Sightseeing Spots

Jigenji is Chichibu’s 13th sacred site on Japan’s 100 Kannon Pilgrimage. It has been famous as a "temple for eyes" for 780 years. Worshippers come from all over Japan with worries and concerns regarding the eye.

If you're on the search for Chichibu souvenirs, look no further! At Jibasan Shoten they have a wide range of popular souvenirs from the Chichibu area, including vegetables from local farmers, unique area gems, and many goods including the local mascot character, Potekuma-kun. You can also find products to get a taste of daily life in Chichibu, or even find the perfect gift for your loved ones. We look forward to your patronage!

In the spring, cherry blossoms bloom and azalea flowers cover the mountain at Oshamoji-yama Park, located at the town's south entrance, and the many revelers make for a boisterous flower-viewing party. The Shamoji mother-goddess (god Oshamoji) is enshrined in a hokora (miniature shrine) at the foot of the mountain, thus the park is named “Oshamoji-yama.” The Kanto Plain and mountains of Chichibu can be seen from the park's observatory.

The Iwadonokyūryō (rocky hills) around this experience center are comprised mainly of the Toki River layer group, strata accumulated in the sea 10 to 15 million years ago, which contain a wide range of fossils. This experience center is the only facility in the prefecture where visitors can experience digging up fossils, such as shark teeth, from 15 million-year-old conglomerate rock. Together with the lecturer, challenge yourself to dig up fossils using a sieve, hammer and chisel! Most of the fossils you find can be brought home, with some exceptions. Since the fossil digging takes place inside the facility, activities can be enjoyed even on rainy days.

Ageo Maruyama Park was opened in 1978 with the theme "a harmony of greenery and water." It has a small animal corner, a children's amusement park, a barbecue area, a nature learning center, and a large pond, making it a popular place to visit.

Chichibu Shrine has long been an important presence in the town and remains a popular spot for Chichibu residents. Many structures dating from the early 1900s line Banba Street, the cobblestone road that leads to the shrine, providing a nostalgic atmosphere that recalls times gone by. Many shops still operate in buildings designated Registered Tangible Cultural Properties by the national government, allowing visitors to travel back in time to an earlier Japan.

Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels was built by the collaborative husband and wife artists, Toshi and Iri Maruki, to create a place to exhibit their work "The Hiroshima Panels," 15 panels depicting the effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1966, they moved to Shimogarako, Higashimatsuyama City, opened the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels the following year, and then spent more than 30 years completing all 15 panels. The museum also holds special themed exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and other events on the theme of life and war.

The entrance of the Kawagoe Kashiya Yokochō candy store is marked with a large purple noren (shop curtain with emblem and name). A wide variety of sweets are produced and sold here, including kura manjū (Japanese-style bun stuffed with sweetened bean paste), sweet potato yōkan (sweetened bean jelly), potato sweets, and rice crackers. We can assist you in basic English.

The two authentic Dashis (festival cars) pulled at the Kawagoe Festival are on display along with materials related to the Kawagoe Festival. At this exhibition hall, the powerful atmosphere of the Kawagoe Festival can be experienced all year round. There is also a regular demonstration of musical accompaniment (about 20 minutes).

Located on the first floor of Pepe Honkawagoe Station of Seibu Shinjuku Line, we offer tourist information and sightseeing brochures. We are the closest visitor information center to Koedo Kawagoe and the Kurazukuri townscape. In addition, we offer wheelchair rental and baggage storage services (payment required).

Tabi to Kurashi (Tabi and Life) Museum was originally a factory of tabi socks delivering to tabi stores under the name Bokuya Honten (Main Branch). The factory was reborn as a museum, retaining most of the original factory’s appearance. At the museum, demonstrations by individuals who used to be tabi craftsmen can be seen, and your own original tabi (additional cost) can be made every second Sunday of the month.

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.

Ancient trees, said to have been planted more than 350 years ago, line either side of the stone steps of Godaison, where the five statues of Myo-o, the gods of wisdom, are enshrined. The adjacent Azalea park is one of the best Azalea viewing spots in the Kanto region, with about 10,000 azalea plants in bloom.

The well at our brewery, "Bushūyama Jyōryūsui" (underground water) was established as one of the hundred best mineral water sources of the Heisei Era. If you bring a container, feel free to fill it up with water and take it with you!

