A Zelda Inspired Trip To Japan
Exploring in real life locations reminiscent of my favorite video game
Dedicated to all the family and friends who encouraged me to go on this trip and who loved every detail. To all the Zelda fans who may appreciate this exploration. To my younger self who always dreamed of going on this adventure. And to my older self who needed to reconnect with her inner child.
Young Lady Link
I think I’ve been planning this trip since I was a kid. Zelda has always been my favorite video game series ever since my cousin introduced me to Ocarina of Time at my aunt’s house in Maryland. Far away from Hyrule, my adventurous spirit was kindled as my cousin and I explored the Lost Woods, discovered the Ice Cavern, finally beat the Water Temple and played the night away until my dad found me asleep with an N64 controller in my hand (which happened on multiple occasions).
Today as an adult (depending on who you ask), Ocarina of Time still holds a special place in my heart, and the most recent additions to the series, particularly Breath of the Wild, have made me want to connect more deeply with my adventurous spirit.
Inspired by Breath of the Wild’s beautiful nature and scenery, Ocarina of Time’s nostalgia, and Link’s courageous attitude, I decided to take my own journey to Japan as a solo explorer, seeking out real life locations that reminded me of my favorite virtual experiences.
Playing Zelda In Real Life
When mapping out my trip, I researched everything I could about Zelda. I learned that the creator of the game series, Shigeru Miyamoto, is from the Japanese town of Sonobe, Kyoto Prefecture and that some of his childhood adventures in the Kyoto countryside inspired Zelda. Interestingly enough, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Director of Breath of the Wild, overlaid a map of his hometown Kyoto on the game world to get a sense of scale and estimate the distances between different points in the game. I also used my favorite locations in Zelda as inspiration when researching my future travel destinations.
As a result of this process, I learned that Japan is filled with beautiful sceneries across the range of climates and landscapes, so I knew I was about to have a life-changing adventure.
Water Temple
The Water Temple in Ocarina of Time has a well-deserved reputation for being difficult to beat, but finishing it gave me tremendous satisfaction as a kid. When researching unique water-themed destinations in Japan, I came across the
Hakone Shrine located on Lake Ashi. This real life shrine reminds me of the Water Temple’s gateway in Ocarina of Time. In the game, the temple itself is underwater, hidden beneath Lake Hylia and the player must follow the ruins above the lake down to the temple’s entrance.
Lurelin Village
When playing Breath of the Wild, I especially remember discovering Lurelin Village, a breathtaking seaside fishing village on the coast of the Faron and Necluda Seas. After this discovery, exploring the coastlines and beaches quickly became my favorite activity in the game.
When planning my trip, one of the real life places I discovered was Ine Fishing Village, which strongly reminded me of Lurelin Village. Situated along the coast of the Sea of Japan, Ine was part of the trade route from mainland China to Kyoto during ancient times. The area became dedicated to the fishing industry, and today its “Funaya” (or boat houses) are famous.
Cape Cresia
Not far from Ine Fishing Village is Amanohashidate. Considered one of the three most scenic views in Japan, this beautiful sandbar borders the Miyazu Bay and Sea of Japan. Its name is interpreted as “Bridge to Heaven” as it resembles a path between heaven and earth.
The Sandbar reminds me of the beautiful Cape Cresia in Breath of the Wild, which is next to my favorite place in the game, Lurelin Village.
Death Mountain
Zelda fans have compared the iconic Death Mountain, a reoccurring volcano in the series, to Mount Fuji.
When determining where to view Mount Fuji from, I was inspired by a stunning view of Death Mountain from the Rist Peninsula, which borders the Lanayru Sea in Breath of the Wild. My research led me to Miho No Matsubara, a real life black sand beach covered with a beautiful pine forest that sits on the coast of the Miho Peninsula in Shizuoka City.
Puffer Beach
With my love of Breath of the Wild’s coastlines in mind, I decided to do some real life shrine hunting along the coasts of Japan.
My first foray took me to the Shirahama Shrine, which sits quietly atop a cliff on a beautiful white sand beach on the Izu Peninsula outside of central Shimoda. This experience reminded me of a location near Breath of the Wild’s Puffer Beach which has white sand as well as a shrine beside a cliff on the ocean.
Eventide Island
My second shrine hunting quest along the coast of Japan took me to the Bishako Island Torii gate, which is just south of the Shirahama Shrine. The shape of the island reminded me of Breath of the Wild’s Eventide Island, which has a shrine perched on a cliff.
The Bishako Island Torii gate is actually next to the Shimoda Port. In 1854, Matthew Perry, his black ships, and the Shimoda Treaty opened up the ports of Shimoda, transitioning Japan out of self-isolationism. Today, Perry and this epoch shifting event is celebrated in Shimoda and you can even take a black ship around The Shimoda Port and Bishako Island. Interestingly enough, the version of Eventide Island in Tears of The Kingdom (sequel to Breath of the Wild), has a pirate ship quest behind the island.
Hebra Mountain Shrine
My third shrine hunting quest took me to the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, which is famous for its view of Mount Fuji. But on the day I went, the weather had plans of its own and Mount Fuji wasn’t visible. Instead it snowed heavily, covering the Shrine and the pine trees growing all around it. The sight was eerily similar to the Hebra Mountains, particularly the Orochium Shrine in Tears of the Kingdom.
