Last Updated: Jul 11, 2024

Ashinomaki Onsen’s Okawaso

Real Life Kimetsu-no-Yaiba

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Hey there, my fellow Kimetsu-no-Yaiba fans! Did you know that a lot of spots in everyone’s favorite anime series are actually based on real-life locales in Japan? For example, the home of the Kamado family is based on a peak called Mt. Kumotori (lit. “Mt. Cloud Catcher”) in western Tokyo. In fact, you’ll find that many of the scenes in Kimetsu-no-Yaiba take inspiration from real-world locations all over the country. So, on that note, we’ll be looking at the basis for the demon lord Muzan’s Infinity Castle in the remainder of this article.

As anyone who has already seen the Kimetsu-no-Yaiba series knows, Muzan’s Infinity Castle is a complex conundrum of interconnected stairways, rooms, and sliding doors. Though I want to be careful not to spoil anything that happens in the anime, the specific location in the fortress where Muzan confronts his remaining Kagen (lit. “Lower Moons”) is directly modeled on the motif of a traditional Japanese ryokan. Found in Fukushima Prefecture’s Ashinomaki Onsen, this spot is a must-visit for all Kimetsu-no-Yaiba aficionados.

How to Get There

The trek to Ashinomaki Onsen is not exactly easy. For starters, you’ll need to take a northbound bullet train to Koriyama Station. From there, you’ll need to transfer to the Ban-Etsu West Line. In a little over an hour, this train will take you to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, the central hub for Fukushima Prefecture’s historic area of Aizu-Wakamatsu. This is a hidden gem that I really encourage you to spend some time exploring if you’re going to make the journey all the way up to this part of Japan (more on this later).

Once you’re in Aizu-Wakamatsu, you’ll be able to make your way down to Ashinomaki Onsen Station. This can be done via the Aizu Railway Aizu Line in around thirty minutes. Note that Suica and other such IC cards are not usable on this train line, so you’ll need to purchase a ticket in advance. To calculate fares and departures, refer to a service like Jorudan. This will do all the heavy lifting for you…