Local Secret · Seiseki-Sakuragaoka / Tama

Iroha-zaka & Seiseki-Sakuragaoka (Whisper of the Heart) いろは坂・聖蹟桜ヶ丘(耳をすませば)

The hillside suburb that inspired Studio Ghibli's Whisper of the Heart. You climb the winding Iroha-zaka slope past Kompira shrine to the roundabout and look over the Tama River just as Shizuku does, and on a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji.

About

In the 1995 Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart, the heroine Shizuku follows a cat off the train at Seiseki-Sakuragaoka and up a steep, winding hill to an antique shop. The real neighbourhood barely changed. The Iroha-zaka climbs in hairpins from the Keio Line station area to Sakuragaoka's 1960s-planned hilltop estate, passing the stone steps of the little Kompira shrine. At the top, the small roundabout is unmistakably the one from the film, and a plaque from local residents marks it. From the hill there are views over the Tama River valley to Mt. Fuji and the mountains. The station area has a Whisper of the Heart signboard, and the surrounding hilltop streets are quiet, green and lovely to wander.

Highlights

• The winding Iroha-zaka slope from the film
• The Kompira shrine steps where key scenes take place
• The hilltop roundabout with its memorial plaque
• Views across the Tama River towards Mt. Fuji
• A peaceful 1960s hilltop residential estate

Tips

• From Seiseki-Sakuragaoka Station, cross the Tama-gawa road and follow the signs to Iroha-zaka (about 15 min to the roundabout).
• This is a residential area. Keep noise down and don't photograph people's homes.
• Walk down at sunset for views over the Tama River.
• Pick up a free Ghibli-inspired walking map at the station information desk if available.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Sakuragaoka ParkPark · 1.3 km away
• Keio MogusaenGarden · 2.0 km away
• Tama Yokoyama PathLocal Secret · 2.7 km away
• Sanrio PurolandTheme Park · 2.7 km away
• Fuchu Kyodo-no-mori MuseumMuseum · 2.8 km away
• Takahata Fudo KongojiTemple · 3.7 km away
• Yaho TenmanguShrine · 3.9 km away
• Tama Zoological ParkZoo & Aquarium · 3.9 km away