: Tasting Jean’s Omelet Rice from the OAD Episode

At SLOW café Maruyama, visitors can order 'Jean's Omu-Omu,' an official collaboration dish inspired by Eren's fellow 104th Cadet Corps classmate Jean Kirstein that recreates the omelet rice featured in the original anime DVD (OAD) bundled with Volume 13 of the manga.

Turning a side-story OAD episode into a dish you can taste in Hita, the cafe also displays an autographed shikishi board by Hajime Isayama and a fan display corner named the 'Attack on Titan Altar' (Shingeki no Kamidana).

Located at 2-1-26 Maruyama, Hita City, the cafe is open from 11:00 to 17:30; check the shop's current notices for operating days and menu availability.

Sources: SLOW café — Collaboration Menu & Shop Info / Shingeki no Hita — Official Collaboration Menu / Shops Displaying the Author's Autograph

8Sofuren Oyama Branch: A Hometown Dining Spot Displaying Hajime Isayama’s Autograph

Sofuren Oyama Branch is a hometown yakisoba restaurant in Oyama-machi displaying an autographed shikishi board by Hajime Isayama, participating in Hita's revitalization network as a dining spot where fans can eat locally while seeing memorabilia connected to the author.

Located at 3754 Nishi-Oyama, Oyama-machi, Hita City, the restaurant is open from 11:00 to 15:00 (last order 14:30) and closed on Wednesdays and the third Thursday of each month (or the following day if a national holiday), though it may close early if ingredients sell out.

Payment is cash only, making it a convenient lunch stop while visiting the Oyama Dam and Michi-no-Eki museum area.

Sources: Shingeki no Hita — Shops with the Author's Autograph / Sofuren — Oyama Branch Guide

9Fuji-Q Highland: Joining the Battle of Liberio as a Survey Corps Recruit

At Fuji-Q Highland in Yamanashi Prefecture, visitors can experience 'Attack on Titan THE RIDE: The Battle of Liberio,' stepping into the role of a new Survey Corps recruit fighting alongside Levi, Mikasa, and Jean to back up Eren in Liberio.

Running approximately 7 minutes with a capacity of 40 riders per session, the motion ride synchronizes moving seats with original full-CG animation projected across a 20-meter-diameter hemispherical screen.

Admission to the ride is 2,000 yen for guests at least 110 cm tall and aged 4 or older (preschoolers must be accompanied by a guest of junior high school age or older). Sharing its theater in a two-part daily schedule with 'Fuji Airways,' the Attack on Titan ride normally begins screening at 11:30, and boarding reception may close early depending on queue length.

Located at 5-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture (directly outside Fujikyu-Highland Station on the Fujikyu Railway Line), the attraction has scheduled maintenance closures, so check the park's daily operating calendar for the Attack on Titan slot before visiting.

Sources: Fuji-Q Highland — Attack on Titan THE RIDE / Official Anime — Ride Animation Production / October 2026 Operating Schedule / Access to Fuji-Q Highland

Deeper into the Work: Characters and Story of Attack on Titan

Here we introduce the bonds between Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Levi—the characters immortalized in bronze in Hita—from the opening chapters of the story, alongside the role of the Survey Corps and the studios and musicians behind the anime.

Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the Fall of the Wall

Serialized by Hajime Isayama in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, Attack on Titan depicts a world where humanity lives inside triple concentric walls to protect itself from man-eating Titans, following a boy named Eren Yeager who dreams of seeing the wide world beyond the walls.

The story begins in the year 845 when the Colossal Titan suddenly appears and breaches the outermost barrier, Wall Maria; losing his mother in the attack fills Eren with a fierce resolve to destroy every Titan, and the bronze statue of the three children at Oyama Dam in Hita recreates that opening moment against the real dam wall.

