Sightseeing Spots

In 1187, the Yoshikawa clan reestablished this shrine as the Ujigami Suwa Shrine for indigenous deities. The shrines within the precincts include Yasaka Shrine, Furumine Shrine, Inari Shrine, Matsuo Shrine, Yoshikawa Tenmangu Shrine, Suijingu Eight Great Dragons, and Shikato Daimyojin. The old Shimotsuma Highway runs behind the shrine, and a Japanese bay tree in front of the precincts and a large camphor tree in the rear tell the shrine's long history. Every July, the shrine holds the Yasaka Festival, which has a history of about 400 years. The highlight is the "abare mikoshi," portable shrines that are carried and thrown high above the heads of the bearers for a spectacular sight.

At the Haniwa building located inside the Saitama Kofun Group, anyone can experience making their own Haniwa with the help of an instructor. Creating a Haniwa takes 3 steps: molding for 90 to 120 minutes, drying for about a month, and finally heating the Haniwa in the kiln located inside the building for around 7 hours at 800℃. Once the Haniwa is completed, it can either be retrieved in person or be delivered and paid for on arrival.

These twelve cities and towns and thirteen places of scenic beauty related to Matsuo Bashō’s “Oku no Hosomichi” have been recognized as influencing the scenery and lives of future generations, while preserving the elegance and atmosphere of ancient times. Collectively, these areas have been appointed as one of the top scenic spots in the country.

In 2008, cherry trees, which were sprouted from the seeds of the Jindai cherry tree in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, traveled to space with astronaut Koichi Wakata, and were subsequently planted in Seki Park on April 6th, 2019 through the Kibou (Hope) Cherry Blossom Project, a project aiming to plant cherry trees in municipalities affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The decision to plant the trees in Yoshikawa City was based on the children's communication with astronaut Kanai Yoshishige in space, the dispatching of staff to Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture, which was evacuated after the 2011 earthquake, and the desire to pass on an explanation of the damage caused by Typhoon Kathleen from 70 years ago to future generations. The Sakura Festival is also held at Seki Park every March.

Located only a 5-minute walk from Yoshikawaminami Station on the JR Musashino Line, this is the largest park in Yoshikawa City. From Miharashi Hill, you can see the adjacent pond and multipurpose plaza. There is also a playground with a variety of equipment which can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Enjoy natural hot spring open-air baths and Ganban yoku (hot stone baths) made from black silica, just a few of the ten unique baths prepared to wash your fatigue away. Enjoy a relaxing meal or foot bath surrounded by a traditional townscape that will make you feel like you have traveled back in time. In addition, there are many refreshment rooms for massage and body scrub treatments, allowing for maximum leisure! Enjoy “healing and moisture” to your heart’s content.

Atarashii Mura, or The New Village, is an agriculture-themed tourist facility. There is a market in the facility called "Mori no Ichiba Yui" that sells fresh vegetables produced by the local farmers of Atarashii Mura. There is also a cafe called "Mori no Cafe," where visitors can enjoy a drink or light meal. Lastly, at the facility, "Noh no Ie," they host hands-on experiences and lectures on agriculture and food, offer facility rentals, and have an herb garden of more than 100 different species where hands-on harvesting experiences for lavender and mint are available. They also grown their own rice, a popular product.

This single-floor wooden house, built using the 'Sukiya' architectural style, has been praised and written about by the Japanese literature researcher Donald Keene. The facility now serves as a place to introduce the Sōka area's culture of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and classical instruments such as koto and shamisen. Furthermore, the facility is also open as a resting area where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea for a small fee.

The Center for Environmental Science in Saitama is a core institution of environmental sciences which combines an environmental education center and the national institute for environmental studies in one facility. We offer various exhibitions and events through which local residents can study about the environment. Renovations were completed in 2020, and a new exhibition hall, “Sai Kankan,” has been added. Please come and see the changes for yourself in this eye-catching renewal! The giant theater in Sai Kankan Dome has an enormous screen that fills your entire field of vision. There are two shows: “A Chapter on the Earth’s Environment,” which takes on global environmental issues, and “A Chapter on the Biological Environment,” which views environmental issues through the lens of a dragonfly. There are 42 seats available.

A roadside station with a full view of Watarase-yusuichi (a vast wetland and vibrant wildlife habitat). There is a facility selling products such as Koshihikari brand rice, grown on the fertile land of Kitakawabe area, and fresh local vegetables such as the Momotarō tomato. The richly flavored handmade soba available at the farm restaurant is also very popular, with many repeat customers. This new attraction is very unique to Japan as it straddles three prefectures, resulting in the roadside station being responsible for its overall promotion.

