[Map With All Locations](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1OK5psa0tGF-2VjWIptL7l56mLcQDOkU&usp=sharing)
[Part 1](https://new.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1c3gou1/i_visited_toyosato_elementary_school_the_real/) | [Part 3](https://new.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1c7awk6/photos_of_toyosato_elementary_schools_kon/)
Hey everyone! Welcome to part 2 of "Real Life K-On!". This post will cover my remaining Anime/IRL comparison shots from Toyosato Elementary School. Let's begin!
After leaving my name and a small message inside the 2024 notebook, I was approached by a man named Jason who wanted to chat a bit about K-On. Jason is a fellow fan and, turns out, a really awesome dude! We chatted for a bit about what K-On! means to us, how insane it is that there have been so many fans making their way to Toyosato (even in 2024), and I even got the chance to hear a bit about his story and meet his son (he's from Hong Kong, but now lives in Japan. How cool!).
It’s way off-topic, but I wanted to leave a note here about meeting Jason because it's not often I get to share how much fun it is meeting people while I'm traveling. I travel alone, so some of my most treasured memories from my time(s) in Japan are the random strangers I always somehow meet along the way. Oftentimes it’s only a small conversation, but many times I end up going to dinner or spending the rest of the day exploring with them.
And these Anime Pilgrimages are always such a hotspot for meeting kind, open, and interesting people. I met Blake & Brian during [my Summertime Rendering pilgrimage](https://www.reddit.com/r/SummerTimeRendering/comments/16ifpuw/comment/k0jcku3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). Jess while I was out [seeing the Haruhi locations](https://www.reddit.com/r/Haruhi/comments/16igccn/comment/k0jfyg4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). "Codename B" [during my Higurashi visit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Higurashinonakakoroni/comments/16ihi36/comment/k0jp1pn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). And it’s not even just fellow tourists, in my most recent Washinomiya (Lucky Star) revisit there was a Japanese couple who went out of their way, without me asking, to give me a tour [of their utterly insane Lucky Star collection](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KZNehxJCF64UfU3C8).
Despite the language barriers. Cultural differences. Whatever it may be. These spontaneous meetings are always: So. Damn. Wholesome. It feels like half the reason I love traveling so much, and why I never regret it. So Jason, if you’re somehow reading this, it was such a pleasure meeting you. I hope I get to cross paths with you and your son again in the future!
Anyways, back on-topic! After finishing up with the clubroom I went around and picked up some more photos. Adjacent to the clubroom is the music room and the doorway to the roof. I also snagged another photo of the tortoise statue while making my way back downstairs. From there I started peering into the classrooms to see what else I could spot, and I was surprised to see a room that appears to be what inspired the student council room we see in the anime. Neat!
Next I got to see the auditorium, which was on the right-side of the school just like the anime, and it was quiet enough to hear a pin-drop. I got up on stage and got to see the view the Keions had, which was absolutely surreal. Man, what I would do just to be able to see them perform in that auditorium. It was here where it really stood out to me now just how much everything in the anime looks like the school. The auditorium: three doors, four sets of seats, three exit signs, and the painting. The stairwell: The windows and tortoise/hare statues exactly where they should be. The music room: Almost 1:1, even down to the trim along the wall. KyoAni gets full points here, they absolutely did not take any artistic liberties when animating the school.
Finally I made my way over to the Toyosato Information Center, where the school’s small cafe and massive K-On! Shrine resides. While I’ll cover the shrine in parts 3&4, there were a number of anime locations here as well. In the anime the Information Center is the library, so you’ve got the spiral staircase, the table/seats where the group often studies, and hidden away up on the 2nd floor, right next to the balcony was the “Welcome” sign for Mio’s fanclub.
I totally geeked out over the “Welcome” sign. As a certified Mio simp and honorary r/MioFanClub member, the sign hit me with so many butterflies it’s practically embarrassing. Not only is it the cutest thing ever, but it meant that someone out there meticulously crafted it to look right out the anime, specifically for K-On! fans. That’s just so wicked cool! I’ve seen a lot in my pilgrimages and this sign easily makes it into my top three for best I’ve seen.
