Akatsuka Ward (赤塚区) is the place where most characters of Osomatsu-san live. It is based off various particular wards and cities in Japan, most notably Musashino, Mitaka, and others applicable as well. Some actual cultural landmarks, or references to such, can occasionally be seen in episodes alongside all the fictional locales.
Notable Places[]
Matsuno House[]
The house has changed a lot since the Osomatsu-kun days, partly because now it's right in the middle of a modern retail strip.
The building on the viewers' left is a three-story one, showcasing a cafe on its first floor and a detective office on the second floor. The building to the right has a real estate company on its first floor, and contains some form of apartment on its upper levels (where Kinko Inuyama was shown to be staying in "The Cutie Next Door").
Dekapan's Lab[]
A laboratory shaped after Dekapan's head. It shows up whenever his services are needed.
Pachinko Dragon[]
A pachinko parlor that Osomatsu enjoys playing at. It is also seen to be visited by Todomatsu in the "Pachinko Police" skit, which marks its first appearance.
"Fish Source" Fish Store[]
The store and home of the Yowai family. Little is seen of its interiors aside from the kitchen and Totoko's bedroom, but it is said to have a restaurant somewhere in its upper floors (as noted in the PASH season 1 mook). As with the Matsuno home, this is also located in the midst of more modern buildings.
Iyami's House[]
A home that the sextuplets rip apart in episode 3, implied to be what's caused him to live under the bridge in most appearances after. However, this house does appear in season 2's "Chibita's Revenge" and in season 3's "Hatabo EATS". As with the Matsuno and Yowai homes, this house stands out amidst the retail strip it's put in the middle of.
Fish Source Mart[]
A convenience store seen in a few early season 3 skits, where the sextuplets can be seen to hang out. It has a living residence in the back, but while the name may bring possible associations of Totoko, it is not shown to be a new house for her family and the Fish Source store continues to appear.
Hybrid Oden[]
A small oden stand set up near a park. It is run by Chibita, and the sextuplets often eat here while refusing to pay their tab.
Iyami's Bridge[]
A bridge in the city that Iyami can often be seen living under in a small makeshift homeless shack. It has graffiti of "Chier!" spray-painted on a wall beneath the bridge.
Nyaa's Apartment[]
A shabby yet modern apartment building where Nyaa Hashimoto lives when not out on her job.
Actual Tokyo-based locations referenced[]
While some of these are said or assumed to be places traveled to and the actual corresponding spots, others are directly in Akatsuka itself, providing an idea of its inspiration.
Mitaka City, Tokyo[]
- Inokashira Park: Appears in episodes 2 and 9 of season 1, with the Nanai Bridge being instrumental to Osomatsu discovering Karamatsu, as well as Jyushimatsu's date. It is also pivotal in the movie and appears in season 3.
A playground near Inokashira is also seen in episode 9, when Jyushimatsu swings about.
Studio Pierrot's headquarters happens to be located in this city, and a shout-out to the building is briefly seen in the detective skit in "Jyushimatsu Festival".
Musashino City, Tokyo[]
- Bentenyu: Sourced for the Akatsuka Bathhouse. The sextuplets frequently visit this place every night to get clean. It is also seen to be the location of the "Bathhouse Quiz" in episode 3.
- Kichijoji Plaza: Seen in episode 10 during Choromatsu's rental girlfriend date.
- Kichijoji Station: The train station that the sextuplets and Totoko see Kinko off at in episode 16C of season 2. This is also the way to access Inokashira Park from, through Murasaki Street.
- Hotel NEW YORK: Jyushimatsu and Chibita fight here on the rooftop in "Chibita's Revenge".
- Kichijoji Diamond Street: Main source for the entertainment district where Todomatsu hangs out in 2B, with possible elements of the Sunroad shopping center as well.
- Kichijoji Dai-Ichi Hotel: Sourced for the Akatsuka Hotel in Osomatsu-san: The Movie.
- Hachimangu West Police Box: The police station where 18-year old Todomatsu is seen upset and lost in the film.
Choromatsu is seen to be looking at a work magazine from this specific city in episode 4, marking a time the real-life location is mentioned.
The Kichijoji JR line was first sourced for the aerial shot of the train station district seen at the opening of the "Shiritori" short film on BD1. The "Hotel NEW YORK", a fixture of the area with the Statue of Liberty on top of it (though this was removed in recent years), can also clearly be seen among the architecture. However, the rooftop Ferris wheel seen on another building is indicative of a rooftop amusement part seen at the Kamata JR line district. It can thus be seen to be a fusion of the two, and re-appeared through season 2.
This has given the wide impression that the residential area that the Matsunos live in is also the Kichijoji district itself, or sourced from such, which the art director Seiki Tamura would pay nod to in a MdN magazine interview about the series. The movie also furthers the idea that Akatsuka Ward is equivalent to Kichijoji, with more locales from the area being referenced and utilized.
Hachioji City, Tokyo[]
- Mt. Takao Cable Car Station: Seen in Todoko's introduction in the first "Girlymatsu" skit. Mt. Takao itself is later visited by the sextuplets in season 3.
Fuchu City, Tokyo[]
- Tokyo Racecourse: Seen in episode 6B, the JRA special, and the movie. This is where Osomatsu goes to bet on horses.
