Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku: Filming Locations in Imabari

From the Hābārii terminal at Imabari Port, watch ships pass through the harbor. On an island along the Shimanami Kaido, Mukuna Beach is where the two characters run along the shore in Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku. You can visit ports and coastlines seen in the film around Imabari City and its islands in Ehime Prefecture.

This film adaptation of Yuu Nagira’s novel depicts 15 years in the lives of Akimi Inoue and Kai Aono, who meet on an island. Following scenes with the two characters, played by Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose, this guide introduces 13 filming locations and related facilities from central Imabari to Omishima, Hakatajima, and Oshima.

Sources:Official film website、The film Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku × Imabari special website、Kodansha — Original novel, Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku

Thirteen places where you can encounter scenes from the film, from Imabari Port to Oshima, Hakatajima, and Omishima

1Hābārii (Imabari Minato Community Center) | Port and venue for the Onmaku fireworks

Hābārii at Imabari Port is the nickname for the Imabari Minato Community Center, which brings together a passenger waiting area and tourist information. Its name combines “harbor” with “Bari,” a local name for Imabari, and was chosen from suggestions submitted by residents. The ship-inspired building has views of the port from its observation deck and interior.

The area in front of the building is the venue for the Onmaku fireworks, the finale of Imabari’s annual Onmaku Festival. In both the novel and the film, fireworks in the night sky are an important scene linking the pair’s high school days and their reunion. Filming also used the event hall on Hābārii’s fourth floor and a shopping street filled with people at the Onmaku festival at dusk.

Before the film’s release, on August 9, 2026, about 250,000 people gathered for one of the largest fireworks displays in Chugoku and Shikoku, with 10,000 fireworks. Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose made a surprise appearance at the venue in yukata. It was their first visit to Imabari in eight months, since filming in winter.

The lighting ceremony before the 8:00 p.m. start launched “Part 1: Thousands of Stars,” a collaborative fireworks display inspired by the film. To the theme song “Yuuboshi,” blue and yellow—the characters Kai and Akimi’s image colors—bloomed across the night sky. Hirose said she found the fireworks moving as they shifted from yellow to blue only at their tips. Yokohama also spoke of the joy of watching fireworks with residents at the Imabari waterfront where they had filmed.

The Imabari Local Tourist Association is on the third floor. Location stamp No. 8 for the film-location stamp rally is in the hallway beside its entrance. The association is open 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and closed on weekends and holidays, but the stamp remains accessible in the same place on days off.

Location

1-100-3 Katahara-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Faces the venue for the Onmaku fireworks; the event hall on the fourth floor was also used for filming

Facilities

Passenger waiting area, observation deck, and Imabari Local Tourist Association on the third floor

Stamp location

Film-location stamp rally No. 8 in the hallway beside the third-floor tourist association; accessible on weekends and holidays

Sources:Imabari special site — Onmaku fireworks and Hābārii、Imabari special site — Report on the homecoming campaign、Imabari City — Special issue of the city newsletter

2Apony (Coffee Shop Apony) | Cafe where Honoka tells Akimi the latest about Kai

This traditional coffee shop, opened in 1975, is on the second floor of a building facing Hirokoji Street in central Imabari. The scene where Kai’s mother, Honoka, tells Akimi the latest about him was filmed here. A retro sign hanging at the entrance marks the spot. Inside, a ship’s wheel decoration and wine-red sofas create a space that feels right for a port town.

Honoka smokes in one scene, but owner Joji Shiraishi says the scene was filmed in keeping with the shop’s no-smoking rule. The menu includes Apony Blend made with flannel drip, Wiener coffee, and toast with local honey. Location stamp No. 10 for the film-location rally is on the counter.

Location

Kyoei-cho Building, 2F, 2-2-58 Kyoei-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for the scene where Honoka tells Akimi the latest about Kai.

Hours

10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; closed Wednesdays, first and third Tuesdays, and over the New Year holidays

Stamp location

No. 10 on the counter inside; available on business days only

Sources:Imabari special site — Apony、Same site — The people who supported filming

3Imabari Kokusai Hotel | Hotel where Kai stays after becoming a popular author

This 23-story hotel rises above central Imabari and was used as the hotel where Kai stays when he returns home as a popular author. Filming took place in an upper-floor royal suite overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge. Before filming, the director and cast toured the room and discussed how to stage the scene, recalls general manager Noriyuki Asayama.

