Sightseeing Spots

Opened in 1990 as part of efforts to promote the official city flower, the peony (botan). A prominent peony park in the Kanto region, roughly 30,000 square meters of colorful peonies bloom from mid-April to early May, culminating in the Peony Festival (botan matsuri) during peak bloom. Throughout the year, visitors can also view hydrangea, Japanese maple and wintersweet, and enjoy facilities such as a large playground complex, an open lawn, and an observatory.

Gyōda Hachiman Shrine is called “Fūji no Miya" (Palace of Sealing) for its secret prayer method which is believed to help children sleep, prevents nervousness, cancer, diseases, bad habits and dementia in the elderly. In the precincts, there is a “shrine of the eyes,” the Kasamori Inari Shrine which enshrines the god of eczema and beautiful skin, along with “Okuninushi Shrine” that enshrines Oshi Castle’s 7 lucky gods. Recently, the “nade momo” (patting peach) is said to be a place for spiritual energy, and is famous for the god of warding off suffering from illness and misfortune.

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).

The only sake brewery at Kura no Machi, Kawagoe. Though the sake brewery cannot be toured, the adjoining Matsumoto Shōyu, established 200 years ago, can be toured free of charge. Please stop by for a visit! The sake brewery is only 1 minute by foot from the Toki no Kane, the center of Kawagoe’s tourist destination.

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.

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.

This facility utilizes the nature of Sayama Hills as an opportunity for us to interact with and think about our relationship to nature. There is an exhibition room, observation balcony, seminar hall, outdoor grilling space, and much more. There are also five themed spots on a hill adjacent to the center: Waterbird Paradise, Bug Forest, Wetlands Village, Tree Forest, and Butterfly Forest.

This aquarium features exhibits of approximately 70 different types of freshwater fish native to Saitama Prefecture that inhabit the upper stream of the Arakawa River to the region surrounding the mouth of the river. Among the highlights are the Tokyo bitterling, Musashi ninespine stickleback, and the waterwheel plant. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

This is the Ōsawa village shrine. It is said the Katori Shrine was transferred here from Sagishiro. The “Meisaichō” notes the shrine's establishment as Ōei era (1394 to 1428). This area belonged to Shimōsa Province in the middle ages, and Katori Shrine, the province's first shrine, was invited to the village as its guardian deity and built in Sagishiro. It was moved to its current ground around the Kan’ei era (1624 to 1644) due to the maintenance of the Ōushū Kaidō. According to the sign displaying date of construction (munafuda), the current main shrine was renovated in 1866. A pattern from the fabric-dyer is engraved around one side of the main shrine. It is the work of Takejiro Hasegawa who resides in Mount Asama San’ya-machi and is the city’s designated cultural property.

In addition to Japanese papermaking and seasonal experiences and workshops related to the Japanese paper, there's soba and udon handmaking experiences, and Japanese paper specialty goods and agricultural products available for purchase. The food court is chock-full of local village cuisine such as salted grilled artic char and oyaki. There's also a thatched-roof paper-making house inside the Japanese garden, where visitors can enjoy a relaxing space straight out of the Edo period.

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.

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!

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).

The Kumagaya Municipal Ogino Ginko Museum is dedicated to Ogino Ginko, the first officially licensed female doctor in Japan who passed the medical practice examination in 1885, one of the three great historical figures of Saitama Prefecture. The museum is a Japanese-style building with tiled roof and plastered walls partly covered in wooden siding built to resemble the Nagaya-mon gate of Ginko Ogino's birthplace, and is divided into an exhibition room and a lounge area.

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.

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.)

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.

Here you can see the only castanet-playing haniwa (clay figurine) and dancing female haniwa (clay figurine) ever found in Japan! In addition to the many earthenware and stone tools on display, you'll get an introduction to the life of Kiku Nishizaki, the first Japanese female seaplane pilot and great historical figure of Kamisato, who was the model for the heroine of an NHK TV series.

This facility is a center for socializing and tourism established in the early Meiji period merchant's inn, "Chichibu-Kan," which was renovated in a way to preserve its original appearance. 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 you're searching for tourist information or would like mingle with the locals, we hope you will visit Hot Spot Chichibu-Kan!

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.

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!

“Kiyasse Hanyū” is the nickname for Hanyū City Mitakaya agricultural and forest park. This park, with an area of roughly 3.6 hectares, has a flower-filled “Shiki no Oka” (four seasons hill), a production building selling local vegetables harvested fresh each morning, a beer factory that manufactures Hanyū’s local beer “Kobushi Hana Beer,” and a restaurant to enjoy handmade udon. Inside the park, there is playground equipment for kids, and events and vegetable harvesting experiences are held year round.