[Toma Station / First Love Filming Location] (Toma, Hokkaido) The Shopping Street Where Young Yae Walks to School

One drama that always comes to mind when I visit Hokkaido is Netflix's First Love (初恋).
There are plenty of well-known filming locations, but the one that stayed with me was the Showa-era shopping street in the opening scene — where teenage Yae Nogi walks to school.
The story is set in Kitami, and while Kitami's arcade shopping street is referenced later, the street in that opening scene felt different. After looking into the signage and surroundings, I tracked it down.

Shops Closed, Barely a Soul Around

It turned out the location was near Toma Station, a short distance from Asahikawa — so I stopped by on my way through Hokkaido.
It's only about two minutes of screen time at the very start of the series, but I'm pretty confident this is the spot.
It's not the most dramatic scene, but it's a charming little moment that gives you a glimpse of what Yae dreams of becoming.
If you're into tracking down filming locations, it's worth a detour.