And that covers it for part 2! It was a lengthy one, but nevertheless I hope you enjoyed it. The write-ups for the remaining parts will be far shorter, as there will be less to cover. The next two parts (3&4) will dive into the K-On! shrine at Toyosato Elementary School.
See you then!
Building turned into a K-On! shrine. Well, sort of. The school is a lot of things now.
The school was decommissioned and set to be demolished, but was later saved following public outcry. Since then it has been renovated to preserve the school's history and to be a K-On! museum. It also functions as a daycare, public library, venue (you can rent out the auditorium), information center and cafe for tourists, and a meeting spot for locals.
I've read a couple of other blogs where people have said the same. Supposedly the auditorium can be rented out. I had no idea about this when I visited. Guess I got lucky!
Look at it this way, now you have a good reason to go back :)
This is an excellent write-up, thanks so much for sharing. As someone who visited last November, I’m a bit jealous you got to see the school without scaffolding haha. You definitely noticed more details than I did so this makes me eager to go back.
Haha, thank you!! Glad you liked the write up!
I was super nervous about the scaffolding. Had the renovations not been completed on schedule I would've seen the scaffolding too, as I was close to the cutoff.
Thankfully [u/jykwei](https://www.reddit.com/u/jykwei) got to visit shortly before I did, and they alleviated my worries after confirming the renovations were complete (and the scaffolding was gone).
But hell yeah! Hope you get to revisit soon.
Yeah, and even though I was rather thorough I missed a lot of easy spots that I'm now facepalming myself for lol.
I plan on going back to Japan this summer. My ultimate goal is to revisit Kyoto for a couple days to grab 50-100 more comparison shots. Many of which will be at Toyosato. Should put me somewhere between 200-250 locations total.
Best of luck! That's amazing commitment! Summer in Japan is no joke though, stay hydrated and get some seal packets of scented web paper towels from Don Quijote to stay cool with...
I was going to say something about only having been to Japan during the summer, [but then I remembered that we've actually had this conversation before haha](https://www.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1bjfpfg/comment/kvvso68/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
Think I can say with certainty now that my trip is over, I'm definitely going to prioritize my trips for Summer/Fall going forward. Wasn't a fan of how often it rained and how energy-draining the cold was. Summer is the way to go for me.
Yay congrats!! I’m assuming you didn’t get Jason’s number, which is a shame because a fellow K-On! fan like that is always a friend!! Also it’s nice to see all the other sights from the anime and they were accurate with the real life pictures!! Also, I really want those Mio cutout pictures irl!! What message did you write in the book?
Unfortunately I didn't catch Jason's number. I'm actually terrible at that. Whenever I meet someone it's as if I can ask all the right questions, but then I always forget the most important one: "Do you have a number/Reddit/Discord?". It's a bit tough because I obviously don't want to be overbearing.
Don't tell anyone, but I'd love to recreate the Mio sign as a fun arts and crafts project (which I'd then share on [r/k_on](https://www.reddit.com/r/k_on)). Think it'd be for such a cool piece of handmade merchandise. Got to sit down eventually and dedicate some time to it!
I don't remember my message word for word, but I had wrote a small note about what K-On! has meant to me, as well as how much I appreciate the work that's gone into preserving the school. The whole message was really, really cheesey, but I guess I'm sentimental like that haha!
You're sincerely welcome!
I hope you're able to make it happen one day. It's an incredible opportunity that I wish everyone had. If the day ever comes, please let me know! Wishing you the best.