From the upper floors, you can also see Imabari Castle, the Shimanami Kaido, and the Onmaku fireworks in summer. Location stamp No. 9 for the film-location stamp rally is at the shop at the back right after entering the main entrance, past the striking main lobby with its high atrium and chandelier.

Location

2-3-4 Asahi-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for the hotel where Kai stays when he returns home as a popular author

What to see

Views of Imabari Castle, the Shimanami Kaido, and the summer Onmaku fireworks from the upper floors

Stamp location

No. 9 at the shop just inside and to the right of the main entrance; open 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. year-round

Sources:Imabari special site — Imabari Kokusai Hotel、Same site — The people who supported filming

4Mukuna Beach | The couple running along the shore and the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge

Mukuna Beach on Oshima appears repeatedly in the film, including scenes where Kai and Akimi ride bicycles or drive along the shore. The Imabari Local Tourist Association describes it as a place that colors pivotal moments in the story.

From the coastal road, you can see the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, the world’s first triple suspension bridge, connecting Oshima and central Imabari. A bridge spans the water, with another island and a city beyond. That distance echoes the story of Kai leaving the island for Tokyo while Akimi stays behind for her family.

The tourist association highlights the changing scenery, from sunset over the sea to the evening star appearing as the sky deepens. Yuuzutsu means the evening star. RADWIMPS also gave the film’s theme song the title “Yuuzutsu.”

Location

Mukuna, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for scenes of Kai and Akimi riding bicycles or driving along the coast

What to see

Coastal views of the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge and the changing sky from sunset to the evening star

Sources:Imabari special site — Mukuna Beach、Official film website — Theme song

5Kirosan Observatory Park | View from the southern tip of Oshima featured in the film

This observatory park sits atop Mount Kirosan, 307.8 meters above sea level at the southern tip of Oshima. A view from the summit appears in the film. From the panoramic observation bridge designed by Kengo Kuma, you can look out over the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. After sunset, the observatory is illuminated; on nights when the bridge lights are on, visitors can see the glowing bridge and Imabari’s nightscape.

Admission is free, parking is available, and the park is open 24 hours. Some sections of the road to the summit are narrow, and visitors are advised not to take large vehicles.

Location

487-4 Yoshiumi-cho Minamiura, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

A view from the summit appears in the film

Admission and hours

Free admission; open 24 hours; parking available

Access

Some sections of the road to the summit are narrow; large vehicles are discouraged

Sources:Imabari special site — Kirosan Observatory Park

6Nagikoma Beach (Minshuku Nagikoma) | The couple’s “usual beach”

The “usual beach” where the couple talk while looking out at the sea is Nagikoma Beach on Oshima. It appears repeatedly in the story, and from the beach and breakwater you can see central Imabari and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea across the water.

Minshuku Nagikoma, a family-run inn with meals, stands just in front of the beach. Guests can enjoy a boat platter of fish from the Kurushima Strait, local horaku-yaki seafood, and sea bream rice. Advance reservations by phone are required for both overnight stays and meals. Innkeepers Kyoko and Kazutane Yano are also fans of Yuu Nagira. They say their favorite view is this beach, with Oshima, Ryujin Island, and the Ishizuchi range across the water.

Location

Nagikoma, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for the “usual beach” where the two talk

Minshuku Nagikoma

Lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; dinner 5:30–8:00 p.m.; irregular closing days; phone reservations required, including for meals only

Stamp location

No. 6 in front of the front desk; on days the inn is closed, it is placed outside the main entrance

Sources:Imabari special site — Nagikoma Beach、Same site — The people who supported filming

7Cafe Shozan | YU-NAGI, Hitomi’s cafe and gallery

Cafe Shozan on the coast in Yoshiumi-cho, Oshima, appears as YU-NAGI, the cafe-gallery run by embroidery artist Hitomi. Through the large windows, the calm Seto Inland Sea opens out before a wood-toned interior that retains traces of the space seen in the film.

Yuko and Toshio Hirota moved here from Kanagawa Prefecture to run the cafe. They say that the day after reading the original novel, Yuko wrote on Instagram, “I’m sure this will be made into a movie.” During filming, the art team spent a long time dressing the interior even for a scene that lasted only a moment.

