anime
K-On!
The school building is real, it is free, and the music room is set up as it is drawn.
The model for the school in K-On! is the **former Toyosato Elementary School** in rural Shiga — a 1937 building by William Merrell Vories, saved from demolition by local opposition and now open to the public. It is **free**, you can walk into the classrooms and up the famous staircase, and the second floor of the adjoining building holds a permanent K-On! corner with panels and items left by fans over more than fifteen years. Very few pilgrimage sites let you walk freely through the actual interior. This one does, and it is a genuinely good piece of architecture besides.
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Where in Japan?
Pick a city and we show you what is there for K-On! — the places, and what is on while you visit.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Common questions
Can I go inside the school building?
Yes. The former Toyosato Elementary School is open to the public and free, and you can walk the classrooms and the famous staircase.
Is there a K-On! exhibit there?
Yes, a permanent corner on the second floor of the adjoining Shutoku Memorial Hall, with life-size panels and items donated by fans over more than fifteen years.
How do I get to Toyosato?
The Ohmi Railway from Hikone, about ten minutes on foot from Toyosato station. Trains are infrequent, so check the timetable in both directions. Closed Mondays.