Sightseeing Spots

A famous cherry blossom spot since the Edo period (1603-1868) and one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots chosen by the Japan Cherry Blossom Association. Around 500 Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees bloom in great splendor on a 2 meter stretch of the Arakawa riverbank. During the Kumagaya Cherry Blossom Festival held from late March to early April, revelers can also enjoy nighttime illuminated cherry blossoms.

Menuma Shodenzan Kangiin Temple is known as one of Japan’s three holy temples and is said to bring blessings for matrimony, family health, fortune, and scholarly achievements. In 2012, the main sanctuary, “Kangiin Shotendo,” was designated as a national treasure due to its highly skilled carvings, modern decorative architecture and public funding of its construction. Events take place throughout the year, such as the annual grand festival and Setsubun festivals during the spring and autumn.

This museum was jointly established by Honjo City and Waseda University. The museum holds archaeological materials from the Paleolithic period through which visitors can trace the history of Honjo City. In addition to artifacts rarely found in Japan, such as the laughing human haniwa (terra-cotta tomb figurine) holding a shield and a completed cast of a small glass ball, visitors can see a variety of valuable materials owned by Waseda University.

One of the most prestigious shrines in the prefecture, it has no main shrine due to being dedicated to the scared mountain Mt. Omuro, and is one of few shrines that still practice this more ancient form of Shinto belief, the only other two shrines of which are Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano and Omiwa Shrine in Nara. The shrine is said to have originated when the god Yamato Takeru no Mikoto hid tools for fire starting in Mt. Omuro. The shrine also enshrines the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu Omikami, and the god of sea and storms, Susanoo no Mikoto.

At our hot spring you can enjoy low mineral content water typical of the top hot springs in Japan in a traditional Japanese-style outdoor bath. You can also use the ganban`yoku hot stone bath, reclining chairs, massage machines and the popular free relaxation area. There is even a high-concentration carbonated spring, which garners attention from the medical industry, making our facility the ideal place for a full day of relaxation.

Fukaya Green Park was opened in Fukaya City in July of 1996 as a government-subsidized project of the Ministry of Agriculture aiming to promote agriculture and stabilize and strengthen management, while also contributing to citizens’ health and physical fitness. The park covers an area of 54,000sq m, around the size of Tokyo Dome. It consists of an indoor facility, Paradise Patio (known as “Patio”), and many large and small plazas, such as grass lawn plazas. Patio (area 7,769sq m) is designed after south European and Mediterranean coastal resorts, and features the largest all-weather indoor leisure pool in the north Kanto area. The park’s large flowerbeds (1,157 sq m) filled with flowers are another highlight.

The Katakura Silk Commemorative Museum is built inside of Kumagaya Factory, the cocoon warehouse of the last remaining silk manufacturing plant of Katakura Industries, and is recognized as a Heritage of Industrial Modernization by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. To preserve and pass on the company's 121-year history of silk production, the museum displays the machinery used to produce silk at Kumagaya Factory, and visitors can watch the entire process from cocoon to raw silk.

Established during the late Edo Kaei era (1850), Japanese sake, ume liqueur and sake lees are sold at this old-fashioned sake brewery and Taishō period store. Visitors can enjoy a cozy experience that can only be had at a small brewery. If touring the brewery, you will also get a small sake cup as a present. You can taste and compare various alcohols kept at different temperatures, and sake tasting games are also on the menu. Please consult with us regarding the content experience and pricing. Tours are held regardless of the season, but sake is prepared during the winter. There are times when it is difficult to hold tours during the sake preparation season.

At this park on the Kanto Friendship Trail (Kanto Fureai no Michi), the blooming flowers around the Shimokubo Dam (Lake Kanna), visible from below on the north side, are the delight of many tourists from spring to autumn. In addition, around 600 rare winter cherry trees blooming in the park from late October to early December create a very special atmosphere. There are also campsites, restaurants, souvenir shops, BBQ areas, observation decks, and more. It's the perfect place to enjoy a day of fun with the family!

The Shibusawa Memorial Museum in Fukaya City showcases the achievements of Shibusawa Eiichi, a businessman from the late 19th to early 20th century who contributed to the development of Japan's modern economy. The museum's archive room features an extensive collection of materials that preserve his great legacy, including his handwritten works and photographs. The main attraction is a lecture delivered by the Shibusawa Eiichi android in the lecture room. By attending this lecture given by a remarkably lifelike android, visitors can learn about Shibusawa Eiichi's philosophy and ideas. *Lectures require advance reservations due to limited capacity. Those wishing to visit should check the schedule on the official website and make reservations well in advance.

A shrine dedicated to the mythological god of agriculture, Takamimusubi. The shrine was destroyed by fire in 1590, and rebuilt by the lord of Oshi Castle, Abe Masayoshi. Annual festivals are held, such as Setsubun (seasonal division) on February 3rd, Tainai Kuguri (passing through the womb) on June 30th, and Tori no Ichi (Festival of the Rooster) on December 8th.