Location

119 Fukuda, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for YU-NAGI, Hitomi’s cafe-gallery

Hours

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

Stamp location

No. 5 on a shelf near the entrance; on closed days, it is placed outside the entrance

Sources:Imabari special site — YU-NAGI (Cafe Shozan)、Same site — The people who supported filming

8Tomoura Site | Hitomi’s home overlooking the sea

Along Lemon Street in Tomoura, Miyakubo-cho, a cafe-restaurant with a red roof appears among the citrus groves. In the film, it is the home where Hitomi lives. For filming, the art department built a set from scratch for Hitomi’s studio and home, both indoors and on the terrace overlooking the sea.

The arched entrance made of branches retains a trace of the filming, and a lawn and terrace spread out in front of the building. The menu includes pasta with turban shell from the nearby waters of Miyakubo, seasonal fresh-squeezed citrus juice, and house-roasted coffee.

Location

664-2 Tomoura, Miyakubo-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture (Lemon Street)

Connection to the film

Filming location for “Hitomi’s home” in the film

Hours

Noon–4:00 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday; closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and some irregular days

Stamp location

No. 4 beside the shop’s entrance; on closed days it is beside the arch at the entrance to the grounds. Do not go beyond the arch.

Sources:Imabari special site — Hitomi’s home (Tomoura Site)、Same site — The people who supported filming

9Miyakubo Fishing Port | Port where Honoka receives fish from a fisherman

At Miyakubo Fishing Port on Oshima, a scene was filmed where Honoka receives fish from a fisherman. Yoji Seki of the Miyakubo Fisheries Cooperative says this was the first location used during the main shoot in Imabari. Cooperative members appeared as extras, and they worked with the art team to build the fishing hut used in filming from scratch.

Fishing boats line the port, and nets and fish pens show the everyday work of fishing, surrounded by the islands and sea. This is a work area for people in the fishing industry. Please follow local guidance and take care not to interfere with their work.

Location

Miyakubo-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture (Miyakubo Fishing Port)

Connection to the film

Filming location for the scene where Honoka receives fish from a fisherman, and the first location used during the main Imabari shoot

Visitor note

This is a work area for people in the fishing industry. Follow local guidance and avoid interfering with their work.

Sources:Imabari special site — Miyakubo Fishing Port、Same site — The people who supported filming

10Shimanami High School Hakata Campus | The school where the two meet

Ehime Prefectural Shimanami High School Hakata Campus (Ehime Prefectural Imabari Nishi High School Hakata Branch) on Hakatajima appears as the school attended by Kai and Akimi. School-life scenes that set the story in motion, including their first meeting, were filmed here. It is an island school with the Seto Inland Sea stretching out beside its buildings.

Branch principal Yoshiaki Matsuura recalls guiding the director, staff, and cast around the school during location scouting. He says they held repeated meetings and rehearsals for a single scene. As this is an educational facility, visitors may not enter the grounds; view it quietly from outside the school.

Location

2358 Azu, Hakata-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for the high school attended by Kai and Akimi

Visitor note

Do not enter the grounds; view from outside the school.

Sources:Imabari special site — Shimanami High School Hakata Campus、Same site — The people who supported filming

11Hyahho-zaka Slope | Hill where Mr. Kitahara rides his bicycle downhill

On Omishima, Hyahho-zaka is the slope where the bus carrying the two passes and where Mr. Kitahara rides downhill with his daughter on his bicycle. As you start down through the citrus groves, the Seto Inland Sea and its islands suddenly spread out in front of you. The sunset hours are also recommended.

It is an ordinary road about 10 km and a 15-minute drive from Oyamazumi Shrine. Cars also use it, so visitors are advised not to stop in the road to take photos. For cyclists, an electric-assist bicycle is recommended because of the distance from the shrine and the continuing slopes. Be careful not to pick up too much speed on the descent.

Location

Omishima-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location where the bus carrying the pair passes and Mr. Kitahara rides his bicycle downhill

Access

About 10 km, or a 15-minute drive, from Oyamazumi Shrine

Visitor note

This is a public road used by local residents. Do not stop in the road to take photos.

Sources:Imabari special site — Hyahho-zaka Slope

12Lawson Imabari Omishima-cho Miyaura | Getting off the bus to share ice cream

Lawson in Miyaura on Omishima is where a scene was filmed of the two getting off the bus and sharing ice cream. It is an everyday shop used by island residents, within walking distance of Oyamazumi Shrine. This ordinary storefront reflects a moment from the pair’s high school years.

