In Studio Ghibli’s Ocean Waves, Taku Morisaki attends high school in Kōchi.
The film is set largely in Kōchi on Shikoku, where Taku lives and studies. Much of the story concerns his friendship with Yutaka Matsuno and his changing relationship with Rikako Muto, a new student who transfers from Tokyo. Their memories are presented through Taku’s later reflection on the events of their school years.
Ocean Waves was produced for Studio Ghibli’s younger staff and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki. Unlike many Ghibli films, it is a realistic coming-of-age drama without fantasy creatures, magic, or an invented world. Its locations, school life, and interpersonal tensions are grounded in contemporary Japan.
Kōchi is sometimes overlooked because Tokyo is important to Rikako’s backstory and because the film begins with Taku as an adult traveling by train. The main high-school setting, however, is Kōchi, and the city’s coastal atmosphere is central to the film’s identity.