Visby, Sweden ¨C In the summer of 1971, a young Japanese animator named Hayao Miyazaki embarked on his first trip abroad ¡ª a journey that would leave an indelible mark on the world of animation. His destination was Sweden: a land of pastoral beauty, medieval cobblestone streets lined with postcard-perfect houses and a rich heritage of storytelling and cinema.

While Miyazaki¡¯s goal was an in-person meeting with the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren to get approval for a Japanese animated adaptation of ¡±Pippi Longstocking,¡± Lindgren never followed through with the meeting. Disheartened but ever the keen observer, Miyazaki turned his gaze to the architectural beauty of Stockholm. But even more so, he was captivated by the medieval town of Visby on Sweden¡¯s largest island, Gotland.

To reach Sweden from Japan in 1971 was no trivial endeavor, but even the ferry ride from the Swedish mainland to Gotland was arduous. Miyazaki spent only a few hours exploring Visby before needing to head back. Yet, in that brief span, he was profoundly moved by the town¡¯s pebbled alleys, ancient walls and the harmonious blend of history and everyday life.

These impressions would later crystallize into the vibrant setting of the city of Koriko in Studio Ghibli¡¯s 1989 classic about a young entrepreneurial witch, ¡°Kiki¡¯s Delivery Service.¡± The cityscape of Koriko is a tapestry woven from various European influences, but the threads of Visby, as well as Stockholm, are most prominent.

Born in Visby, I returned to the island this past summer with my mother, also from Gotland, and my Japanese fiancee to retrace the footsteps of Miyazaki and explore the deep connection between my birthplace and the animated world of Kiki. Equipped with a list of nearly 20 Visby locations that inspired the film, we wandered its maze-like streets, uncovering the real-life counterparts of Miyazaki¡¯s imagined backdrops. For my fiancee, a lifelong fan, it was a poignant pilgrimage ¡ª she even posed as Kiki for photos, her childhood memories of Fukuoka merging with Visby¡¯s ivy-covered facades. And having met Miyazaki myself in Tokyo in 2013, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a resonance between our island-to-island journeys: his path from Japan to Gotland, mine from Gotland to Japan, both shaped by these landscapes.

Visby¡¯s allure lies not just in its physical beauty but in its ability to transcend time, captivating artists and storytellers across generations. The town¡¯s cultural and aesthetic value on the global stage is evidenced by the impact it had on Miyazaki after such a brief visit.

And the connection between Visby and ¡°Kiki¡¯s Delivery Service¡± has not gone unnoticed. In recent years, there has been a noticeable influx of Japanese tourists and Miyazaki enthusiasts from around the world, all eager to...