In an interview with the tourist association, store manager Kiyoshi Murakami recalled his surprise as the shop he knew transformed into a film set all at once, with many cameras and crew. He said he still remembers a cast member smiling briefly while running past.

The store is location stamp No. 2, with the stamp in front of the in-store register counter. Since August 2026, Lawson stores in Imabari have sold collaboration T-shirts inspired by Kai (“Ver. K”) and Akimi (“Ver. A”) for ¥2,500 each. Film stickers can be purchased from the in-store multifunction copier through December 21, 2026.

Location

5112-1 Miyaura, Omishima-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Filming location for the scene where Kai and Akimi get off the bus and share ice cream

Hours

Open 24 hours, year-round

Related promotion

Location stamp No. 2; film stickers available from the in-store multifunction copier through December 21, 2026

Sources:Imabari special site — Lawson on the island、Imabari special site — The people who supported filming、Imabari special site — Collaboration T-shirts

13Oyamazumi Shrine | Iyo Province’s Ichinomiya, where the film’s success was prayed for

The day after the fireworks, on August 10, 2026, director Michihito Fujii joined Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose at Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima. The three stood together in the main sanctuary and took part in a prayer service for the film’s success. Yokohama expressed gratitude for being able to leave a work behind as he approached the end of his twenties.

Commemorative goshuin for the film’s release became available at the Ofuda Office that same day. Printed on semi-transparent paper and featuring stars such as Yuuzutsu from the story, they are available 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Location stamp No. 3 is beside the vending machines at the back right of the office. The drive from central Imabari takes about 40 minutes via the Shimanami Kaido.

As the Ichinomiya of Iyo Province, the shrine has long protected those traveling by sea. It is the head shrine of the more than 10,000 Oyamazumi and Mishima shrines across Japan. At the center of the grounds stands a great camphor tree estimated to be about 2,600 years old, said to have been planted by Ochi-no-Mikoto. The cluster of camphor trees on the grounds is designated a Natural Monument of Japan. On the way to the Okunoin is Ikiki-no-Gomon, a roughly 3,000-year-old camphor tree that splits in two at its base like a gate.

The Treasure Hall, Shiyoden, and National Treasure Hall preserve and display about 80% of the weapons designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties across Japan, including armor and swords dedicated by Minamoto no Yoritomo, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and Tsuruhime. At the Otaue Festival (fifth day of the fifth month in the old lunar calendar) and Nukihosai (ninth day of the ninth month), sumo wrestlers perform Hitori-zumō, a ritual bout with an invisible spirit of the rice plant. It is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Ehime Prefecture.

Location

3327 Miyaura, Omishima-cho, Imabari, Ehime Prefecture

Connection to the film

Shrine where director Michihito Fujii, Ryusei Yokohama, and Suzu Hirose prayed for the film’s success on August 10, 2026

Offerings and stamp

Film-release commemorative goshuin available at the Ofuda Office, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; stamp No. 3 beside the vending machines at the back right

Access

About a 40-minute drive from central Imabari via the Shimanami Kaido

Sources:Imabari special site — Oyamazumi Shrine、Imabari special site — Goshuin commemorating the film’s release、Oyamazumi Shrine official website

A story born in the hometown of its editor, Imabari

The editor’s memories and hometown became clues for the story

Yuu Nagira is a writer who explores subject matter through discussions with her editor. In an interview with Kodansha around the publication of Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku, she explained that the story was inspired in part by then-editor Shohei Kawakita sharing his own past romantic experiences and by setting the story in his hometown of Imabari. Kawakita told Nagira about spending time by the sea at dusk in high school and the feeling of distance on an island connected to the mainland by ships and bridges. From there, the 15 years of Kai and Akimi’s story took shape.

According to Imabari City, Nagira has said that her experience visiting Imabari before writing the novel fed into the story. She has returned to the city several times since completing it and was appointed an “IMABALINA Ambassador” by Imabari City in 2025. At a commemorative talk held in Imabari on September 12, 2026, before the film’s release, she recalled that meeting Kawakita led to her connection with Imabari and to the film adaptation.

