Tomonoura, Ponyo's hometown, formerly known as Tomonotsu, is a port in Ichichi ward of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula, and it has been a prosperous port and bay area since ancient times. Its unique circular harbor shape has been preserved even with modern-day port facilities. Miyazaki, the film's director, rented a house in Tomonoura at which he stayed for two months in 2005.