Sightseeing Spots

Anrakuji Temple is the 11th temple of the Bandō 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (Bandō Sanjūsankasho) and has been known as Yoshimi Kannon since ancient times. The main deity is the Holy Avalokitesvara, the deity of compassion, and according to the Yoshimi Kannon dependent origination (Buddhist doctrine), the origin of the temple dates back to about 1200 years ago, when the Buddhist priest Gyoki carved a statue of Avalokitesvara and placed in the rock cave. Every year on June 18th, the Kannon is unveiled in the early morning to the public to ward off evil spirits. Special "Yakuwake Dango" (dumplings to ward off evil) have been sold on this day since long ago, and the long road to Anrakuji Temple continues to be lined with stalls every June 18th, with the area very crowded from around 2 am to early morning.

You can feel the warmth of the trees in this energetic store brimming with fresh vegetables, eggs and readymade side dishes (souzai) supplied by over 130 local farmers. Outside are stalls run by meat suppliers selling yakitori, and junmai dango (pure rice dumplings) are also available. This store is popular even with the local people. The items brought in for sale by the farmers are limited to one day only. We are committed to freshness!

The Nanbata Castle Park Museum is located in the center of long and narrow park grounds which are divided into east and west sides, with a replica of the Nanbata Castle in the "Shiroato Zone" on the east side, and relocated kominka (old residences) in the "Kominka Zone" on the west side. In the "Shiroato Zone" are the restored enclosure, water moat and earthwork mounds of the Nanbata Castle from the Sengoku Period. Visitors can enjoy the changing seasonal scenery of the water lilies and other wetland plants growing in the water moat. In the “Kominka Zone” are two relocated and restored early Meiji period private residences and the gate of a townhouse that are designated city cultural properties. Annexes such as a granary (kokugura), library (bunkogura) and barn (naya) were newly built to replicate Fujimi City's nostalgic farmhouse scenery. In the granary, visitors can watch videos about local performing arts and the restoration of the old farmhouses. The regional exchange facility, "Chokkura," is also connected to the building, where visitors can purchase local produce and souvenirs.

Passing along a road within the mountains, you will come to a direct sales farmers market built from Japanese cypress (hinoki). The shop specializes in mountain mushrooms and wild vegetables harvested in the Ohno region. The “Chirimen Norabō-na,” only available at this shop, is popular every year for its sweetness. The building is the oldest of the town's four direct sales shops, and is said to be the model for Myōkaku Station, which has the same octagonal shape.

Hatoyama Farm Village Park is a park that is free of charge to enter, surrounded by water and greenery. The park is popular with families and used as a resting spot throughout the year.

It is said that Minamoto no Yorinobu, on his way to defeat Taira no Tadatsune in the Heian period (794-1185), had a dream that a god on a white fox gave him a bow and arrow, aiding his win in the battle, thus spurning him to establish this shrine out of gratitude. Yakyū Inari Shrine is designated as a prefectural cultural property for its gongen-zukuri style, with highly sophisticated carvings on the interior and exterior of the building. Known for the god of good harvest, prosperous business and the arts, and most notably as the god of victory, many baseball players visit the shrine to pray due to the shrine being named "Yakyū" (baseball). The peony gardens are at peak bloom alongside wisteria and azaleas during mid-April.

This is a campsite surrounded by trees located in the ravine alongside the Tokigawa River. The facility is well-equipped with a building for cooking, showers and restrooms, making it a safe place to camp and have fun. Japanese salmon and char fish swim in the shallow river, for an up-close-and-personal experience with the great outdoors.

Behind the precincts of Takaohikone Shrine in Tako, Yoshimi Town, there is a rocky mountain with a great view. If you climb up the mountainside and stomp your feet, you will hear a clomping sound (ponpon). There is a legend regarding this place that goes something like this: Once upon a time, there was a rich man looking for a place to hide his fortune. One day, he paid a visit to Takaohikone Shrine and asked for the best place to hide it. The god told him, "Bury it in this rocky mountain. I will protect it for you." The man felt relieved and buried all his riches in the mountain. Today, the rocky mountain is called Mt. Ponpon and is said to be inhabited by a divine spirit, as a remnant of this story.

At “Kinbue Syoyu Park” (Soy Sauce Theme Park) in Kawashima-machi, Saitama Prefecture, visitors can enjoy "eating," "learning," "shopping" and "playing" at the "Kinbue Soy Sauce School," a soy sauce brewery factory tour, and the "Soy Sauce Brewery Restaurant." The museum is managed by Fueki Syōyu, a long-established soy sauce brewery founded in 1789. (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.

Tokigawa Town, prosperous in local lumber production, is one of the largest producer of wood fixtures in the Kanto region. While our shop focuses on wood fixtures, we also sell furniture, handicrafts and agricultural products made with warmth and care by our master craftspeople. We also accept consultations for made to order wood fixtures and furniture. How about owning your own one-of-a-kind item?

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.

Myoonzawa springs up from a steep wooded slope located along the Kurome river in the southern part of Niiza, Saitama. It is a clear stream selected by the Ministry of Environment as one of the "Top 100 Waters of the Heisei Era." Myoonzawa covers a stretch of about 100 m before joining with the Kurome river. You can find many rare creatures and plants that only can live in the cleanest of waters in this exceptional stream.

