Real Life Scene from Encouragement of Climb: Mt Takao Dango Stall

For fans of the anime Encouragement of Climb, one of the most memorable locations featured in season 1 is Tokyo's beloved Mt Takao. While many anime fans visit for the scenic trails and panoramic views, eagle-eyed viewers may also recognize a much tastier pilgrimage spot.

During the Mt Takao episode, the characters stop for freshly grilled dango, a traditional Japanese sweet made from rice flour dumplings. In Season 1 Episode 8 at 1 minute and 33 seconds, the dango are shown slowly roasting over a charcoal fire on a circular straw rack. Visitors to Mt Takao can still find remarkably similar dango stalls along the mountain approach and near the cable car area, like the one pictured above, making it easy to recreate the scene for yourself.

I was delighted to discover that I had unknowingly photographed this exact style of dango stand during one of my own visits to Mt Takao. Seeing a real-life location or detail appear so faithfully in an anime is one of the joys of anime pilgrimage travel in Japan.

Have you spotted this dango stand while visiting Mt Takao?