Anime location
Hachiman-zaka & Miuracho Church, Sasebo
The long climb to school, and the church with the Mary statue the character keeps returning to.
Miuracho Catholic Church stands on a rise immediately by Sasebo station, and the Mary statue beside its chapel is the one the character returns to through the series. Hachiman-zaka, the long slope leading up to Sasebo Kita High School — the model for the school — is the climb the title refers to. Kameyama Hachimangu shrine nearby also appears.
Why it is worth it
Sasebo is a genuinely striking town — steep hills, a working naval port and a dense cluster of Catholic churches — and it is rarely visited by overseas travellers.
When to go
Quiet.
Good to know
The church is an active place of worship — do not enter or photograph during services, and keep quiet inside. The school is a working school; look from the public road only. The slope is steep.
Kids on the Slope
The slope to the school and the church with the Mary statue.