Sources: TV Anime Season 1 Official — Characters / Hita — Boyhood Trio Monument

Levi, Erwin, and Hange: The Role of the Survey Corps

Venturing beyond the safety of the walls to confront the Titans directly is the Survey Corps: Levi (immortalized in bronze outside JR Hita Station) serves as its Captain, Erwin Smith leads the entire organization as Commander, and Hange Zoë serves as Squad Leader—with Erwin stepping forward at the military tribunal deciding Eren's fate to propose placing Eren under the custody of the Survey Corps.

Returning to the front lines in the middle of the operation to retake Trost District, Captain Levi rescues Eren, Mikasa, and Armin from mortal danger, and in Episode 22 Levi and Mikasa team up in high-speed combat to recover Eren after he is captured by the Female Titan.

Sources: Season 1 Official — Survey Corps Characters / Episode 22 Synopsis / Hita Cafe Exhibits

Struggles During Cadet Training and the Turning Point of Titan Transformation

In Episode 3, Eren struggles desperately during cadet training simply to keep his upright posture balanced while suspended in Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.

In Episode 9, Eren transforms into a Titan to save Mikasa and his fellow cadets—a dramatic turning point in which a protagonist who had sworn to wipe out every Titan as humanity's enemy discovers that he himself possesses the power to transform into a Titan, fundamentally changing the circumstances surrounding him.

Sources: Anime Episode 3 / Anime Episode 9

From Manga Manuscripts to Anime: The Teams Who Carried the Production Forward

Seasons 1 Through 3 Produced by WIT STUDIO

Season 1 of the television anime was directed by Tetsuro Araki with series composition by Yasuko Kobayashi, character designs by Kyoji Asano, and animation production by WIT STUDIO with production cooperation from Production I.G.

For Season 2 and Season 3, Araki served as chief director while Masashi Koizuka served as series director; spanning a combined 59 episodes across Seasons 1 through 3, those chapters were also compiled into the retrospective feature film Attack on Titan ~Chronicle~.

Sources: Season 1 Production Staff / Chronicle Official — Seasons 1–3

The Final Season Handed Over to MAPPA

Beginning with The Final Season, animation production was handed over to studio MAPPA under director Yuichiro Hayashi, with series composition by Hiroshi Seko, character designs by Tomohiro Kishi, and music co-composed by Hiroyuki Sawano and KOHTA YAMAMOTO.

Sources: The Final Season — Staff / Staff Handover & Creator Comments

Dividing Roles Across Action Animation, Background Art, and Sound in Battle Scenes

In Season 2, action animation direction was shared by Arifumi Imai, Yuko Sera, and Takuma Ebisu alongside Titan design by Takaaki Chiba, art setting by Yuho Taniuchi, and 3DCG direction by Shigenori Hirozumi—dividing the work of human and Titan movement, spatial background settings, and CG production across dedicated specialists.

With sound direction by Masafumi Mima and music by Hiroyuki Sawano, Levi voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya shared that watching the action sequences drawn by Arifumi Imai in the recording booth was one of the things he looked forward to most when recording his lines.

Sources: Season 2 Staff / Season 3 Staff / Theatrical Film Official — Hiroshi Kamiya Interview

From ‘Guren no Yumiya’ to the Theme Songs of The Final Chapters

Season 1 opened with Linked Horizon's 'Guren no Yumiya' in its first cour and 'Jiyuu no Tsubasa' in its second cour, paired with Yoko Hikasa's first-cour ending theme 'Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai.'

In The Final Season, Shinsei Kamattechan performed the Part 1 opening theme 'Boku no Sensou,' SiM performed the Part 2 opening theme 'The Rumbling' paired with Ai Higuchi's ending theme 'Akuma no Ko,' and Linked Horizon returned to contribute the theme song 'Nisen-nen... Moshiku wa... Niman-nen Go no Kimi e...' for the broadcast conclusion.

