Iroha-zaka, Seiseki-Sakuragaoka (Whisper of the Heart)

The shortcut stairs on Iroha-zaka, the winding slope that climbs from Seiseki-Sakuragaoka Station into the hillside neighborhood above. The area around the station in Tama City was the model for the town in Yoshifumi Kondo's Whisper of the Heart, from the Keio buses to the steep residential streets Shizuku climbs while following a cat on a train. The film's antique shop is invented, but the slopes, stairs and views over the valley are real, about a 15-minute walk up from the station.