Sources:Kodansha — Interview with Yuu Nagira and her editor、Imabari City — Yuu Nagira’s connection with Imabari

The strength to support yourself and the power to choose your life

In the same interview, Nagira said she had wanted to try writing a serious, realistic love story. The novel unfolds through the perspectives of Kai and Akimi, depicting not only their romance but also the difficult relationships each has with their mother. Although she set out to write a love story, she said it became a story about a girl raised on an island in the Seto Inland Sea developing the strength to stand on her own.

In the story, both Hitomi Hayashi, the lover of Akimi’s father, and Sosuke Kitahara, a high school chemistry teacher, speak about the importance of being able to support oneself. Nagira said that as she wrote, she felt that without the strength to be free, a person cannot choose anything. That does not mean one can simply decide anything one likes. Akimi makes a major decision near the end, but reaches it only after immense pain and conflict.

Source:Kodansha — The ideas behind the work

Filming in summer and winter, and time spent in Imabari

Filming in Imabari took place in both summer and winter. Ryusei Yokohama recalled that it was hot in summer and cold in winter, that he kept sweating and sometimes made others wait. Suzu Hirose said it was an extremely disciplined and demanding set, but one she now looks back on with affection. Director Fujii said residents brought the crew juice and helped them cope with the heat during summer filming, describing the feeling of making the film together with the city.

In an interview on the special site, Yokohama said that when filming ended early, he reset at a nearby public bath or sauna and often ate tai-meshi. Hirose said she visited bakeries, yakitori restaurants, and seafood restaurants frequented by local residents. Yuu Nagira also joined the August 10, 2026, courtesy visit to Imabari Mayor Shigeki Tokunaga. She said she cried so much at the preview that a small pack of tissues was not enough and she needed a full-size box. Mayor Tokunaga expressed gratitude that Imabari’s sea and island scenery came alive on screen.

Sources:Imabari special site — Interviews with Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose、Imabari special site — Homecoming campaign and courtesy visit to the mayor

People around Kai and Akimi, and scenes filmed in Imabari

The film was shot extensively on Imabari’s islands and in the city, with local residents appearing as extras. The Imabari Local Tourist Association’s special site shares scenes featuring each character and accounts from local people who helped with filming.

The two who meet on the island and their families

Kai Aono | Ryusei Yokohama

An aspiring professional manga artist, Kai transfers schools with his mother, who moved to the island to follow her boyfriend, and meets Akimi. After graduation, he moves to Tokyo and begins a long-distance relationship with her. After reading the novel, Ryusei Yokohama said he wanted to inhabit the role of Kai amid the Seto Inland Sea scenery, and shared his interest in adapting it with Nagira and director Fujii. When Kai returns home as a popular author, he stays on an upper floor of ③ Imabari Kokusai Hotel.

Inoue Akimi | Suzu Hirose

A woman raised on the island who hopes to leave by her own means someday, but works there for her family. She becomes drawn to embroidery through Hitomi. Scenes of Akimi at work were filmed in the office of Maruima Seika at Tenposan-cho, Imabari. In the film, it is a shipbuilding company, and the new-employee ceremony was also shot there.

The ordinarily plain office was transformed into a shipbuilding company’s office for filming, and employees also appeared as extras. President Kazuhiko Sunada and executive director Takeda recall being impressed by director Fujii repeatedly changing the camera angle and reshooting until satisfied, even for a short scene. The market grounds are for business use; visitors are not allowed to enter.

Aono Honoka | Machiko Ono

Kai’s mother and a snack-bar hostess. She moved to the Seto Inland Sea to follow her boyfriend and has unsettled Kai since he was young. The scene where Honoka receives fish from a fisherman was filmed at ⑨ Miyakubo Fishing Port, and the scene where she tells Akimi the latest about Kai was shot at ② Apony. Machiko Ono commented that filming in Imabari and the warmth of local residents added depth to her role.

Inoue Shiho | Yoshino Kimura

Akimi’s mother. After her husband had an affair with Hitomi and left home, she became mentally unwell, which is one reason Akimi cannot leave the island. Yoshino Kimura recalled that she had previously spent a long period on the island while filming another movie.

