Free! Anime Real-life Location : Taijiri Jinja & Taijiri Park Observatory

Getting There: Taijiri Jinja 
We did not wait for the next bus to arrive as the interval for the next bus is quite long ( You have to wait for at least 1 hour before the next bus to arrive).  From google map ( having done previous research), it did say it was just a 2km walk ( but of course it did not mention that there will be an uphill climb)  So we walked along the road and saw some Free! posters along the way. They were Free! images so we thought that it was the correct way to reach the place.. I guess, it wasn't . ..In any case do not attempt to take that road/shortcut as it's a bit dangerous. There was even sign that says do not cross when it's raining .. haha..  ) So the best way, i think, is to follow the road ahead ( and if you reach a dead end just go where the observatory park is visible. ) At this part of the terrain , Taijiri Observatory Park is quite visible.  

 We finally reached the point of  Taijiri bus stop. We were still puzzled as to where Taijiri shrine is. There was no map to the place thus we were lost. The way to taijiri observatory park is quite visible from our end but the fact that there was a cone along the stairs prevented us to proceed. 

 At last, we finally found the way to taijiri shrine. It is tucked away inside one of the houses. From the bus stop, it is probably the first alleyway that you will see.  
This is what you will see from the bus stop . There is an alleyway where the black van is parked. Entrance to go to Taijiri shrine is at that point. 
The view from the alleyway
From the alley, slightly on the left, there is a stairway to go to the shrine. Shrine will usually be located uphill, so we were expecting a climb to the shrine. We immediately spotted the chouzuya ( place where you cleanse before entering a shrine ). Since we would be paying respect to the shrine god, we had to make use of the chouzuya. 

The chozuya for taijiri shrine is where Haru's house is located (so just imagine that his house is there.. haha ) 
Taijiri Shrine 
Finally we reached the shrine. The shrine is quite small and is unmanned, thus there is no o-mamori charm that can be bought in that shrine. 

 After paying respect to the shrine god, we headed to Taijiri Park Observatory. 
Getting There : Taijiri Park Observatory

From Taijiri Jinja, the park observatory is just under 2 minutes walk. The observatory is visible from the jinja, so we just walked towards the direction of the observatory. The view on the observatory is quite a regal. You get to see a picturesque view of Japan Sea.

We took a rest here while slowly admire the majestic view of Japan sea. 
After spending some time at the observatory, it was time to head back. We had some fun time doing seichi junrei in Iwami. Albeit it was tiring, but at the end of it, we were rewarded by scenes and picturesque view we would only be dreaming of seeing. 

Notes: 
  • You should not go to Iwami on a Monday ( their tourism board is closed on Monday and so are some of the stalls, thus buying limited Free! items from Iwami is next to impossible. ) 
  • The bus timing is 1 hour apart. So take your time in sight see ( just be wary of the last bus timing ) 
  • We were able to roam around the area in about 3 hours with 1 hour just to find Taijiri shrine( we thought that the bridge from observation deck was closed thus we had to find other entrance to the shrine ). Allow 2 hours just to roam around. The walk is not that far as there is quite a lot of sights to see. 
  • There is no wifi signal in Taijiri, so locating some places might be difficult. Better to rely on research. 
  • There are no convenience stores in Taijiri shrine. Best to get some meal is at Uradome (if the shops are open. We went there on a Monday. nothing is open! ) or that supermarket on the way to Uradome coast. 
  • The best way to go to taijiri shrine is to go to Taijiri park observatory first.
Special thanks: 
Iwami tourism board website : The website was quite helpful in providing locations for the series.

People of Iwami : well a handful of them who went out of there way to help us finding Free! Location.At the same time they beck for us when they knew we would be missing the bus. good people!

That livedoor blog where he had diligently put up the pictures taken from the anime and pin the locations in Google Map. 
Next case: A J-world Adventure 

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