The Haikyu!!
ハイキュー!
ふるさと応援隊 わ・かるまい『集いの広場』
The Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center
"Seeing the community effort of a fandom bringing Haikyu!! goods together, I thought to myself, 'what a powerful fandom to be a part of.'"
-Alanna Byrne
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Historical Background
What is Haikyu!!?
Haikyu!! is a manga series created by Japanese manga artist Haruichi Furudate, 古舘春一, about a boy named Shōyō Hinata 日向翔陽 who wants nothing more than to play volleyball, despite being short in height— a typical disadvantage in the sport. Created in 2011 and adapted into a full series in 2012, the Haikyu!! Series ran from 2012 to 2020 in Weekly Shōnen Jump, received anime and stage play adaptations, and amassed quite the cult following in Japan and all over the world.
The Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center
Though the story of Haikyu!! takes place in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Many of the scenes in the series are based on places in Furudate’s hometown, Karumai in Iwate Prefecture. As the Haikyuu!! series became more and more popular, so did visiting the sites of iconic scenes, a typical thing to do for anime subculture-media known as seichi junrei 聖地巡礼, or pilgrimage to a sacred place. As a result of Karumai’s increase in Haikyu!! Tourists and townspeople set up an information center for fans containing maps that show where each “sacred” spot from the series is located, as well as copious amounts of Haikyu!! Paraphernalia on display and poster boards where fans could write messages to Furudate about how much the series has meant to them.
This became known as the Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center.
The Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center exterior as shown on Google Maps
Map provided by the pilgrimage center of Karumai and Haikyu!! pilgrimage places
Characteristics
As previously mentioned, the Haikyu!! The Pilgrimage Visitor Center is filled with tons of Haikyu!! paraphernalia, from figurines, posters, and plushies to actual art signed by Furudate himself.
In addition to the Pilgrimage Visitor Center, Karumai town, though small and quiet, continues to show its appreciation for Haikyu!!, as many of the local businesses display characters and merchandise from the series in the windows and throughout the insides of their shops.
Outside of its connection to the Haikyu!! series, Karumai is very rural and agriculture-based, with a population of 7,934 as of 30 Nov 2024 according to the official website. Other than Haikyu!! the town is also known for its annual Tulip Festival held in Yukitani River Dam Forest Park, which happens in the Spring. More information about this can be found here.
To know more
Karumai Town Website on Haikyu!! and Upcoming Events https://www3.hp-ez.com/hp/karumaitudoi/page9
Official Town Website:
https://www.town.karumai.iwate.jp/
List of Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Locations (in general; NOT exclusive to Karumai) https://www.cafe-dragoon.net/trip/seichi/haikyu/index.html
Youtube Videos
Vlog from YouTube account ちゃなろぐ
Timestamps 4:09 and 22:45 show the visitor center; the rest of the vlog talks about the Haikyu!! spots you can visit using the map provided (Japanese subtitles ONLY)
Timestamp 1:19 - 2:10 for the visitor center
Current Activities
Though not Haikyu!! related, during the fall/winter season, Karumai town holds an illuminations show starting from mid-November going through mid-January in front of its Disaster Prevention Center, 軽米町防災センター
*These coordinates on Google Maps: 40°19'30.4"N 141°28'02.4"E
Another activity/event that is somewhat Haikyu!! related is the Karumai High School Cultural Festival. Since the fictional Karasuno High from the series is based off of Karumai High School, many fans go during this time to experience the festival as if they were part of the anime. This event is held on the first Saturday of October every year.
How to get there
Haikyuu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center
Direct Voice from Alanna Byrne
When I told my Japanese friends and professors I was going to be visiting Karumai one weekend, they were all confused. “Where’s that?” or “Never heard of it,” they’d say. If I brought up Haikyu!!, however, everyone knew what popular volleyball series I was talking about. That’s why I highly suggest visiting Karumai, especially the Haikyu!! Pilgrimage Visitor Center, as it was an incredible experience as a huge Haikyu!! fan. Though it is a little inconvenient and difficult to get to, it is definitely worth the trip. Specifically, the Pilgrimage Center was my favourite (hence why I chose to write about it) because you can clearly see how loved the series is and how much of an impact it has had on its audience. I am so happy and grateful I got to visit, and I hope more people will do the same! And, of course, please watch Haikyu!!
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