Chiikawa's Island Arc and its Origins Explained & Pilgrimage Sites to Visit
Chiikawa's first film arrives summer 2026. Its Island Arc echoes Japan's Yaobikuni legend, with parallels and fan pilgrimage spots across Aichi and Fukui.
Manga · Anime
Chiikawa
ちいかわ
Created by Nagano ·Since 2020
Synopsis
"Something small and cute", known as Chiikawa, and friends live out days that are fun, bittersweet, and a little bit hard. They just want to be loved and treated kindly, but the world around them is full of strange, unknowable beings. Still, eating good food with best friends Hachiware and Usagi, and working for rewards to get the things they want, Chiikawa lives every day to the fullest, surrounded by smiles.
Anime Pilgrimages
and Real Life Locations
Places tied to Chiikawa that you can actually visit: the settings behind the story, official shops, cafés and events.
Stories about Chiikawa
Deep dives, explainers, and travel guides about Chiikawa.
Main Characters
- Protagonist
Chiikawa
ちいかわ
Birthday: May 1
A small, timid creature who mostly speaks in sounds like "Wa" and "Ya". Easily moved to tears at first, but grows braver through experience and finally passes the grass-weeding certification on the third try.
- Best friend
Hachiware
ハチワレ
Birthday: May 1
Chiikawa's sociable best friend and the only main character who speaks in full sentences. Lives in a cave and often carries the comedy through cheerful misunderstandings.
- Friend
Usagi
うさぎ
The wild, carefree third member of the trio, communicating in shouts like "Ura" and "Haa?". Fights with a yellow explosive-tipped weapon and holds a grade-2 grass-weeding certification.
- Supporting character
Kurimanju
くりまんじゅう
A gruff, middle-aged type who loves a drink. His small, cute look clashes with his behaviour. Holds the alcohol licence and is usually seen drinking with snacks.
- Supporting character
Shisa
シーサー
A trainee at the ramen shop "Rou", modelled on the shisa guardian lion. Holds the Super Arbiter certification and hopes to earn an alcohol licence. Sometimes slips into Okinawan dialect.
Spots to visit
Places from Chiikawa you can actually visit, and official shops.
Official site
Sources
- Synopsis: 講談社 / Kodansha
- Main Characters: Wikipedia (JA) (CC BY-SA)
- Bibliographic data: メディア芸術データベース (CC BY 4.0), 作品ID C447523
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