Sightseeing Spots

A a small, charming hill of approximately 4 hectares located at the end of Yokoze Town Citizen Ground parking lot has been maintained by local residents and volunteers for a gathering place to watch flowers bloom. Visitors can enjoy a carpet of greenery and mainly white flowers like out of a fairytale; over 6,000 flowers and trees that change from season to season. The town also collaborated with Musashino Art University for a joint project between government and academia to create three integrated artworks, adding even more charm to the park.

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!

Surrounded by lush greenery and famous for its shibazakura (lawn cherry) and cherry blossoms, this park is located on a hill overlooking the city center and has been long-cherished as a place to relax by the local citizens. There is a hill overlooking the city and surrounding mountains, "Miharashi no Oka," an athletic park "Wanpaku Hiroba" for children to play at, and exhibition halls such as the Mt. Bukou Museum and Yamato Art Museum.

The Saitama Forest Science Museum is a place where visitors can learn about both forests and forestry and deepen their understanding of the roles of forests and forestry. The Museum was built by Saitama Prefecture to encourage and support the local forestry industry.

This is a museum that exhibits the collection of pictures and sculptures owned by Tabei Jinichi. Along with the exhibition of famous painters, the artworks of artist, Konoki Mioku, is permanently exhibited.

Marking 2100 years, Gochinza, a Sōja of Chichibu, has been revered since ancient times. In a forest of oak, there is an atmosphere with style and solemn beauty. The existing main building of the shrine is a contribution of Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1592 and was designated as Saitama Prefecture’s tangible cultural property due to the fact that it holds much of the Edo period’s early architectural style.

“Seibu Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu”, is a large combination hot spring facility based on Chichibu’s specialty, “Festivals.” The facility contains Matsuri no Yu, with four types of open-air baths, a highly concentrated artificial carbonated hot spring and six indoor baths (five for men) to enjoy. Additionally in this area, which takes pride in its rich variety of hot springs, there is a Japanese style food court and an area selling local products perfect as souvenirs, making this facility packed full of Chichibu’s local charm. “Seibu Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu”, is a large combination hot spring facility based on Chichibu’s specialty, “Festivals.” The facility contains Matsuri no Yu, with four types of open-air baths, a highly concentrated artificial carbonated hot spring and six indoor baths (five for men) to enjoy. Additionally in this area, which takes pride in its rich variety of hot springs, there is a Japanese style food court and an area selling local products perfect as souvenirs, making this facility packed full of Chichibu’s local charm.　

The Saitama Prefectural Forest Park "Kenmin no Mori" is a recreation area that spreads northwards of Mt. Maruyama (altitude 960m). You can enjoy the forest and wild grass of each season, see flowers and trees that you’ve only seen in photos, and meet animals in their natural state. Enjoy a heart-warming and refreshing experience!

This garden is located on a vast field of about 10,000 square meters behind the Nagatoro Town Folk Museum. The Japanese name "Hanabishisou" comes from the shape of the California golden poppy, which is said to resemble a rhombus ("hishi" in Japanese). In early summer, California golden poppies bloom all over the entire hill, and from May to June, the contrast between the deep blue sky and the vivid orange flowers is mesmerizing.

Enjoy the all-you-can-eat package at the farm, or pick and take the strawberries home instead! It's possible the all-you-can-eat will end depending on the season's harvest. All-you-can-eat varieties: Beni-poppe, Tochiotome, Yayoihime, Souvenir varieties: Amarin, Beni-poppe, Tochiotome, Yayoihime

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!

The history of the temple is said to date back about 2,000 years ago, to the reign of Emperor Keiko. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when faith in Mt. Mitumine spread, Hatakeyama Shigetada, Nitta Yoshioki, and others worshipped here. During the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), the Kishu shogunate and the Kishu family were revered, and gifts from the Kishu family in particular are still treasured by this shrine. When autumn arrives, the “Fifteen Nights and Moon Reading Festival” is held to herald the arrival of autumn in the mountains of Chichibu.

