CLICK ME LARGERCopyright Hitsuji's Dad. Ask in writing for permission.About 3.5 blocks from where Takeuchi-sensei went to college there is a shrine called Shiba Daijingu. This is here she worked for a number of years while in college and got hit on. This experience led her to write a miko called Rei Hino later on.
While in Japan I visited this shrine and found her college. If you find her college, you go to the AM and P there and they will tell you where the shrine is. Which is pretty much straight from the AM&P in the direction it faces, then on the right side, go one block, turn right go two blocks and you are there. You'll end up at the side of the shrine. If you climb the long steps up, you'll find a small shrine dedicated to the Sun Goddess Ameratsu. _The_ Goddess of Japanese Shintoism. If you look around the corner and in various places, some of the objects may look familiar... And that's because they are. The opening gate to the shrine and many of the features, such as the huge white torii are in the Hikawa Shrine in the manga. In fact, the placement of many of the objects in the manga is similar and in places that it is not in the Hikawa shrines. Showing that this shrine was an influence.
I also took it upon myself to look for her phone number while in Tokyo Tower and in Minato-ku, but the hpoine books are thin since everyone in Japan has a cellphone... so I couldn't find her number... and believe me I looked under Princess Naoko, Takeuchi Naoko, and PNP... I loked for her through all of the names I knew. Nothing.
Photo credit goes to my Dad. ^^;; My camera went out the day before I could take this picture. I requested he take a photo with a 30% overlap so I could remake it in photoshop... indeed, if you take it and print it out it will be a 360 degree view of Shiba Daijingu. He also took pictures of her university at my request. Thanks! Therefore it's not my intelletual property. Please do not take this photo without written permission.