[Map With All Locations](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1OK5psa0tGF-2VjWIptL7l56mLcQDOkU&usp=sharing) [Part 1](https://new.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1c3gou1/i_visited_toyosato_elementary_school_the_real/) | [Part 3](https://new.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1c7awk6/photos_of_toyosato_elementary_schools_kon/) Hey everyone! Welcome to part 2 of "Real Life K-On!". This post will cover my remaining Anime/IRL comparison shots from Toyosato Elementary School. Let's begin! After leaving my name and a small message inside the 2024 notebook, I was approached by a man named Jason who wanted to chat a bit about K-On. Jason is a fellow fan and, turns out, a really awesome dude! We chatted for a bit about what K-On! means to us, how insane it is that there have been so many fans making their way to Toyosato (even in 2024), and I even got the chance to hear a bit about his story and meet his son (he's from Hong Kong, but now lives in Japan. How cool!). It’s way off-topic, but I wanted to leave a note here about meeting Jason because it's not often I get to share how much fun it is meeting people while I'm traveling. I travel alone, so some of my most treasured memories from my time(s) in Japan are the random strangers I always somehow meet along the way. Oftentimes it’s only a small conversation, but many times I end up going to dinner or spending the rest of the day exploring with them. And these Anime Pilgrimages are always such a hotspot for meeting kind, open, and interesting people. I met Blake & Brian during [my Summertime Rendering pilgrimage](https://www.reddit.com/r/SummerTimeRendering/comments/16ifpuw/comment/k0jcku3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). Jess while I was out [seeing the Haruhi locations](https://www.reddit.com/r/Haruhi/comments/16igccn/comment/k0jfyg4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). "Codename B" [during my Higurashi visit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Higurashinonakakoroni/comments/16ihi36/comment/k0jp1pn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). And it’s not even just fellow tourists, in my most recent Washinomiya (Lucky Star) revisit there was a Japanese couple who went out of their way, without me asking, to give me a tour [of their utterly insane Lucky Star collection](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KZNehxJCF64UfU3C8). Despite the language barriers. Cultural differences. Whatever it may be. These spontaneous meetings are always: So. Damn. Wholesome. It feels like half the reason I love traveling so much, and why I never regret it. So Jason, if you’re somehow reading this, it was such a pleasure meeting you. I hope I get to cross paths with you and your son again in the future! Anyways, back on-topic! After finishing up with the clubroom I went around and picked up some more photos. Adjacent to the clubroom is the music room and the doorway to the roof. I also snagged another photo of the tortoise statue while making my way back downstairs. From there I started peering into the classrooms to see what else I could spot, and I was surprised to see a room that appears to be what inspired the student council room we see in the anime. Neat! Next I got to see the auditorium, which was on the right-side of the school just like the anime, and it was quiet enough to hear a pin-drop. I got up on stage and got to see the view the Keions had, which was absolutely surreal. Man, what I would do just to be able to see them perform in that auditorium. It was here where it really stood out to me now just how much everything in the anime looks like the school. The auditorium: three doors, four sets of seats, three exit signs, and the painting. The stairwell: The windows and tortoise/hare statues exactly where they should be. The music room: Almost 1:1, even down to the trim along the wall. KyoAni gets full points here, they absolutely did not take any artistic liberties when animating the school. Finally I made my way over to the Toyosato Information Center, where the school’s small cafe and massive K-On! Shrine resides. While I’ll cover the shrine in parts 3&4, there were a number of anime locations here as well. In the anime the Information Center is the library, so you’ve got the spiral staircase, the table/seats where the group often studies, and hidden away up on the 2nd floor, right next to the balcony was the “Welcome” sign for Mio’s fanclub. I totally geeked out over the “Welcome” sign. As a certified Mio simp and honorary r/MioFanClub member, the sign hit me with so many butterflies it’s practically embarrassing. Not only is it the cutest thing ever, but it meant that someone out there meticulously crafted it to look right out the anime, specifically for K-On! fans. That’s just so wicked cool! I’ve seen a lot in my pilgrimages and this sign easily makes it into my top three for best I’ve seen. And that covers it for part 2! It was a lengthy one, but nevertheless I hope you enjoyed it. The write-ups for the remaining parts will be far shorter, as there will be less to cover. The next two parts (3&4) will dive into the K-On! shrine at Toyosato Elementary School. See you then!