The Edohigan Sakura tree located in Hachigata Castle Park is a natural town monument. This cherry blossom tree is estimated to be over 150 years old, and flowers bloom beautifully on its umbrella-shaped canopy of branches every year around the end of March. You can also enjoy the evening illuminated cherry blossoms during peak season!

This is the site of the battle of Kanagawa, the largest field battle to have ever taken place in the Kanto region. The fierce battle took place from June 18th to 19th, 1582 on the border between Musashi (Tokyo and Kanagawa) and Ueno (Gunma) along the Kannagawa River. The battle was between Takikawa Kazumasu, lord of Ueno Umabashi Castle, and forces led by Hojo Ujikuni, lord of Musashi Hachigata Castle, and Hojo Ujinao, lord of Odawara Castle. The battle was also known as the “Battle of Kanakubohara" due to being fought in and around Kanakubo and Bisado areas of Kamisato-town.

Hachigata Castle is a prime example of Sengoku-period (late 15th-16th centuries) fortresses in the Kanto region and is recognized among Japan’s top 100 castles. It is said to have been built in 1476 (Bunmei 8) by Nagao Kageharu, the chief retainer of the Yamauchi Uesugi clan, who served as the regional governors of the Kanto region. Later, Ujikuni, son of warlord Hojo Ujiyasu from Odawara, expanded and fortified it to its present scale. During Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege of Odawara, the castle was besieged by forces led by Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu. After defending for over a month, it was surrendered on the condition that the lives of the garrison would be spared, and the castle was subsequently abandoned. The main bailey and other enclosures, surrounded by earthen ramparts and deep moats, still exist today. You can learn more about Hachigata Castle's history at the Hachigata Castle History Museum, located within Hachigata Castle Park. In addition to restored models and videos, the museum offers a virtual experience program where you can explore the castle grounds recreated using CG, giving you a sense of how it appeared in its heyday. Furthermore, by downloading the app "Yotte GO! Yorii Town" (風雲YｏｔｔｅGO!謎解き寄居町), you can view CG images throughout the park and enjoy interactive games.

This is the site of Hatakeyama Shigetada's mansion, which is maintained as a park. In the park there is a five-story pagoda, said to be the grave of Shigetada and his vassals, a well said to be where Shigetada had his first bath after birth, and a bronze statue of Shigetada himself.

This is a tourist information center located in Honjō Station of JR Takasaki Line. Visitors can obtain tourist pamphlets and information regarding the city and purchase Honjō City’s souvenirs. Sweets and Japanese goods recommended by the Honjō City Tourism Association and Honjō Kasuri silk are also available.

Here you can see the only castanet-playing haniwa (clay figurine) and dancing female haniwa (clay figurine) ever found in Japan! In addition to the many earthenware and stone tools on display, you'll get an introduction to the life of Kiku Nishizaki, the first Japanese female seaplane pilot and great historical figure of Kamisato, who was the model for the heroine of an NHK TV series.

The Hanawa Hokiichi Memorial Museum commemorates Hanawa Hokiichi, a blind scholar of Japanese studies (kokugaku) in the mid-Edo period. Apart from the famous collective title Gunsho Ruijyū and its raw lumber, there are approximately 200 archives on display inside the building. You can see a hand-stitched purse from his mother, a treasured possession he held dear throughout his life, and many other personal articles. The exhibition room also has a section for videos and audio tours.

The Saitama Museum of Rivers is an experience-oriented comprehensive museum centering around the Arakawa river with the theme of water and the livelihood of people.

Located right by the Kamisato Smart IC for great accessibility. You can shop for seasonal fruits and vegetables, western and Japanese sweets, and even experience harvesting the fruits and vegetables yourself! Look forward to further developments from Kamisato Town as a center of tourism!

This field of spider lilies was planted on the banks of the Karasu River by local volunteers. The carpet of red flowers blooms along the Karasu River in autumn, with Mt. Haruna and the clear blue sky providing the backdrop for a spectacular view.

The Kumagaya Municipal Ogino Ginko Museum is dedicated to Ogino Ginko, the first officially licensed female doctor in Japan who passed the medical practice examination in 1885, one of the three great historical figures of Saitama Prefecture. The museum is a Japanese-style building with tiled roof and plastered walls partly covered in wooden siding built to resemble the Nagaya-mon gate of Ginko Ogino's birthplace, and is divided into an exhibition room and a lounge area.

Jōshinin Hyakutai Kannon-dō, commonly called “Sazaedō,” was built to mourn the victims of the great volcanic eruption of Mt. Asama in 1783. The architecture has a rare helical structure with two exterior layers and a three-layer interior spiral corridor, enabling worshippers to practice the Buddhist etiquette of walking around a corridor three times in a clockwise direction (unyosanso). The first layer enshrines the Kannon of the Chichibu Sacred Site No. 34, the second layer enshrines the Kannon of the Bando Sacred Site No. 33, and the third layer enshrines the Kannon of the Saikoku Sacred Site No. 33. The reception desk is located at the Honjo City Tourism and Agriculture Center.

From this observation deck located at 370 meters, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Yorii Town and the glittering skyline at night. In September, this place is popular for observing the seasonal hawk migration.