At this facility visitors can get a farming experience not obtainable in the city, such as rice growing and vegetable harvesting. Become the owner of your own rice field and plant and reap your own rice, or experience harvesting greenhouse strawberries. In the attached Kitagawabe History Museum, there are agricultural tools on display created from the wisdom and ingenuity of predecessors.

This is the birthplace of “Kan’ichi Shimofusa,” a musician and producer of many famous nursery rhymes. It is said that the atmosphere of the old town of Ōtone was his inspiration when composing songs such as “Tanabatasama,” “Nogiku” and “Hanabi.” “Ōtone Koshihikari” rice, harvested with plentiful water and one of the leading varieties “delicious Koshihikari” rice from Saitama, is sold here as “Dōyō no Furusato Ōtone" (hometown of nursery rhymes, Ōtone).

This brewery was established in 1805 when Omi merchant, Shoemon Yokota, traveled from Edo to Gyoda City in search of good water. The area closest to Tone River and Arakawa River was found to have plentiful groundwater and this brewery continues to produce exquisite sake made from it. Employing Nanbu-style brewing techniques, known for producing a high quality Ginjo sake, they produce sake in which one can taste the spirit of the brewer, a highly regarded "sake of excellence."

Around 200 flowers bloom here during peak season. Based on analysis, this is an ancient variety of the lotus flower, and while the exact age cannot be determined, it is estimated to be a variety from the Heian period, around 1,200 years ago. The best time to see them is around early to late July, when the flowers begin to bloom at around 5AM. Since the pond is located in the middle of a residential area, please keep quiet when visiting.

The Hachimanyama Kofun (Mount Hachiman megalith tomb) in Gyoda City is the main tomb of the group of Wakakodama tombs found in this area. Restored in 1981, it is estimated to have been built in the 7th century and has a diameter of 80 meters. The “Urushi Nuri Mokkan" (lacquered wooden casket) was excavated from the stone hut in almost perfect condition, with those buried inside assumed to have been people of power. It is called “Kanto-no-Ishibutai" (the stone stage of Kanto) because it is similar to the Ishibutai Kofun (stone stage tomb) at Asukamura of Nara Prefecture.

From the top of the park's symbol, the 16-meter high "Yoshikawa Mount Fuji," you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. On a clear day, you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree and, if you're lucky, you can even see the real Mount Fuji! The majority of the park is covered by green lawn, making the park feel spacious and open.

Many valuable cultural properties are stored here, such as the “Sakitama Kofun" (megalith tombs) built between the late 5th century and early 7th century and the national treasure “Musashi Sakitama Inariyama Kofun Artifact." At this facility you can also climb both the Inariyama Kofun and Maruhakayama Kofun. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

This facility, marked by its unique outer appearance, is a comprehensive learning facility with a planetarium, astronomical observation room, large-screen displays, hands-on learning rooms and workshops. There is also an attached restaurant, farmers market and the Ukino Miso processing facility. The planetarium was renovated and reopened on March 22nd, 2015. It features the latest monocular ultra-high resolution 8K-compatible digital projector, that can project realistic and powerful images of the starry skies and outer space, giving hope and excitement to people of all ages.

This is a museum for classic Rolls Royce and Bentley automobiles which displays among others, Jirō Shirasu's beloved Bentley, and the Rolls Royce of the former prime minister, Shigeru Yoshida. Watch the opening and closing of the doors, listen to the sound of the engines, and see the cars in motion, feeling the power of these formerly active classic automobiles, in the present day.

The waters of this hot spring contain no sodium, classifying it as a "simple" alkaline hot spring, a rarity in the Kanto region. The color of the water is dark brown but sparkles gold when hit by sunlight. Soaking in the hot spring will make your skin smooth, and you are guaranteed to have a relaxing time.

This black water (kuro-yu) hot spring, distinct to the Kanto area, is located along the National Route 4 bypass. In addition to the hot spring baths flowing directly from the source, you can enjoy jet baths, salt saunas, high-temperature saunas, medicated baths and utaseyu (striking water baths).

Roadside Station Showa, surrounded by a rural landscape of fertile farmland and pastoral rice fields interwoven with small forest groves, is nestled in the perfect environment to feel the change of the seasons. In the product hall, you can find a variety of souvenirs from all over the country, as well as products unique to the Kasukabe area. You can also buy local fresh vegetables at the farmers market, a place popular with tourists. Meals are also available at the restaurant, "Shokusai-kan."

This is a private museum exhibiting ’Shishimai' (traditional lion dance), featuring authentic lion masks, costumes, documentation, performance videos from all over the country and local toys related to the lion.

This museum exhibits the collection of pictures and sculptures owned by art collector Tabei Jinichi. In addition to the exhibitions of famous painters, the artworks of artist Konoki Mioku are also permanently exhibited.