Stalking Haruhi Suzumiya

Even more here: http://www.cuso4.org/photos/kix20060928/20060928-kix-haruhi.htm

Conclusion
Clearly, Japan was modeled after Heaven. This place is Nishinomiya, in the Hyōgo prefecture.

Okay, I'm gonna make this clear. The settings used in The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are pictures. Pictures are used A LOT instead of drawing backgrounds in A LOT of manga. This usually occurs when the creator of the manga has no assistants to work on the background.