Niteko Pond, Nishinomiya (Grave of the Fireflies)

The stone marking the birthplace of the novel Grave of the Fireflies, set up in 2020 in the Nishinomiya earthquake memorial park beside Niteko Pond. Akiyuki Nosaka based his story on his own wartime childhood here, and the pond is where Seita and Setsuko shelter in a hillside dugout in Isao Takahata's film. This is a setting with real history behind it rather than a fantasy backdrop, so a visit here feels closer to paying respects than to sightseeing.