This fan’s pilgrimage to the anime’s real-world location was captured in a series of gorgeous side-by-side comparisons.

Awashima, located off the coast of Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, is an island measuring just 2.5-kilometres in circumference that welcomes a large number of tourists to its shores throughout the year. While the island is known for its small aquarium and marine park, and an aerial cable car ride from the mainland that offers uninterrupted views of Mt Fuji on a clear day, the main reason people make the trip here is because this little patch of land is one of the star locations in the hugely popular Love Live! Sunshine!! anime series.

One Japanese fan of the anime, who goes by the Twitter handle @szk_glks, recently shared photos of their trip to the island, with gorgeous side-by-side comparisons showing just how well the anime reflects the real-life scenery that can be found along the way.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785325964418879489 https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785325564076752896

What makes this journey different to many others fans have made, is the fact that this visitor chose to stay at the Awashima Hotel. In the anime, the hotel is owned by the family of one of the main characters, Mari, who resides there in the series. In real life, hotel guests are able to enjoy access to some of the island’s most exclusive locations, like this stone fountain.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785392277015322625

And the jetty, which hotel guests are free to walk out on at night, just like Mari does in the anime.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785805804649615360

Staying in the hotel’s deluxe suite, this fan was happy to share all the western-style details of the room, which are seen as exotic luxuries inside Japan.

▼ There were remote-controlled curtains…

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785420530040000512

▼ Fancy bathtubs…

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785418968370548736

▼ Even the brass key had a unique quality to it.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785487772601626626

The highlight of the stay, however, was the chance to view Mari’s room. This has to be one of the most sought-after destinations for fans of the series!

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785803229443481601

According to @szk_glks, this was such an exciting experience that they couldn’t stop their hands from shaking!

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785803378664218624 https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785803543278080000

▼ This was the exact spot where Dia showed off her kabe-don wall-pound pose!

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785803662433980416

After photographing every square inch of the room in delight, it was time to lap up the view that Mari would have enjoyed while staying in the hotel, before heading back home.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785803862443569153

Bringing the thrilled fan quickly back to reality was the bill awaiting them upon checkout. The total cost for the overnight stay came to 303,921 yen (US$2,931), with 261,360 yen covering the price of staying in the deluxe suite.

https://twitter.com/szk_glks/status/785813706076622848

While a stay in a deluxe suite is always going to be expensive, the hotel offers a variety of rooms and plans to suit fans on budgets too. And if you’re keen to walk in the path of the Love Live! Sunshine!! anime girls, there are a number of sites on the island and around mainland Numazu that eagle-eyed fans of the series will love!

Hotel Information
Awashima Hotel/淡島ホテル
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Numazu-shi, Uchiura, Shigedera 186
静岡県沼津市内浦重寺１８６
Website

Source, images: Twitter/@szk_glks