Sightseeing Spots

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.

Sakitama Shrine is an ancient shrine with a majestic and calm atmosphere which holds a history of a thousand and a few hundred years, and is the origin of Saitama Prefecture's name. The main building of the shrine has a height of 8.7 meters, a circumference of about 92 meters, and is built on top of a megalith tomb (kofun) called Sengenzuka, connected to the Saitama Kofun Group. The deity has two pillars: Sakitamahime-no-mikoto and Sakitamahiko-no-mikoto, gods that protect individuals and bring good fortune and success in matrimony. Recently, a popular limited edition go-shuin (seal stamp) with a motif of the 4 cats that reside in the shrine is available (every month on the 22nd including a few days before and after).

Hanazono Forest is a sweets theme park modeled after a quiet European mansion, just two minutes away from Hanazono Interchange by car. Baumkuchen, sweets and souvenirs perfect as gifts, cakes and gelato specially selected by pastry chefs, freshly baked bread and outlet products are also available. Enjoy your favorite pastry or bread while strolling in the vast, beautiful rose garden.

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.

The dam constructed on the Arakawa River in Yorii Town is called the "Tamayodo Dam," and the artificial lake created by the Tamayodo Dam is known as “Lake Tamayodo (Tamayodoko).” Visitors can enjoy activities such as canoeing and rafting on this peaceful lake known for its highly transparent water and surrounded by forest. It is also a famous spot for autumn leaves in Yorii Town.

Eight of the total sixty-one kilometers of the Motoara River run through the Fukiage area. There are seventeen bridges on the river, including the Shinsaga Bridge, a Civil Engineering Heritage Site selected by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Many of the bridges are decorated with poems and sculptures, making exploring them a perfect activity for some leisurely sightseeing!

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.

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!

The original Kisai Castle was a one-story building enclosed by earthworks and walls, and it was restored as a castle with an impressive keep. Local collections of the unearthed artifacts and historical collections found through the excavations of the Kisai region are displayed in the exhibition room.

From the moment you pass through the Nagaya gate, you will find yourself in an atmosphere of peace and nostalgia in this old traditional house. In the garden, roses are in full bloom, and inside the facility there is a restaurant where visitors can enjoy a meal and a local produce specialty store for buying fresh vegetables. This is the perfect place for a relaxing time.

With old storage houses dating from the second half of the Edo period to the Shōwa era, visitors can feel the charm of an authentic sake brewery. The historic Tamashiki Shrine and Kisai Castle are nearby, and there is a promenade set up for a relaxed stroll in the countryside.

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.

This is the oldest grand shrine in Kanto. It is said to have been founded by descendants of the Izumo family because of its old nickname, Hazenomiya; another theory is that it was established by Yamato Takeru 1900 years ago in the time of Emperor Keikō. The Washimiya Saibara Kagura music and dance is a tradition in the shrine and is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of the country. The shrine also appears in the animation “Lucky Star,” and Washimiya shrine uses this connection to the work to revitalize the area.

The Arakawa Line downstream boating in Chichibu Nagatoro allows you to ride upon the beautifully layered stone riverbed, which is designated as a national natural monument. It is a relaxing course with a couple of thrills along the way, but perfectly safe for children and seniors to enjoy as well. While listening to the boatman's entertaining speech, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in the spring, the cool breeze in the summer, the beautiful colors of autumn, and the warmth of the kotatsu (heated table) boat in the winter. In other words, a perfect outdoor activity regardless of the season!

This shrine was said to be founded by Yamato Takeru, the 12th Emperor of Japan, around 2,000 years ago. The current main building of the shrine is Shinto-style architecture, where the main hall and worship hall share one roof and are connected by an intermediate passageway. The main shrine, hall of offerings, and hall of worship were rebuilt during the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji period. The shrine is said to protect from fires, theft, and pain. Not only do many worshipers come from the local area, but also from throughout Kanto region, with more than one million annual visitors.

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, read "bishi" in the name). 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.

Established 290 years ago, Nagatorogura Sake Brewery and Boutique Store is a sake brewery that carries on the spirit of 11th Hino merchant Sōbē Fujisaki, who devoted his life to bringing Saitama’s Japanese sake to the world. In September 2018, to further pursue Sōbe Fujisaki's sake brewing tradition of “polish with skill and brew from your heart," the sake brewery moved to Nagatoro, a beautiful place of nature. Using naturally flowing water from the Fuppu area and rice grown on Saitama soil, we are producing the Japanese sake "THE SAITAMA ORIGINAL." (For more information about our facility, please visit the URL below.)

Gongendo Park is a hot spot for cherry blossoms, thanks to a 1 km stretch of 1,000 Yoshino cherry trees contrasting with beautiful yellow rapeseed flowers, and the park is filled with revelers every year. In addition, in June you can enjoy stunning hydrangea, in September the vivid red spider lily, and in January the charming white daffodils. A wonderful spot to visit, regardless of the season!

Plum planting began in 1986 at Ume Hyakkaen Garden. You can enjoy about 170 varieties of plum flowers, including rare ones such as the early blooming red plum during the winter solstice and the three famous flowers of the moon, mangetsu, tagoto, and soumei. From mid-February, about 470 plum are in full bloom, and the fragrant plum scent spreads all the way to the summit.

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.

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.

In the midst of the peaceful Satoyama, get in touch with nature and experience farming hands-on. There is a "Fureai Farm," which visitors can use freely for an annual fee, and the popular "Strawberry Farm," for picking strawberries and other fruits. There are also rice cultivation, digging of bamboo shoots, udon (wheat noodle) making, potato cultivation, Satoyama walk and hiking experiences, and various other events held throughout the year.

Presenting the theme, "From the past to the future: traveling 300 million years through Saitama's history of people's coexistence with nature," Saitama Museum of Natural History stores various resources related to nature, and displays the fossils of giant shark, “Megalodon," and mysterious sea animal, “Paleoparadoxia," discovered in Saitama Prefecture. The museum is constructed into two halls: the "Geology Exhibition," where visitors can learn about various fossils, rocks and minerals, geological strata and earth formations, and the "Biology Exhibition," featuring large dioramas of the four major forests of Saitama and the animals that live in them. Nagatoro area is a perfect example of the nature in Saitama, and here you can enjoy detailed explanations of its characteristics for a deeper understanding. You can also enjoy simulations and free audio guides. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

The park is named after the stone tablet on which Kyoshi Takahama wrote the haiku “Kokoniware Kuotomubeki Tsukinoishi,” and is very famous for its autumn leaves. The best time to see the autumn leaves is around November, with the illumination of around 50 acer amoenums Japanese maples. The area is very crowded during this time, especially with photography aficionados. You can enjoy the autumn leaves at the adjacent prefectural nature museum as well.