Anime location
Ueda Castle east gate
The castle gate used as the gate of the family house in the film.
The reconstructed east gate and flanking turrets of Ueda Castle, a fortress best known for twice holding off much larger Tokugawa armies. The gate is the model for the entrance to the family house in Summer Wars, and the surrounding park is a well-known cherry blossom site.
Why it is worth it
Ueda publishes its own location map and the town has kept the connection going for over fifteen years, which makes this one of the easier pilgrimages to do thoroughly.
When to go
Busy in cherry blossom season.
Good to know
Pick up the location map in town before walking. The Toishi-Yoneyama castle ruins outside the centre give the view over the town used in the film, but that one is a proper hill walk.
Summer Wars
The gate used as the gate of the family house.