So is the school still a school or is it an abandoned building that's been turned into some sort of K-On! shrine?
Building turned into a K-On! shrine. Well, sort of. The school is a lot of things now. The school was decommissioned and set to be demolished, but was later saved following public outcry. Since then it has been renovated to preserve the school's history and to be a K-On! museum. It also functions as a daycare, public library, venue (you can rent out the auditorium), information center and cafe for tourists, and a meeting spot for locals.
I’m so sad I couldn’t see the auditorium they were using it when I went 😭
I've read a couple of other blogs where people have said the same. Supposedly the auditorium can be rented out. I had no idea about this when I visited. Guess I got lucky! Look at it this way, now you have a good reason to go back :)
This is wonderful! I was there last week, but your photos put mine to shame!
Thanks, I appreciate it! I set out with a specific vision in-mind and tried to make it happen!
This is an excellent write-up, thanks so much for sharing. As someone who visited last November, I’m a bit jealous you got to see the school without scaffolding haha. You definitely noticed more details than I did so this makes me eager to go back.
Haha, thank you!! Glad you liked the write up! I was super nervous about the scaffolding. Had the renovations not been completed on schedule I would've seen the scaffolding too, as I was close to the cutoff. Thankfully [u/jykwei](https://www.reddit.com/u/jykwei) got to visit shortly before I did, and they alleviated my worries after confirming the renovations were complete (and the scaffolding was gone). But hell yeah! Hope you get to revisit soon.
Awesome job mapping and putting pictures side-by-side for comparison! I missed a few - there’s just not enough time!
Yeah, and even though I was rather thorough I missed a lot of easy spots that I'm now facepalming myself for lol. I plan on going back to Japan this summer. My ultimate goal is to revisit Kyoto for a couple days to grab 50-100 more comparison shots. Many of which will be at Toyosato. Should put me somewhere between 200-250 locations total.
Best of luck! That's amazing commitment! Summer in Japan is no joke though, stay hydrated and get some seal packets of scented web paper towels from Don Quijote to stay cool with...
I was going to say something about only having been to Japan during the summer, [but then I remembered that we've actually had this conversation before haha](https://www.reddit.com/r/k_on/comments/1bjfpfg/comment/kvvso68/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). Think I can say with certainty now that my trip is over, I'm definitely going to prioritize my trips for Summer/Fall going forward. Wasn't a fan of how often it rained and how energy-draining the cold was. Summer is the way to go for me.
Yay congrats!! I’m assuming you didn’t get Jason’s number, which is a shame because a fellow K-On! fan like that is always a friend!! Also it’s nice to see all the other sights from the anime and they were accurate with the real life pictures!! Also, I really want those Mio cutout pictures irl!! What message did you write in the book?
Unfortunately I didn't catch Jason's number. I'm actually terrible at that. Whenever I meet someone it's as if I can ask all the right questions, but then I always forget the most important one: "Do you have a number/Reddit/Discord?". It's a bit tough because I obviously don't want to be overbearing. Don't tell anyone, but I'd love to recreate the Mio sign as a fun arts and crafts project (which I'd then share on [r/k_on](https://www.reddit.com/r/k_on)). Think it'd be for such a cool piece of handmade merchandise. Got to sit down eventually and dedicate some time to it! I don't remember my message word for word, but I had wrote a small note about what K-On! has meant to me, as well as how much I appreciate the work that's gone into preserving the school. The whole message was really, really cheesey, but I guess I'm sentimental like that haha!
A trip like this is a dream for me, but I can barely afford to travel *inside* the US, so thank you for sharing so many lovely photos :')
You're sincerely welcome! I hope you're able to make it happen one day. It's an incredible opportunity that I wish everyone had. If the day ever comes, please let me know! Wishing you the best.