Sightseeing Spots

This district park is known for its stunning lawn of green grass and 18-hole golf course. In addition to the golf course, there is also a children's area, a multipurpose plaza, and a parkway that can be used for jogging and other activities. The park enables people from different generations to meet and enjoy spending a relaxing and healthy time together outdoors.

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.

You can enjoy a variety of gravity-based activities from suspension bridges built on the banks of the Arakawa River using the piers of the former Shirakawa Bridge. Wear a harness and walk on the suspension bridge, cross the Arakawa Valley while connected to a cable, or swing over the valley on a trapeze! You can even bungee jump! Enjoy the great outdoors of the Arakawa Valley while taking part in many thrilling activities!

At Saitama Prefecture's largest rice terraces, a rural landscape unique to Japan unfolds with each changing season. Currently, 4 (about 250 fields) out of the total 5.2 hectares are in use. In summer an event is held where around 600 bonfires are lit, for a night of magical ambience one cannot experience in the city. In autumn, the bulbs of around 2 million red spider lilies bloom around the rice paddies.

This is one of the largest flower markets in eastern Japan. There is a guided course through the market facility, allowing visitors to easily observe the auction (Monday/Wednesday/Friday). There is also a restaurant inside the facility.

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.

The largest Taiwanese Shinto shrine in Japan. This gorgeous structure is worth seeing at least once. The spiral ceiling assembled without any nails, the 5-meter Kowloon stone pillar, a 4-meter door with wood carvings of warrior gods and a coffered ceiling with dragons. You can experience authentic Taiwanese-style worship and omikuji (fortune slips) here.

This 20-hectare park was established in March 1989 on the former site of Camp Drake, which was confiscated by the U.S. military in 1945, to ensure a comfortable living environment with beautiful urban landscape. The park is well known as a place for sports and recreation, with an outdoor plaza and jogging course. This vast park is also used as an evacuation site. Nearby are Tokyo Metropolitan Oizumi Central Park, Oizumi Sakura Sports Park, Tokyo Yono Green Belt (Nagakubo Ryokuchi), Niiza Green Path and Sakae Green Path in Niiza City, together serving as a large green belt that straddles municipal and prefectural borders.

This day trip hot spring facility was built in a relocated old private house. Located near the Tokigawa River, guests using the footbath on the Japanese-style terrace (engawa) are treated to the sounds of the calming babbling brook. There is also a nearby BBQ area you can visit with no preparation. After BBQ, you can relax and recharge in the hot spring.

From mid-June to early August, 12,000 stocks of 42 different types of lotus flowers bloom on the surface of this lotus pond. The Gyōda lotus (ancient lotus) is a primitive form with few petals; it is said this variety of lotus is from about 1,400 to 3,000 years ago. Lotus flowers are best viewed midmorning. There are aquatic plant botanical gardens, aquatic bird lakes, peony gardens, plum tree groves, and a spot for flower viewing (hanami) cherry blossom trees, making it a place to go to feel the beauty of nature all year round. In addition, from mid-July to mid-October, rice paddy art is at its prime and can be viewed from the Ancient Lotus Hall’s Observation Room. The rice paddy art of Gyōda City started in 2008, with annual rice transplanting taking place with the help of several volunteers and participants. Not only are the designs original, but some have been featured in movies, TV shows, games. In 2015 it was recorded in the Guinness World Records as “the world’s largest (rice paddy art).”

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.

12 million cosmos flowers bloom on the 8.8 hectare fields along the Arakawa riverbank. Surrounded by a sea of cosmos flowers, you can enjoy an impressive view of the Chichibu mountain range and Mt. Fuji. The best time to see the cosmos flower is in mid-October, but poppies can also be enjoyed in May. At the Cosmos Festival in mid-October, the area is lively with stage events, refreshment stalls, and cosmos picking events.

Hachigata Castle is a quintessential castle from the Warring States period and was selected as one of the 100 famous castles of Japan. The castle is said to have been built in 1476 by Nagao Kageharu, a retainer of the Yamanouchi Uesugi clan and leader of the Kanto region, and the castle was later expanded to its current size by the Odawara clan. When the feudal lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked and besieged the castle in 1590, the soldiers inside held out for one month before giving up, surrendering the castle in exchange for their lives. The castle was later demolished and abandoned, but you can still see a large number of ruins that remain largely undisturbed, reminding us of the strong fortress of the past.