The magnificent and beautiful “Ashigakubo Icicles” is one of Chichibu’s three major icicle formations. These icicles, measuring about 30 meters high and 200 meters wide, are artificially created by sprinkling stream water on the slope of the mountain. Every year from early January to late February, you can immerse yourself in a fantasy realm created by nature and the locals.

Kita-zakura Street is the tunnel of cherry blossoms, with about 400 cherry blossoms lining a 2.5 kilometer road that runs the length of the Arakawa river from Nagatoro Station to Takasago Bridge. The Sakura Passage is located at the foot of Mt. Hodo in Nagatoro Town. Here you can see about 500 cherry blossoms trees with more than 30 varieties of double cherry blossoms. During the flowering season, they are lit up with beautiful illuminations. The best time to see the flowers is from early April to mid-April on Kita-zakura Street and from mid-April to late April on the Sakura Passage.

The building was built in 1930 and was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2001. At the Chichibu-Meisen museum, you can learn about the history of Chichibu-Meisen, view the exhibits, and try your hand at stencil dyeing and weaving. All the equipment displayed in the museum is still in use, and if you are lucky, you can even see it in action.

This facility consists of 12 groups of fruit farmers, with the closest station being Ashigakubo Station on Seibu Chichibu Line. You can find this collection of fruit farms, aka Fruits Village, by the southern slope of Hinatayama in the Ashigakubo district. Fruits are harvested all year round, with strawberries from early January to mid-May, plums from early July to mid-August, and grapes from mid-August to mid-October. The sweet taste of fully-ripened fruits and the clean air of the great outdoors is a special experience. We encourage you to stop by! There is also a restaurant, “Ashigakubo Fruits Garden,” a “Farming Village Park” with a 100-meter roller slide nearby, and many great courses for hiking.

Enclosed in surroundings of deciduous trees and chirping birds announcing the seasons, sits this single-house inn in the mountains. Located in a deciduous forest near the Terasaka Rice Terrace, this inn has been well-loved for its “Yakusō-no-yu (medicinal herb bath)" since its establishment. The pride of the lodge is the medicinal herb bath which contains, among other herbs, chameleon plant and Japanese mugwort, which improve blood circulation and warm the body from the core. One can expect fatigue relief and improved skin.

Enjoy the refreshing air around this beautiful waterfall originating from a mountain stream that flows from Mt. Ryokami in the Chichibu mountain range. Also, Onouchi Hyakukei Icicle, one of the three major icicles of Chichibu, can be found here from the beginning of January to the end of February every year.

A 10 minute walk from Yokoze Station. Also a 10 minute walk to Hitsujiyama Park and Shibazakura no Oka. Strawberries grown with a focus on the best taste and assurance of quality.

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!

Located in Chichibu Muse park's "Forest of Sports," this is a facility that anyone can enjoy regardless of age! In a mix of planted and native forests, seven zip lines have been installed high above the valley, making it one of the largest parks in Japan. The park is for adults and children aged 10 years and older. The courses are set at high altitudes making this forest adventure particularly popular among adults!

This ropeway was installed on Mt. Hodōsan at an altitude of 497 meters, connecting the 832 meter distance from Sanroku Station to Sanchō Station in 5 minutes. The two gondolas go back and forth between Sanroku and Sanchō Stations operating under a four-line crossing system. The gondolas’ names, “The Bambi” and “The Monkey I,” both originate from the popular Japanese macaque and deer that inhabit the small zoo on Mt. Hodōsan.

The entire cultural heritage of Yokoze Town is on exhibit at this museum. There are stage models of Yokoze’s puppet show (designated intangible folk cultural property by the prefecture), models of Bukōzanmitake Shrine Palace, specimen displays of animals and plants collected from Mt. Bukō, and historical documents that portray the transitions of Yokoze Town. In the “nature” section of the permanent exhibition room, approximately 130,000 year-old fossils of the giant Japanese elk, buffalo and wolves, which were discovered in the Negoya Limestone Cave, are on display. These fossils are very rare on a national scale.

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."