Araiguma Rascal – AniMaps

Life in Brailsford Junction, Wisconsin, is simple and quiet for Sterling North, who spends most of his free time caring for animals. One weekend, Sterling, his friend Oscar head off on a fishing trip. On their way to the river, his dog catches a scent at the base of a tree. Unearthing a raccoon’s nest, the two boys find an orphaned young. Sterling’s bonds with life and the world around him are kept together and strengthened by life with his new friend, the “ring-tailed wonder” and scoundrel, whom he names Rascal. [Adapted from MAL]

The Rascal story is based on children’s author Sterling North’s childhood in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Sterling did indeed have a pet racoon. As of recent, his childhood home was restored and is now operated as a historic site by the Sterling North Society.

The city of Edgerton has developed a mutual relationship with Nippon Animation over the years, and there are signs. Visitors to the Edgerton house and nearby library will notice Rascal memorabilia gifted by fans from Japan.

Other notable locations include the Indanford Dam, the United Methodist Church, whose steeple was restored, and Fassett Cemetery, which appears in the adaptation and is the final resting site of Sterling’s father, David Willard North.

Making My ‘Pilgrimage’

I learned about Araiguma Rascal while researching Sougen no Shoujo Laura. It was spectacularly surprising to me that an out-of-the-way place like Wisconsin features in anime not only once, but twice. I was especially excited when I learned that John Foust, an author from Edgerton, was working on a book about Sterling North, the local connection to the Araiguma Rascal anime, and the city’s relationship to Nippon Animation. I really wanted to make a visit, and got the opportunity in the spring of 2026. Sadly I could not stop by while the home was open to visitors, but I still took plenty of photos outside and in the nearby public library.

The church has clearly seen a bit of expansion and renovation since the time of North’s childhood, but solely from the roof line, it is incredibly easy to work out its original footprint.

The library was donated an official illustration by Nippon Animation in 2006, marking 100 years from the author’s birth, and 3 years after the 150th anniversary of the city. There is a collection of related goods and pieces related to Rascal and the city’s history as a tobacco town on the second floor.

The library was a rather peculiar building. An addition to the side of the original library seems to have more than doubled its original size. Navigating is a bit of a maze, requiring one to go down a set of stairs and up another to get to the second floor, from the old part into the new, then back into the old. I got some great pointers from a librarian, first to the donated artwork, signed by an illustrator named Tan Xiaoyong, and later to a display case on the second floor. Tan Xiaoyong retired from Nippon Animation in 2013 and has a freelance portfolio site I was able to hunt down from his Linkedin profile.

A dedicated local history section gave me access to some newspaper clippings and historic documents that highlight the history of the city and its most important characters, including the North family.

One display case was devoted to Sterling North memorabilia and ephemera, both domestic and imported.

While visiting, it was only natural for me to make note of the above-average amount of manga and anime made available to local patrons, considering the town’s size. No Araiguma Rascal DVDs, as far as I could tell.

Tama, Tokyo Manhole Covers

A set of permanent manhole covers themed around Rascal were installed near Seiseki-Sakuragaoka Station in Tama, Tokyo, Japan in 2020. The main office for Nippon Animation is in the Tama area. It is situated fairly close to the city hall and the bendy Iroha-zaka route depicted in Whisper of the Heart. I could confirm their presence in Google Maps streetview coverage.