This is the only waterfall in Saitama Prefecture that has been selected as one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls. Along a promenade of about 1.5km, you can enjoy the changing seasons with fresh greenery and autumn leaves. The waterfall is divided by 3 large steps, and the 76 meter drop is powerful and impressive!

Visitors can learn about the rich nature and national treasures of Ina Town through the comprehensive exhibitions on local nature, geography, history and folklore on display. This museum moved to inside Ina Municipal Minami Junior High School in April 2016. Feel free to stop by, view the exhibitions and deepen your love and understanding of the wonderful Ina Town.

This dairy farm allows visitors to experience farm life and enjoy freshly made gelato ice cream and yogurt. In addition to dairy cows, the farm is home to a variety of animals, including chickens, Japanese Bantam (ornamental chickens), mini pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and more. Kids can also play with toy cars and tricycles donated to the farm by locals. Enjoy the view of the Arakawa River and its surrounding nature while tasting some of the best fresh gelato ice cream you've ever had. Enoboku, a miniature Hokkaido, hidden in the beautiful Ageo!

This shrine is dedicated to the spirit of Mt. Ontake, the sacred mountain of the Kiso district of Shinano Province. It is said to have a great spiritual power effective in dispelling bad spirits and bringing good fortune to all who visit. The shrine garden covers an area of almost 1,000 square meters, and includes Togo Park, a park associated with General Togo Heihachiro, within its precincts. The shrine performs various kinds of purification ceremonies (oharai) such as groundbreaking ceremonies, house purification, car purification, and purifications for Shichigosan (ceremony celebrating children at the age of 3, 5, and 7) and for the first shrine visit of the year.

This single-house inn sits high in the mountains, encircled by deciduous trees and the sounds of seasonal birdsong. Located in a forest near the Terasaka Rice Terrace, this inn has been well-loved since its establishment for its “Yakusō-no-yu" (medicinal herb bath). The pride of the lodge is the medicinal herb bath which contains chameleon plant and Japanese mugwort, which improve blood circulation and warm the body to its core. One can expect relief from fatigue and improved skin.

This roadside station is surrounded by rich green mountains, the clear streams of the Yokose River, clean air, and seasonal flowers and fruit trees. Inside the station, there is a farmers' market, restaurant, information center, resting area, hands-on experience dōjō (udon/soba), ceramics classroom and a gallery. Outside, there is an open space for relaxing and a deck where one can view the river from above. You can also enjoy a walk next to the Yokose river. ※Facilities listed in the Saitama Industrial Tourism Guidebook, "Manufacturing Guidebook."

The water at this hot spring, which flows from 1,500 meters underground, scored a maximum score of 5 out of 6 categories in the Japan Natural Hot Spring Examining Authority inspection! With a composition similar to salty seawater, it is also called “Netsu no Yu” (high temperature bath) due to the amount of cold water needed to cool it down. Another appeal is the fact that this hot spring can be enjoyed during the colder months without any added water. The high-concentration carbonated spring, which even garners the attention of the medical industry, can also be enjoyed.

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.

This is the main facility of the SKIP City Project, the project goal of which is to introduce and accumulate information for the next-generation of the audiovisual industry. For the general public, the facility contains a participation-based "audiovisual museum" where people of all ages can learn video production, an "audiovisual library" where visitors can watch culturally significant movies and TV programs, and an "audiovisual hall" to enjoy film showings and various events. ※ For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.

Mt. Seitai Hōchōji Temple, the seventh sacred site and temple, is called Ushibusedo, and the main deity is the eleven-faced Kannon. The eleven-faced Kannon was originally located at Ushibuse in the third ward of Negoya. Due to a disaster in 1782, it was moved to the main hall of Hōchōji Temple, where it has been enshrined ever since. Hōchōji temple is called "Fudasho No.7," also "Mt. Seitai," and it follows the Sōtō school of Buddhism. The temple was founded by Ryodo Kansei, who passed away in 1606. The founder of the Buddhist sect here was Shigekata Uchida, the second generation head of the Uchida family, and the Uchida family is said to be of the Fujita lineage, after adopting Hōjō Ujikuni as a son-in-law.