Sources: Season 1 Opening / Season 1 Ending / The Final Season Music

The History of the Manga and Anime and the Grassroots Revitalization of Hita

From a Citizens’ Gathering to Two Bronze Statues and Dedicated Museums

Hita's Attack on Titan hometown revitalization movement began in 2019 when local citizen volunteers gathered for a planning meeting, launching crowdfunding campaigns that installed the boyhood trio statue at Oyama Dam and the Captain Levi statue outside JR Hita Station before reorganizing in 2021 into an official council joined by the local tourism association and municipal government.

Expanding that hometown bond into outdoor bronze statues, museums exhibiting original manga manuscripts, and local collaboration products, the project welcomed creator Hajime Isayama and Eren voice actor Yuki Kaji to Hita in November 2023 for a 10th-anniversary talk event and memorial tree planting.

Sources: Hita City — History of the Revitalization Project / Official Anime — 10th Anniversary Event

All 34 Volumes of the Manga and the First Collected Edition

Serialization of the original manga began in the October 2009 issue of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, followed by the publication of Volume 1 on March 17, 2010.

The final chapter appeared in the May 2021 issue, and the 34th and final collected volume was published on June 9, 2021 to complete the 34-volume series—the exact 34 covers now displayed across the ceiling of the Shingeki no Hita Cafe.

Alongside the 248-page regular edition of Volume 34, Kodansha published a 'Beginning' special edition bundled with a bonus booklet reproducing the rough storyboards (name) for Chapters 1 and 2 that Isayama submitted to the 2009 serialization committee—offering readers a look at how the panel layouts, dialogue, and character movements were drafted before Volume 1 was completed.

Sources: Kodansha — Regular Edition Vol. 1 / Regular Edition Vol. 34 / Vol. 34 'Beginning' Special Edition

For the concluding broadcast of the television anime, Hajime Isayama personally requested and redrew parts of the final storyboard, remaining hands-on in shaping the anime's ending even after completing the manga.

Source: Hajime Isayama — Comment on The Final Chapters

The Television Finale and the Theatrical Film THE LAST ATTACK

The Final Chapters Special 2 aired at 24:00 on November 4, 2023 (0:00 on November 5 on the calendar), bringing the television anime that began in 2013 to its final conclusion after roughly ten years.

On November 8, 2024, the theatrical feature film Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK opened in cinemas; because director Yuichiro Hayashi had originally drawn the storyboards for the television finale envisioning a single feature film, the theatrical release reunited both parts with re-timed cuts and a 5.1-channel surround sound mix.

Sources: Official Anime — Finale Broadcast / Theatrical Film THE LAST ATTACK / Final Chapters Promotional Video / The Final Season Opening Video

Reading the Beginning of the Story: Manga Volume 1

Readers starting the manga from the beginning can pick up the standard print edition of Attack on Titan Volume 1 published by Kodansha, which marks the starting point of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin's story inside the walls.

Lab Note | From a Business Perspective: Building Places to Experience a Work in Its Creator’s Hometown

In Hita, citizen-initiated crowdfunding created the first bronze statues before growing into a joint council with the local government and tourism association—connecting the author's hometown to open-air plaza visits, museum manuscript exhibits, and roadside-station shopping.

Hita City estimated the 2024 regional economic ripple effect calculated from museum attendance at 1.79 billion yen; because that figure is an estimated region-wide economic impact rather than direct facility sales, it is important to distinguish it from actual store revenue and evaluate it alongside concrete metrics for each initiative, such as museum attendance and merchandise purchases.

Source: Hita City — Economic Impact Estimate Based on Museum Attendance

Official Sources & Primary References

• Shingeki no Hita — Current Facilities & Exhibits
• Hita City — History of the Revitalization Project
• Season 1 Characters & Story
• The Final Season
• Kodansha — Manga Volume 1
• SLOW café
• Sofuren Oyama Branch

Exhibition dates, opening hours, admission fees, and ticket details are current at the time of writing. Always check the official websites for the latest schedule updates before setting out on your pilgrimage visit.