Sightseeing Spots

There are old breweries that are from the second half of the Edo period to Shōwa, allowing for one to feel the unique unique charm of a sake brewery. There is the historic Tamashiki Shrine and Kisai Castle nearby, with a promenade set up allowing for a relaxed stroll in the countryside.

In 712, it is said that during the Heian period, Minamoto-no-Yorinobu, who was heading towards the suppression of Taira-no-Tadatsune, saw a dream in which he received an arrow and bow from a God riding on a white fox. Thanks to this, he was able to gain his victory in the battle, which led him to contribute to the establishment of this shrine. This prefectural cultural property is constructed as an incarnation of Buddha and the inside and outside of the main building of the shrine is crafted through the use of advanced techniques. Praying here is known to bring abundant harvests, prosperity in business, art proficiency, and good luck in challenges. Because it can be read as “Yakyū”, many of those involved in baseball visit to pray. The best time to see the flowers of the peony park is around mid-April as it blooms with the wisteria and azalea.

The date of its foundation is unknown, but it is said to have been built in the Meiō era between 1492 and 1501, as well as in 1684. It is said that when a Buddhist priest named Genkai visited Fushimi Inari, he built a sutra mound with 10,000 Lotus Sutras buried inside. In the precincts, you can also find a shrine dedicated to Shingoro Takahashi and his wife Ise who developed the warabi (bracken) textile industry of the area. Furthermore, there is a heart-shaped stone that is known to grant visitors success in their pursuit of love.

At the Moominvalley Park in Saitama Prefecture, based on the popular creation, ‘Moomins,’ by Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson, you can immerse yourself in the delightful world of Moomin and its popular characters. The first theme park of its kind outside of Finland, it was opened in March 2019 in Hanno, Saitama, and is easily accessible from Tokyo via train. There are four main attraction areas, featuring a variety of theater venues, a large three-story museum, a playground with Moomin landmarks that appear in the story, delicious restaurants, a cafe, and the world’s largest Moomin store! For additional fun, outside Moominvalley Park lies the Metsä Village, where visitors can enjoy a Nordic experience with shopping and dining options, relax around Lake Miyazawako in comfortable outdoor seating viewing the lake and surrounding forest, or take part in various hands-on activities. At Moominvalley Park, there’s fun to be had for everyone!

From handcrafting Japanese paper to seasonal experiences and workshops related to the Japanese paper, hand-making soba and udon, purchasing specialty goods of Japanese paper and agricultural products. There is also a plentiful food court full of the local village cuisine such as the salted grilled char and oyaki. Furthermore, there is a paper-making house with a thatched roof inside the Japanese garden, which makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time to the Edo period. The area is designed to allow for a relaxing time.

The largest Taiwanese Shinto shrine in Japan. The gorgeous structure is worth seeing. The spiral ceiling assembled without any nails, the Kowloon stone pillar of 5 meters, a door of 4 meters with wood carvings of the god of military arts, and a coffered ceiling with dragons. Taiwan’s authentic worship and fortune slip can be experienced here.

Hachigata Castle is a typical castle from the Warring States period and selected as one of the 100 famous castles of Japan. The castle is said to have been built in 1476 by one of the retainers of Yamanouchi Uesugi, the leader of the Kanto region, and later expanded to its current size in 1560 by the Odawara clan. When the feudal lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi attacked and besieged the castle in 1590, the soldiers inside held out for one month before giving up, opening the castle in exchange for their lives. After this incident, the castle was 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.

This natural hot spring was opened in June 2021 in Aeon Town Yoshikawa Minami, with the theme of ''taste, pleasure, beauty, and health. There are three types of indoor baths, a reclining bath, and an outdoor bath. After taking a bath, you can enjoy the food by sushi producer Kanazawa Maimon and the sweets of Le Chocolat de H by chocolatier Hironobu Tsujiguchi in the food court attached to the spa.

Here you can see the only castanet-playing haniwa (clay figurine) and dancing female haniwa (clay figurine) found in Japan! In addition to the many earthenware and stone tools on display, the life of Kiku Nishizaki, the first female seaplane pilot in Japan, who is a great historical figure of Kamisato and the main character in an NHK TV series, is also introduced.

On both sides of the stone steps of Godaison, where five statues of Myoo, the god of wisdom, stand proudly, old trees that are said to have been planted more than 350 years ago are blooming. The adjacent Azalea park is one of the best Azalea viewing spots in the Kanto region, with about 10000 azaleas in full bloom.

The warehouse made of bricks built in 1896 was used for the storage of cocoons and silk, supporting the silk industry and economy of Honjō. It is designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

This facility is a center for social mingling and tourism established from the early Meiji period merchant's inn, "Chichibu-Kan," which was renovated preserving as much of its original appearance as possible. The first floor is a free rest space with a large irori (sunken hearth) surrounded by rental boxes where citizens can display and sell their handicrafts and ceramics. Whether to search for tourist information or to mingle with the locals, we hope you will visit Hot Spot Chichibu-Kan!

