1. The story of Bocchi The Rock
  2. The Real-Life Locations

  • Bocchi The Rock! Related Products
  • About the Author
  • CDJapan Ambassador Project (Your passion is wanted)




    • The story of Bocchi The Rock





    An introverted middle school girl named Hitori Gotō decides to learn how to play guitar to become a rock band member and finally make some friends. Even though she became very talented with the guitar and has thousands of followers on the video platform, she couldn't overcome her extreme social anxiety after three years. For a new start, she starts to go to a high school two hours away from her home. One day, after she brings her guitar to school, she meets a girl around her age who is a drummer. She convinces Hitori to play with them at a concert that night instead of their vocalist/guitarist, who runs away suddenly.

    Although their first performance together is not so good, the girls become determined to improve themself as musicians and continue the band, which is called Kessoku Band.

    Hitori's new friends from the band give her the nickname Bocchi because of her personality. Bocchi is a Japanese slang which comes from the word hitoribocchi (ひとりぼっち). Hitoribocchi means loneliness and bocchi means loner.



    The Real-Life Locations

    Most of the anime takes place in Shimokitazawa[下北沢] which is in Setagaya, Tokyo. The neighborhood is well known for its cafes, theaters, bars, and live music venues. If you walk around the neighborhood, you will notice many locations that took place in the anime. If you are planning to take photos, don't forget to take permission. Some shop owners may feel uncomfortable with their shop's photos taken by anime fans.

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    Shelter, The Live House

    The band gets together and works as part-timers in Starry, which is a live house[a Japanese live music club] in Shimokitazawa. This place is from a real-life location called Shelter which was opened in the fall of 1991. It is located close to Shimo-Kitazawa station.

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    Times Shimo-Kitazawa No.8 Car Park [タイムズ下北沢第８]

    The painted wall that Bocchi and the band members use for their group photo is actually from a wall that is in a parking lot in real life.

    The train stations in the anime

    Many train stations take place in the anime. When it comes to explaining the transportation of Tokyo I believe it is complicated even for a Japanese sometimes. So basically, there is the Japan Railways company and there are private railway companies like Keio. You need a different pass card for these lines. Back to our topic, We see different railway stations in the anime. Hitori a.k.a Bocchi, lives in Yokohama and travels to Tokyo every day. On the last day of their summer vacation, she and the members of the Kessoku Band visit a seaside location which is Enoshima. We see Shimo-Kitazawa Station, Ochanomizu Station, and Keio Inokashira Line in the anime.

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    Yokohama Kanazawa Seven Lucky Gods Benzaiten

    Hitori and Kikuri Hiroi first meet in front of the Benzaiten statue in Yokohama. One of the Seven Gods of Fortune is Benzaiten, a.k.a Benten, the goddess of all that flows: water, music, arts, love, wisdom, wealth, and fortune. She is usually portrayed by playing the biwa, a traditional string instrument. Temples and shrines usually provide beautiful calligraphies and/or seals which are known as the goshuin stamps. You can collect these in a notebook. You can get a goshuin stamp across the street at Seto shrine.

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    This image is taken by Ariel



    Enoshima

    Since Hitori's band members forget to ask her out during the summer break, she gets extra depressed. On the last day of the holiday, they drag her to Enoshima, do some sightseeing, and visit the beach.

    Enoshima Shrine

    This Shrine is one of the three great shrines dedicated to Benzaiten.

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    Zuishinmon Gate

    This gatehouse is modeled after a mythical castle under the sea in the Japanese tale Urashima Taro. It was named Zuishinmon, hoping that visitors could refresh their minds by praying there.

    Enoshima Sea Candle [Lighthouse Observation Tower]

    This observation tower which is 59.8 meters high, is located inside the Samuel Cocking Garden. It is the largest privately owned lighthouse in Japan. You can see 360-degree panoramic views of Sagami Bay.

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    This image is taken by とらべらー



    Enoshima Escar

    Enoshima Escar, which is the first outdoor escalator in Japan, is recommended to use if you are planning to visit Enoshima Shrine, Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden, and Enoshima Sea Candle. It is a one-way escalator.

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    Ochanomizu

    In the last episode of Bocchi the Rock, after Hitori breaks her guitar in the concert, she visits Ochanomizu with her band members. This area is best known for instrument stores.


    Bocchi The Rock! Related Products



    About the Author

    Kaori A.
    Youtuber/ Translator/ Blogger From Somewhere in This Universe
    She is a game youtuber who is in love with Japanese culture. She has a Youtube Channel about Japanese theme games, games about learning the Japanese language, otome games, Japanese books, and anything she finds about Japan. She is also a manga and anime otaku who loves researching and exploring real-life anime locations and foods from anime.

    YouTube: @ajapanophileotaku
    Instagram: @otakukaori
    Twitter: @OtakuKaori




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