Please contact the farms listed in the link below for information about grape picking in Yokoze Town! Prices vary depending on the type of grape. You can also purchase grapes at the Ashigakubo Roadside Station (The farms will ship grapes when they are ready to eat. We apologize for any inconvenience if they are sold out). All farms incorporate appropriate hygiene precautions for a safe and comfortable visit.

The Border of Three Prefectures straddles Tochigi Prefecture’s Tochigi City, Gunma Prefecture’s Itakura Town, Saitama Prefecture’s Kazo City (around the Kitakawabe region), and comes together at a rice field approximately 500 meters to the southeast of Roadside Station Kitakawabe. The Border of Three Prefectures was located inside the Watarase River, however during the restoration of the river during the Meiji and Taishō periods, the location was changed to the current river channel. From January to March of 2016, land measurements were carried out by Tochigi City, Itakura Town, and Kazo City and an old stake made from concrete, assumed to be installed prior, was discovered and confirmed as the true point of intersection of the three prefectures.

Located immediately next to the Ogose Station West Exit, this facility is used by many as a rest spot and meeting place, as a rendezvous point for hiking and to purchase souvenirs and light meals (rice balls, pizza, coffee, juice). There is also a free shuttle bus to SPA O Park OGOSE that departs from in front of the facility.

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.

Matsuyama Castle Ruins, built at the top of the Hiki Hills, is one of the most prominent flat mountain castles in the Kitamusashi region and was designated a prefectural historic site in 1925. In 2008, it was added to the Hiki Castle Site Group, alongside the already designated Sugaya Yakata ruins (Ranzan Town), Sugiyama Castle ruins (Ranzan Town) and Ogura Castle ruins (Tokigawa Town, Ranzan Town, and Ogawa Town). The castle is surrounded by a low marshy area formed by the Ichino River, creating a natural fort.

This comprehensive museum houses materials and artifacts related to Saitama's history, folklore and art, such as national treasure swords and daggers. The permanent exhibition introduces, "The Life and Culture of Saitama," through these topics, and themed special and planned exhibitions are held regularly. There are also a variety of hands-on experience workshops for both children and adults to enjoy. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below)

The shrine's beginnings trace back to when samurai warlord Hatakeyama Shigetada offered a statue of an ogre (oni) holding an iron rod as protection against ogres during the construction of Sugaya Yakata. One of the few shrines in Japan that worships "ogres" (oni), they celebrate Setsubun every year on February 3rd with an unusual chant: "Fuku wa uchi, Oni wa uchi, Akuma soto" (In with good fortune and the ogre, out with evil spirits). It is also known as the shrine of the God of Victory, and many soldiers came to pray for good fortune during the war.

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.

Our building is located on the historical site of the Kamakura period samurai palace “Sugaya-yakata” which transitioned to the castle “Sugaya-jō" during the Sengoku period. Opened in April of 1976 as the Saitama Prefectural Historical Data Museum, the museum was later relaunched on April 1st, 2006 for reorganization and maintenance of the prefectural museum facility. Focus was given to the collection, storage, and conducting of research on archaeological materials related to the Sugaya-yakata sites and medieval historical sites such as medieval castle buildings, and to utilize these materials for the development of education, learning, and culture. At that time, the name of the museum was changed to its current name. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

The Museum of Modern Art Saitama (MOMAS) was opened in the rich greenery of Kitaurawa Park in 1982. A collection of superb art pieces is on display, with works from artistic masters such as Monet, Chagall, Picasso and modern Japanese artists. Special exhibitions with unique themes are frequently held, and there are many "good design" chairs that can be used freely. In addition, there are museum concerts, lectures, and workshops for both parents and children to enjoy. There are also museum shops with select art books and goods, along with a restaurant serving authentic Italian food, making the museum an ideal place for both fun and comfort. (For more information regarding the facility, please check the URL below.)

Ina town has a rich history still visible in the seemingly ordinary townscape of today, telling the tales of many hundred years ago. This is the site of the encampment used by the prominent leader Tadatsugu Ina, who served under the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. Tadatsugu improved irrigation channels and developed rice fields, laying the foundation for the legendary Tokugawa rule that lasted 260 years. To this day, earthworks, moats, and streets remind us of the past through their names that relate to ruins of old gates, encampments, storehouses, and other historical structures. Excavations are still under process, and new finds, such as unique earth constructions made to hinder enemy troops, are being discovered, further revealing the exciting history of Ina town.