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[Chitose Station / Night Walk] (Chitose, Hokkaido) New Chitose Airport Town, Nightlife, and a Famous Closed First Love Filming Location
Visited: July 1, 2025 (Tuesday)
This was the start of a loop around Hokkaido. I crossed by ferry — eighteen hours — and landed at Tomakomai. The first filming stop was Hakodate, at the southern tip of the island.
From Tomakomai I moved on to Chitose, practically a neighboring town. The name is familiar because of New Chitose Airport, but not many people seem to get off at Chitose Station.
Chitose is also known as a filming location for Netflix's First Love (初恋). Teenage Yae Nogi eats Napolitan spaghetti at Seiyoken (西洋軒), a local western-style restaurant, in several scenes. Spoilers ahead — Harumichi Naramiki (played by Sato Takeru) also appears in a scene walking through town while on the phone with Yae, likely filmed here as well. I could not pin down the exact spot, but it was a moving scene, and I kept noticing the streets in the background.
Unfortunately, the real Seiyoken had already closed by then, and Napolitan was apparently never on the menu.
I had assumed "closed" meant the building was gone. On the ground, the sign and structure were still there — and I filmed that.
Around the Station
Heading toward Chiyoda-cho, a corner glows with green neon: RESTAURANT SEIYOKEN. Seiyoken opened in 1951. After closing, the sign and building remain — shutters down, neon still lit at night.
Further along, metal letters spell SEIYOKEN above round trimmed shrubs. Only the streetlamp light is on, quietly illuminating the storefront.
Blue decorative lights hang across a narrow road. Closed shutters line the lane under streetlamps.
Around the corner, purple neon frames a doorway. Hostess photo panels and a notice about street touts — typical of Shimizu-cho's nightlife quarter.
Down an alley, red lanterns mark ramen shops. A kei van's headlights cut across the lane.
A yellow arch spans the road: Welcome ギオン通り (Gion-dori). Budoya (葡萄屋) hangs a purple noren out front — the heart of the entertainment strip.
Under a Shimizu-cho 3 sign, Lawson casts blue-white light across the zebra crossing.
Back at the station, Chitose Station Plaza rises beyond a pedestrian bridge — orange streetlights, CAN★Do, Hokkaido Bank.
More First Love Filming Locations
- Kitami / First Love filming location (Kitami Station)
- Toma Station / First Love school commute scene
The posts above are not thorough location guides, but they may help you feel the town beyond what the drama shows on screen.
Video: Night Walk Around Chitose Station
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