Chuo Ward, Tokyo[]
- Tsukiji Fish Market: Used as the basis of the market where Totoko gets mistaken for actual fish.
The Chuo JR line is the one often most shown in the series as well, with its train being seen going by the Ichigaya Fishing Center as well as the one that Sanematsu boards in "Sanematsu-san".
Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo[]
- Iyami and Dekapan, in lady roles, are shown to be at the Tokyo Station here in BANANA. A parody of the Nippon Budokan, "Akatsuka Hall", can also be seen.
Koto Ward, Tokyo[]
- Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight): Choromatsu attends Comiket here in a "Jyushimatsu Festival" skit. Dayon and Hatabou, in lady roles, are also shown around this Tokyo Big Sight location in BANANA.
Taito Ward, Tokyo[]
- HELLO WORK: A work agency in Ueno that the sextuplets visit in hopes to get jobs in episode 2.
- Ueno Station Tohoku Shinkansen Line: The train station seen in episode 9, where Jyushimatsu's girlfriend departs.
- Ueno Nekomaru Cat Cafe: Used as the basis for the cat cafe Ichimatsu visits in episode 16.
- Asakusa District: Karami is seen here in BANANA, with the Kaminarimon gate visible.
- Akihabara District: Chibimi is witnessed hanging around in front of the Akiba 46 theater (a parody of the AKB48 Theater).
A Ueno drinking district is also seen in episode 2, when the sextuplets get drunk at a tavern there.
Shibuya Ward, Tokyo[]
- Starbucks Coffee, Omotesandou B-SIDE: Referenced for the Sutabaa seen in episode 7.
- BUNKAMURA Les Deux Magots Paris: A French restaurant referenced in episode 9 for Jyushimatsu's date.
- Yoyogi Animation School: The sextuplets attempt to visit this place at the end of episode 20 in hopes of becoming seiyuu.
- JR Shibuya Station: Seen in BANANA, where Osomi and Jyushimi are shown to be hanging out.
- Shibuya Crossing: Seen in Robomatsu-san short film.
- Harajuku District: Totoko is shown to be shopping here in the BANANA scenario, particularly on the Takeshita Shopping Street. A "Matsunoya" parody of the "Yoshinoya" beef bowl store can be seen in the vicinity.
Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo[]
- Ichigaya Fishing Center: The fishing hole where the sextuplets like to hang out.
- STUDIO AATA: A parody of "Studio ALTA". Choromi is shown here in BANANA.
Places outside of Tokyo that are referenced[]
Yokohama[]
Todomatsu is seen at a station in the Yokohama Line with his smart phone in "Todomatsu's Line". However, if he as at a station in Tokyo itself, it may be the one in Hachioji as the frequently-seen Chuo Line is also located there.
Fujidera, Osaka[]
- Fujidera Stadium (defunct): Jyushimatsu Pan takes Totoko here in the "Jyushimatsu Pan" skit. The stadium is no more, having closed in 2005, and now has a school in its place.
Brand Name Parodies seen in Akatsuka Ward[]
- 101: Parodying the 109 mall (Christmas Osomatsu-san)
- 106: Another parody (BANANA)
- Akiba 46 Theater: AKB48 Theater (BANANA)
- Amedas: Adidas (Todomatsu's Line)
- Aroi: Arai motorcycles (seen as a brand logo on Chibita's oden cart)
- Bäagen-Dazs: A luxury ice cream that Dobusu likes, parodying Häagen-Dazs. (Mentioned in The Life of Chibita's Flower) (Seen in Pokoball)
- Cannon: Canon (Another of Chibita's oden cart brand logos)
- DODO'S: COCO'S Restaurant (Iyami's Great Discovery)
- Dodon Pas: Salon Pas (BANANA)
- GTT Docomo: NTT Docomo (Iyami's Great Discovery)
- Hujistu: Fujitsu (Iyami's Counterattack)
- Instagramatsu: Instagram (Totoko-chan and Nyaa-chan)
- Ivex: Avex (BANANA)
- Kirim: Kirin Beer (Chibita's oden cart brand logos)
- Matsuitter: Twitter parody (Totoko-chan and Nyaa-chan)
- PACO: PARCO (Christmas Osomatsu-san)
- PIRCO: PARCO (Iyami's Counterattack)
- RIZOP: RIZAP gym (Iyami's Great Discovery)
- Saku Drug: Parody of Tobu Drug (Iyami's Great Discovery)
- Sutabaa/Stabburr: Derived from a shorthand nickname for "Starbucks", though spelled differently in katakana. It is seen in episodes 7 and 19 of season 1, and again in episode 12 of season 2, whilst another version is briefly seen in episode 21 of season 2. It also appears in the Robomatsu-san short film in English lettering.
- T&M: Parody of H&M fashion retailer (BANANA)
- UNO: Uniqlo (BANANA)
- Vectria Golf: Victoria Golf (Iyami's Great Discovery)
- Zudaya: Tsutaya video store (Jyushimatsu Falls in Love)
Trivia[]
- While there is an real-life place called Akatsuka Ward in Itabashi, the area is more suburban, filled with tradition and parks. This is in contrast to the Akatsuka seen in here where it's urban, close enough to modern Japanese neighborhoods and takes various elements of many Wards in Japan (mostly from the Musashino and Kichijoji areas).