J-Drama Pilgrimage | 下町ロケット Shitamachi Rocket (2015) — JAXA筑波宇宙センター / Kohei Leaves JAXS in the Rain

Drama: TBS 日曜劇場『下町ロケット』 / Shitamachi Rocket (2015), limited to the 2015 TBS series. Episode 1, broadcast 18 October 2015, establishes Kohei Tsukuda’s earlier life as a rocket engineer before he takes over the family factory. The Nationwide Filming Location Guide identifies JAXA筑波宇宙センター / JAXA Tsukuba Space Center as the real location used for the fictional JAXS, including the Episode-1 sequence in which Kohei leaves JAXS in the rain. The guide also records Tsukuba Space Center again later in the series, tying the real Japanese space-development campus to the dream that continues to motivate Kohei after he returns to manufacturing. For a present-day pilgrimage, this is one of the most visitor-friendly locations in the drama. JAXA still operates the Tsukuba Space Center at 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, and its current visitor program includes the Space Dome exhibition plus reservation-based guided tours. Opening days and tour availability can change for operational reasons, so pilgrims should check JAXA’s current visitor information before traveling and enter through the designated visitor gate. Location scope: the stored pin is a center-level visitor anchor for the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center. It is not presented as Kohei’s exact standing point, a surviving rain-scene camera mark, or permission to enter operational/restricted buildings. Photo: Tnk3a, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.