Ice Cavern
Spelunking is a big part of the Zelda series and my all-time favorite cave is the
“Ice Cavern” from Ocarina of Time. I found two real life locations that resembled this cavern: the Fugaku Wind and the Narusawa Ice Lava Caves. They sit at the base of Mount Fuji, inside the infamous Aokigahara Forest (which is sometimes referred to as the “Sea of Trees”, or the “Suicide Forest”). While walking through the trees, this forest reminded me of the “Lost Woods,” a reoccurring location in the Zelda series.
Mount Fuji eruptions from long ago actually formed the Aokigahara Forest, which grew over top a layer of lava, as well as the two caves mentioned above.
Kakariko Village
Kakariko Village is a fixture in the Zelda series and its appearance changes in each game. My favorite iteration appears in Breath of the Wild, where the houses each have thatched roofs. I scoured the internet to see if any other Zelda fan had found a real life location that resembles this version of Kakariko. Thanks to this Zelda Universe article, I learned about Kayabuki no Sato, a real life location whose name loosely translates to “The Thatched Village.” This countryside village in Miyama happens to be just outside of Miyamoto’s hometown of Sonobe.
The Triforce
The Triforce is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Zelda series and among the most iconic symbols in all of gaming. It’s a sacred relic that’s the ultimate source of power throughout the games and Link and Zelda are always trying to protect it from evil. This Zelda Universe article suggests that the Triforce might have been based on the real crest of the Hojo Family.
With this in mind, I attempted to learn more about the Hojo family and track down real life representations of the crest, but couldn’t find anything. Then while staying in Hakone, a countryside town in Japan, I had a lucky break. I got lost on my way to the train station and accidentally stumbled into a graveyard that had the Hojo Family Crest affixed to the entrance gate, which to my eyes, looked just like the Triforce symbol. It turns out the graveyard was part of the Sounji Temple, which was founded by the Hojo family in 1521. Samurai leader Hojo Ujitsuna established the temple in honor of his father, the late Hojo Soun. Sadly the temple was destroyed, but later rebuilt. Today, the temple welcomes visitors and the five generations of the Hojo family are buried in the graveyard.
As I walked around the temple, I saw the crest in several places, and parts of the experience also brought to memory the “Graveyard” from Ocarina of Time.
The Hometown of Zelda’s Creator
Since Shigeru Miyamoto is from Sonobe and got inspiration for Zelda when playing in the Kyoto countryside as a child, I wanted to visit his hometown. I learned from the New Yorker that Miyamoto explored the Sonobe Castle (Ruin), the Sonobe River, and more when he was a boy.
I got a chance to visit the remains of Sonobe Castle, which is famous for being the last castle built in Japan (1868) during the Meiji Restoration. Nowadays, part of the remains are on the grounds of a high school. I was also able to walk alongside the Sonobe River which isn’t too far from the castle ruins.
The Secret Nintendo Bar
Toru Hashimoto, a former Nintendo employee, created a secret bar in Tokyo called 84 Hashi for people in the gaming industry to connect. Recently, he opened up the bar to the general public, but it’s by appointment only and the location is kept top secret! This must see destination features a rich history of iconic Nintendo games, rare memorabilia, one of a kind illustrations, and more.
My favorite experience was seeing and learning about the one of a kind Zelda items, like custom illustrations by Eiji Aonuma, one of the main leaders of the Zelda series, a signed copy of Ocarina of Time by Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Zelda, and much more.
The Ocarina of Time
I couldn’t take a Zelda-inspired trip to Japan without looking for an Ocarina. Luckily enough, I walked down an unassuming alley one day and found a quaint musical instrument shop with a few Ocarinas sitting in the window.
Adult Lady Link
My time in Japan was a childhood dream come true. I never knew this when I was a kid playing Ocarina of Time with my cousin, but after reflecting on my trip, I realized that one of the reasons I became strongly attached to Zelda is because it immersed me in the present moment. This amazing article actually breaks down how Zelda’s Breath of the Wild is a masterclass in meditation and deep dives into how video games can teach you mindfulness. When I’m adventuring with Link, I’m not thinking about the past or future, I’m just in the here and now having the best time. Zelda brings me peace, joy, excitement and curiosity. It helps ease my mind and puts my thoughts to rest, as though Link is playing me Zelda’s Lullaby on his Ocarina. When I was in Japan, I had the same experience: I wasn’t thinking about my past or my future, I was simply present in my real life Lady Link adventures.
I also realized that part of the reason I’m so in love with Zelda is because it helps my adult self stay connected to my younger self. The “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is a book about unlocking your highest form of creativity, a process which involves reconnecting with your inner child. A tool the author recommends is going on a weekly artist date – this can be any solo expedition where your inner child comes out and back to life. Playing Zelda by myself has always been one of my favorite pastimes, but until now it never occurred to me that it could be an artist date as well. When I returned from my trip, I realized I just went on the most incredible artist date of my life, a Zelda inspired solo trip to Japan that fulfilled me in so many ways. My experience in Japan has even started to remind me of visiting the Temple of Time in Ocarina of Time as Adult Link and replacing the Master Sword in its pedestal, which allows you to travel back in time and play as Young Link. I’m drawing my own analogies from the game, but if this trip taught me anything, it’s to prioritize having fun, enjoying the present moment, and allowing your inner child to come out to play. And yes, I’m already planning my next artist date to Japan (and trying to figure out how to retire in the countryside).
There are still many more places in Japan that remind me of Zelda, and as
six-two points out, there are many locations around the world that are reminiscent of iconic places in the video game series. Hopefully I can add a few of them to my Lady Link itinerary.
A special thank you to David Fedman for reviewing this post. David is a historian of Japan and a professor at the University of California, Irvine.