by A lodge in Nakafurano-Cho, Hokkaido complains about being exhausted from dealing with fans who have mistakenly thought that it was the setting for the popular anime “Love Live!”
The anime production side explained on the official website that “the exterior has not been reproduced” and asked fans not to enter the premises. We spoke to the lodge owner to find out more about the current situation.
Production side “We apologize for causing concern and inconvenience.”
In “Love Live! Superstar!!”, which was broadcast on NHK E-tele on the night of August 21, 2022, the home of one of the heroines in Hokkaido appears. The story is about a pension run by a school idol group.
After the broadcast, information spread on Twitter, etc., suggesting that this house with a triangular roof was modeled after an actual lodging facility in Hokkaido.
That is the “Northern Star Lodge” in Nakafurano Town. The building with a triangular roof resembles this lodge, and it is close to the observatory where the heroines walk.
“However, on the 23rd, Love Live! Superstar!!’s official website issued a notice titled “Apology and request regarding the stage area of this work”, calling for self-restraint against such actions.
There, it was confirmed that there were many acts of visiting and inquiring about the Northern Star Lodge after the broadcast, and it was cautioned that “the appearance of the Northern Star Lodge is not reproduced in this work.” He also appealed to the fans, “Please refrain from visiting the facility directly and entering private property or taking pictures, as it may cause trouble.”
Even if you stay at the lodge, we asked that you respect the wishes of the facility, saying that the facility does not require excessive photography or posting on SNS. Finally, I would like to express my sincere apologies for the concern and inconvenience caused to Northern Star Lodge, local residents, and other related parties, as well as everyone who supports “Love Live! Superstar!!”. I am very sorry,” he apologized.
The production company approached me about making it into a stage play, but as a result of the discussion, it was released.
One of the fans who mistakenly posted on Twitter that the anime was set in Northern Star Lodge took steps to delete the post in response to the situation. In addition, when I went to the site, I temporarily posted a photo of the document, saying that the owner of the lodge handed me the document.
The document contained an explanation from the owner under the title “To the Liver”.
According to it, the anime production company asked for a stage play in 2021, and as a result of the discussion, it was decided that this was not possible. It is said that the person in charge said that they would not refer to the appearance of the lodge, saying, “The building that appears in the anime is not our lodge.”
The lodge provides a quiet environment for guests, and appealed to stop sudden visits to take pictures as a “pilgrimage to sacred places.” Even at the lodge, I had no choice but to respond without rest, saying, “I’m exhausted.”
On the lodge’s official website, it was reported that after the anime aired, the number of requests for single-person lodgings increased and that there was a problem with management. Because it is a small lodge with only four rooms, he has no choice but to refuse to stay alone. And as a notice to those who have seen the anime, they are calling on them to check the comments on the official website from the anime production side before making a reservation.
In an interview with J-CAST News on August 24, the owner of Northern Star Lodge confirmed that the document posted on Twitter was distributed at the lodge and explained as follows. “Some parts are still similar, but it was resolved amicably, so there are no plans to protest.”
“Information that it was an anime stage was circulated, and it was difficult for various people to come and go, so I prepared this document. And the first person to hand the document was the person who tweeted. This person is, I was photographed without knowing that it was not on stage, so I called out and gave it to explain the situation.
Regarding the fact that many people pointed out that the building in the anime resembles the lodge, he said:
“When I saw the video for the first time, some parts were similar, including the swings. It’s difficult to say whether it was broken or not. I received an apology and it was resolved amicably, so I have no plans to protest.”
He revealed his thoughts to anime fans as follows.
“I understand the feelings of people who love anime, so I don’t hate them. When a lot of people come to a small inn, it’s a security and privacy problem for the guests, so I have to say something about filming.