This artificial lake is located in the south-central part of Saitama Prefecture, straddling the boundary between Tokorozawa City and Iruma City. Completed in 1934 as a water reserve for Tokyo, the official name is "Yamaguchi Reservoir." The lake is surrounded by Saitama Prefectural Sayama Nature Park, where you can enjoy 20,000 cherry blossom trees in spring and vivid leaves in autumn, the symbolic Mt. Fuji reflected on the lake's surface and bird watching. The stunning seasonal scenery of this area was chosen as one of Saitama's 100 Top Nature Spots and 100 Top Dam Lakes.

This is a newly improved park in Hatoyama-machi where two large Japanese fir trees, designated by the town as scenic trees, stand close together. Also, there is the Midoyama near the entrance, adjoining Takanokura Hachijyūhachikasho and Hachimanjinjya-no-Ichinogashi (a designated natural monument of the town), allowing for an enjoyable “four seasons” of Hatoyama.

The hot spring that flows from 1,500 meters below ground, scored a maximum score of a 5 under 6 categories during the inspection by the Japan Natural Hot Spring Examining Authority! With the ingredients much like the salty, spicy seawater, it is called “Netsu-no-yu” due to the fact that it takes a lot for the water to go cold. What’s also appealing is that the natural hot spring can be enjoyed, during the warm season, without adding heat or adding water. The high-concentration carbonated spring, which even gathers the attention of the medical industry, can be enjoyed as well.

We offer tourism information and brochures for sightseeing. We are also conveniently located inside Kawagoe Station and can be used as a base for strolling around Kawagoe, with the Edo-style Kurazukuri Warehouse Street just a 15 minute walk away. Rental services for wheelchairs and baggage storage are also available (payment required).

About 12 million poppies are in full bloom on a vast slope 500 meters above sea level. The contrast between the red poppies and the clear blue sky is a sight to behold. When the flowers are in full bloom, an event called "Poppies in the Sky" is held, where local gourmet food and specialty products are for sale, and a temporary parking lot is made available. We hope to see you there!

This is a facility made in 2006 for “farmers” x “merchants” as a base for revitalizing the area. The line-up consists of fresh vegetables and locally produced processed foods. If you plan on using the “Kawa-no-Hiroba Barbecue (River Square Barbecue Area)”, please contact us in advance. We await you alongside our mascot character, “Norabitan” which is based on the town’s local delicacy: “Norabō-na (Norabō greens)” and “Ao-Nasu (Blue eggplant)”.

Muzeum pamięci Ogino Ginkgo is a Japanese-style building divided into an exhibition room and a lounge area. The building has a tiled roof and plastered walls partly covered in wooden siding, which resembles the Nagaya-mon gate of Ginko Ogino's birthplace. Ginko Ogino is one of the three great historical figures of Saitama Prefecture. She passed the medical practice examination in 1885 and became the first officially licensed female doctor in Japan.

Okegawa-shuku, a post town along Nakasendo that retains its old atmosphere and is home to cultural properties such as the Takemura Ryokan (former Hatago) and the residences of the Shimamura and Kobayashi families. Furthermore, Okegawa is famous for Safflower, which has brought wealth and culture to the post town. As proof of this, stone lanterns donated by safflower merchants can be seen at Okegawa Inari Shrine.

The change of the seasons can be enjoyed in the large, elegant butterfly maple tree, said to be 600 years old and designated a Saitama Prefecture Natural Treasure. The trunk is 3.8 m in circumference, 7.2 m in height, and the canopy measures 18.9 m north to south, 20.6 m east to west, and 56.3 m in circumference. The peak for autumn leaves is mid to late November. The "Night Zazenkai" (Night Zen Meditation) is also held on the 8th of every month from 7:30PM. A soba restaurant, "Teuchi Soba Machida" is nearby, and you can enjoy a meal of handmade soba while viewing the changing seasons.

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 shrine is dedicated to the spirit of Mt. Ontake, the main mountain of the Kiso district. It is said to have great spiritual power and to protect visitors by dispelling bad spirits and bringing good fortune. The shrine garden covers an area of almost 50.000 square meters, including Togo Park located within its precincts. The shrine performs various kinds of "o-harai (a Japanese form of light exorcism)" for groundbreaking ceremonies, house exorcism, car exorcism, and you can also visit for Shichigosan (ceremony celebrating children at the age of 3, 5, and 7) or to make your first shrine visit of the year.

On May 23 of the fourth year of the Keio Era, Heikuro Shibusawa, a member of the old shogunate's army who had been defeated in battle against the new government forces in Hanno, fled towards Kuroyama Village over the Kaoburi pass alone. He encountered a scouting party and fought alone, but he was badly wounded and committed suicide, harakiri, sitting on a rock on the river bank. Heikuro was a cousin, brother-in-law, and adopted son of Shibusawa Eiichi.