Overlooking the Toki River to the south is the historic castle ruins site "Sugaya Yakata" (designated a national historic site), said to be where samurai warlord Hatakeyama Shigetada built his mansion in the early Kamakura period (1185-1333), and inside of which exists a museum dedicated to the historic remains of Ranzan Town. The area is also known for its native Mountain Lily (yamayuri), in peak bloom in July. There are also plum and cherry trees. Ranzan Town is home to two of Japan's 100 most famous castles, and together with "Sugiyama Castle," "Sugaya Yakata" was selected for this honor on April 6th, 2017.

Ranzan Valley is one of Saitama Prefecture's famous scenic spots known for the Iwadatami rock terraces, the clear streams of the Tsukikawa River, and the heavily wooded natural environment. The Hosokawa area has a particularly unique peninsula-like topography, where a large river channel turns at a sharp 180 degree angle. The valley and surrounding Japanese red pine forests are a stunning sight! When Dr. Seiroku Honda, the first person in Japan to hold a Ph.D. of forestry, visited the area, he noted its great similarity to the landscape of Arashiyama in Kyoto, and referring to it as the "Arashiyama of Musashi Province," provided the origin of the name "Ranzan," another way to read "Arashiyama." In the summer, one can enjoy the fresh green and sounds of babbling brooks and chirping birds, in just an unbelievable one hour distance from the metropolis. In autumn you can also enjoy the reflection of the leaves on the surface of the water emphasized by the fiery red of the momiji maple trees. *Peak season for autumn leaves is mid-November to early December.

Established in 1946, our slogan is “from farm to dining table,” and we take pride in producing healthy and delicious ham and sausages using meat from the pigs raised on our farm. The quality of our product has been recognized for its authenticity in Germany, and has won many gold awards in international food contests. Featuring a theme park revolving around pork and health, there are gourmet pork meals, a farmers market selling local fresh vegetables and a relaxing hot spring, for a day full of leisurely fun.

A fermentation theme park run by Pickles Corporation, a tsukemono (Japanese pickles) maker. There are select shops for fermented foods, cafes, restaurants, and workshops available. You can eat dishes made with koji (rice with added fermentation culture) and lactic acid bacteria, and buy pickles and fermented foods carefully selected from all over the country. You can also experience making fermented foods yourself, such as kimchi, nukazuke (rice bran pickles) and seasonal dishes, in one of the many workshops.

Koedo Kurari is an improved facility retaining the atmosphere of the original Kyūkagamiyama brewery, established in 1875. The brewery, built through the Meiji, Taisho, and Shōwa periods, was remodeled and designated as one of Japan's registered tangible cultural properties along with the three warehouses: souvenir shop (Meijigura), Restaurant (Taishōgura), Japanese sake shop (Shōwagura), and meeting space (Tenjigura).

On May 23, 1868 (Keio 4), Heikuro Shibusawa, a member of the old shogunate army defeated in battle with new government forces at Hanno, fled alone towards Kuroyama Village via the Kaoburi Pass. He encountered a patrolling scouting party and fought them alone, but was badly wounded and committed suicide (harakiri) while sitting on a rock on the river bank. Heikuro was a cousin, brother-in-law, and adopted son of Shibusawa Eiichi, the man known as the "father of Japanese capitalism," whose face appears on the 10,000 yen bill.

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.

The Yoshimi Hundred Caves are a mysterious group of horizontally carved rock tombs created at the end of the Kofun period (late 6th to 7th century), and designated a national historic site in 1918. There are 219 holes confirmed in total, and the tombs represent Yoshimi Town with their significance. Each hole is divided into a narrow passage and a burial chamber, and the protected species, luminous moss, also known as goblin gold, can be found growing in the tombs.

"Rakan," or "Arhat," is a Buddhist term signifying a spiritual practitioner, or high priest, who has attained enlightenment. The 500 Rakan of the Kitain Temple are one of Japan's three great Rakan and took 50 years to complete. The 538 stone statues are famous for expressing a wide range of human emotions and for each having a unique action. According to legend, if you visit at night and touch the heads of the statues, only one will be warm, and it is said that this statue's face resembles the sculptor's deceased parent.

The Ogose plum trees date back to when the Umezono Shrine separated from the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Named after Heian period scholar, poet, and politician, Sugawara no Michizane, they are recognized as one of the three major plum groves in Kanto. The park covers an area of around 2 hectares and is home to about 1,000 plum trees such as Shirakaga, Kobai, Koseno-ume, and most notably an ancient plum tree called Kaisetsu, estimated to be 650 years old. The Mini SL steam locomotive train running through the park is also rare on a national scale. Including the surrounding area, about 20,000 plum trees are in full bloom during peak season.

This residence, built during the end of Edo period to the first half of the Meiji period, centering around the main building and guest hall including a barn and two storehouses, features stone and white walls built facing the road, creating a beautiful representation of Komago scenery. The residence was designated as a national tangible cultural property in 2014.