The adults who watch over the two

Hayashi Hitomi | Yuriko Ishida

A haute couture embroidery artist and the lover of Akimi’s father. Her independent way of life inspires both admiration and resentment in Akimi. For the role, Yuriko Ishida cut her hair short and learned Lunéville embroidery, a French technique, from scratch. She had also spent an extended period in Imabari about 20 years ago while filming a television drama. Hitomi’s cafe-gallery YU-NAGI was filmed at ⑦ Cafe Shozan, and her home at ⑧ Tomoura Site.

Kitahara Sosuke | Hiroki Hasegawa

The chemistry teacher at Kai and Akimi’s high school, he remains concerned about them after they graduate. He lives with his young daughter. The hill where Kitahara rides downhill with his daughter on his bicycle is ⑪ Hyahho-zaka Slope; the school scenes were filmed at ⑩ Shimanami High School Hakata Campus.

Kuzumi Naoto | Hokuto Matsumura

Kai’s partner in pursuing the same dream and the manga artist responsible for the illustrations. He keeps a secret that he has revealed only to Kai. The story of editors Shibagaki Ueki (Gaku Hamada) and Eri Nikaido (Anne Nakamura), who believed in Naoto and Kai’s talent, is told in the title story of the sequel, Hoshi o Amu.

Sources:Official film website — Cast and comments、Imabari special site — Maruima Seika、Same site — Interviews with people who supported filming、Same site — Interview with Maruima Seika

Fifteen years shared by the novel, film, and theme song

From the 2023 Booksellers’ Award to the film

Yuu Nagira lives in Kyoto. She published her first book in 2007 and has written in the boys’ love genre, including the Utsukushii Kare series. Her work gained attention in general fiction starting with The Biotope of the Gods in 2017, and she won the 2020 Booksellers’ Award for Rurou no Tsuki. Kodansha published the hardcover edition of Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku in August 2022. It was nominated for the 168th Naoki Prize and the 44th Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers, then won Nagira her second Booksellers’ Award in 2023. More than two million copies of the series have been printed. The Kodansha Bunko paperback was published July 15, 2025, and runs 456 pages.

Ryusei Yokohama was the one who wanted the novel adapted for film. He approached Michihito Fujii, with whom he had worked on A Man, to direct, and Naoko Adachi, writer of the NHK morning drama Okaeri Mone, joined the screenplay. Suzu Hirose, who plays Akimi, and Yokohama had previously appeared together in the film Rurou no Tsuki, also based on a Nagira work.

Adachi commented that while she felt the novel captured the difficulty of women living as themselves, it also made her realize the struggle between social roles and freedom is not limited to women but is a story of hardship shared by everyone. In an interview in Imabari, Yokohama said the lives of the two characters encouraged him to value what he believes in and to trust a decision he made himself, even if it turns out to be wrong.

Sources:Kodansha — Bibliographic information for the original novel、Official film website — Introduction and staff、Imabari special site — Interviews with Ryusei Yokohama and Suzu Hirose

The trailer and RADWIMPS’ “Yuuzutsu”

“Yuuzutsu,” the theme song, was written by RADWIMPS for the film. The band has handled all the music for Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name., Weathering with You, and Suzume, and has won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Music three times. Yojiro Noda of RADWIMPS commented that the film gave him hope: we cannot choose where we are born, our parents, or our circumstances, but we can choose our own happiness. The evening star glowing at dusk on Mukuna Beach echoes the title of the song.

Toho’s official channel has released the film’s second trailer using this theme song.

Sources:Official film website — Theme song and RADWIMPS comments

The sequel Hoshi o Amu turns to the lives of people around the couple

Published on November 8, 2023, Hoshi o Amu contains three stories. “Fly into Spring” depicts the past that Mr. Kitahara has kept secret; the title story, “Weaving the Stars,” follows what was passed on by the two editors who continued to believe in Kai and Naoto’s talent; and “Crossing the Waves” follows Akimi after the events of the first novel. Each story first appeared in Kodansha’s literary magazine Shosetsu Gendai before being collected in the book, which was also nominated for the 2024 Booksellers’ Award.

Source:Kodansha — Hoshi o Amu

How Imabari welcomed the film

For its October 2026 issue of Imabari City Newsletter (63,000 copies), the city used the film poster on the cover and ran a four-page feature with interviews with the two leads and messages from Nagira and Kawakita. Starting on the release date, October 9, the Imabari Local Tourist Association distributed a pilgrimage guidebook and launched a film-location stamp rally.

