Osaka (Kita-Nishinomiya)
The adventures of the famous Haruhi Suzumiya and the SOS Brigade take place in Kita-Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, a short train ride from Osaka. Note that this trip is quite demanding physically. Sure, the hiker familiar with the series is aware of the uphill waiting, Kyon doesn’t exaggerate at all.
From the partner, in theory, this trip can be completed in less than a day if you only go to school, but in practice you can go all day, especially if you walk calmly - and I warmly recommend using your time. I also recommend visiting the café used by Haruh and his friends as a meeting place! When coming from Tokyo, it’s worth starting early, given the Tokyo-Osaka transition.
Directions
The trip practically starts in Osaka from JR Umeda Station.
Umeda is the terminus of the Hankyu Kobe line, which will take you to Nishinomiya, Shukukawa Station. From Shukukawa Station, you can either continue walking north, or take the Hankyu Koyo Line to Koyoyen Station. There is also a lot to see in the middle ground between Shukukawa and Koyoen, if at all possible I highly recommend walking.
Coming from Tokyo, the easiest and fastest way to get to Osaka is on the Sanyo Shinkansen line.
Between Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi station, Umeda and Shukukawa
Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi JR station is the meeting place for the SOS brigade when the club's activities fall on holidays. If there is enough time, it is definitely worth getting off the train and looking for the very familiar scenery around the station - and a few blocks away is a cafe popular with friends! The cafe is located on a "side street" a couple of blocks to the north, it can be tricky to find - I went with a bit of incomplete information without a map, luckily a friendly seller knew what it was about ("はるひ ばしょ きん?"), and pointed the lost traveler in the right direction.
In the upper left corner of the map is the school of Haruhi and Kyon. On the way from Koyoe station to the school you can see many familiar landmarks, it is worth keeping your senses alert.
The map also features a pond and pier where Asahina-san has to experience hardships.
The maps below, if necessary, illustrate the school route used by Kyon
Kyon's school trip - uphill is enough
As you walk from Shukukawa to Koyoe Station along the Hankyo Koyo Line, the route hits several familiar views and buildings! A familiar school building awaits your arrival - the old wing is not very visible on the road, but it can be seen if applied a little on the opposite slope. There is no issue for outsiders in the actual school area - a few years ago, some overzealous Haruhi hikers invaded the area despite the bans and fence, causing concern and a sense of insecurity among teachers and students. A responsible and caring Haruhi fan doesn’t do that.
On the way back, you still need to be careful - keep following the same route as Kyon when he escorted Nagato one fall night…
As a special note, it should also be mentioned that the Saizeriya restaurant depicted in the movie "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" stopped operating in 2014 and the building was demolished in the spring of 2015. Today, the parking lot of the grocery store built on the site is located on the same spot.