The guidebook is available one per person during each application period at the tourist association, Imabari City Hall’s Tourism Division, the tourist information center in front of Imabari Station, and participating stamp-rally locations; it is not mailed. Stamps are available at ten places: Marine Oasis Hakata, Lawson on Omishima, Oyamazumi Shrine, Tomoura Site, Cafe Shozan, Minshuku Nagikoma, Noshima Suigun, the tourist association, Imabari Kokusai Hotel, and Apony. Until March 31, 2027, visitors can enter a drawing by mail using the included postcard; prizes include Imabari towels and local specialties, with the odds depending on the number of stamps collected.

Collaboration products include Yagi Sake Brewery’s Imabari-born junmai daiginjo Sanzan Masamune Yuuzutsu, Bokei-do’s Setouchi Lemon Tea Uzushio Pie, and a limited-edition package of Setouchi sea bream rice made with natural sea bream from the region. Stamp No. 1 is at Marine Oasis Hakata, a roadside station beside the Hakata-Oshima Bridge. It faces the white sands of Hakata Beach and serves salt soft-serve and salt ramen made with Hakata salt. Matsuyama Airport also displayed a limited-time film wall advertisement and digital signage by the domestic terminal entrance to coincide with the release.

Noshima Suigun in Miyakubo, Oshima, overlooks Noshima, once a base of the Murakami pirates. It was not a filming location, but delivered meals to the cast and crew during summer filming, including Imabari’s yakibuta tamago meshi, chilled shabu-shabu udon that was easy to eat between takes, and a bowl of kama-age whitebait from Miyakubo. Representative Mr. Murakami and cook Ms. Yano said they adjusted the menu to support filming in the hot summer. At the back left of the building, there is a photo spot recreating a set from the shoot and stamp No. 7. Visitors can also take a tidal-current sightseeing boat to see the fast currents around Noshima, reaching up to 10 knots.

Sources:Imabari City — Special issue of the city newsletter、Imabari special site — Collaboration products and announcements、Imabari special site — Guidebook、Imabari special site — Stamp rally、Imabari special site — Marine Oasis Hakata、Same site — Matsuyama Airport、Imabari special site — Noshima Suigun、Same site — Catering interview

From publication of the novel to the film’s release

1. 2020Yuu Nagira’s Rurou no Tsuki wins the Booksellers’ AwardOriginal novel
2. August 2022Kodansha publishes the hardcover edition of Nanji, Hoshi no GotokuOriginal novel
3. October 2022“Fly into Spring,” one of the sequel stories, appears in Shosetsu GendaiOriginal novel
4. 2023Wins the 20th Booksellers’ AwardOriginal novel
5. November 8, 2023Sequel Hoshi o Amu is publishedOriginal novel
6. 2025Yuu Nagira becomes an Imabari Goodwill AmbassadorImabari
7. July 15, 2025Kodansha Bunko paperback is publishedOriginal novel
8. August 3, 2026Latest trailer and RADWIMPS theme song announcedFilm
9. August 9, 2026The two stars appear at the Onmaku fireworks festivalImabari
10. August 2026Prayers for the film’s success held at Oyamazumi ShrineImabari
11. September 12, 2026Yuu Nagira and Shohei Kawakita give a talk in ImabariImabari
12. September 25, 2026October issue of Imabari City Newsletter features the filmImabari
13. October 9, 2026Film opens; location stamp rally beginsFilm

In the little over three years since the novel’s publication, Imabari—the film’s location—has seen a growing connection with the author and the city, filming, and events ahead of the release.

Oshi Lab note | A business perspective: Turning the voices of people who supported filming into local visitor information

Imabari’s special site separates filming locations from related places that supported the film through prayers and catering. Where visitors may not enter, such as the school and produce market, it explains that they should view the sites from outside. Shops and inns feature interviews with “the people who supported filming.” Their words give visitors a way to connect with local businesses.

Lawson T-shirts, collaboration products from local sake and confectionery makers, and the stamp rally bring film-location visits together with shopping in the area. The relationship began with the hometown of the novel’s editor, then grew through the author becoming an ambassador and the film’s location shoot. That history helped shape the city’s broad welcome for the film’s release.

Sources

Official film website ／ The film Nanji, Hoshi no Gotoku × Imabari special website ／ Kodansha — Interview with Yuu Nagira ／ Imabari City — Special issue of the city newsletter ／ Oyamazumi Shrine