Sightseeing Spots

Sprawling out over the Hiki Hills, this 46-hectare site is home to popular animals such as giraffes, red pandas, and koalas, as well as an ecological park dedicated to Humboldt penguins, Penguin Hills. Also adjacent to the park are a walking trail and cross-country course. The zoo is the only place in Japan where visitors can see the small rodent, gundi, at the "Eco Houchoo" (Eco-friendly mouse house), the rabbit-like yellow-spotted rock hyrax, the world's smallest deer, pudu, and the quokka, which joined the zoo to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The Capybara Hot Springs, a winter tradition, is also very popular.

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!

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.

At this park on the Kanto Friendship Trail (Kanto Fureai no Michi), the blooming flowers around the Shimokubo Dam (Lake Kanna), visible from below on the north side, are the delight of many tourists from spring to autumn. In addition, around 600 rare winter cherry trees blooming in the park from late October to early December create a very special atmosphere. There are also campsites, restaurants, souvenir shops, BBQ areas, observation decks, and more. It's the perfect place to enjoy a day of fun with the family!

At Bokuunji Temple of Mt. Kōyō, also known as Oginodo, the main deity of Saint Kannon is said to have once stood on the summit of Mt. Bukō. Bokuunji Temple is also dedicated to rare items such as a Seiryoji-style Sakyamuni statue, a picture scroll of good fortune, and a tooth of Yamanba (a mountain witch). A magnificent view of Mt. Bukō is visible from the front of the temple.

Just a close 15 minute walk from the station, this popular Hanno City tourist spot is filled with people in the summer. The contrast of the deep green trees with the red Wareiwa Bridge provides an ideal photo background, making this the perfect riverside spot for capturing fun summer memories. Rental BBQ equipment and ingredients are also readily available at nearby stores, so revelers can arrive empty-handed.

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.

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)

This 20-hectare park was established in March 1989 on the former site of Camp Drake, which was confiscated by the U.S. military in 1945, to ensure a comfortable living environment with beautiful urban landscape. The park is well known as a place for sports and recreation, with an outdoor plaza and jogging course. This vast park is also used as an evacuation site. Nearby are Tokyo Metropolitan Oizumi Central Park, Oizumi Sakura Sports Park, Tokyo Yono Green Belt (Nagakubo Ryokuchi), Niiza Green Path and Sakae Green Path in Niiza City, together serving as a large green belt that straddles municipal and prefectural borders.

This is a tourist information center located in Honjō Station of JR Takasaki Line. Visitors can obtain tourist pamphlets and information regarding the city and purchase Honjō City’s souvenirs. Sweets and Japanese goods recommended by the Honjō City Tourism Association and Honjō Kasuri silk are also available.

Our building is located on the historical site of the Kamakura period samurai palace “Sugaya-yakata” which transitioned to the castle “Sugaya-jō" during the Sengoku period. Opened in April of 1976 as the Saitama Prefectural Historical Data Museum, the museum was later relaunched on April 1st, 2006 for reorganization and maintenance of the prefectural museum facility. Focus was given to the collection, storage, and conducting of research on archaeological materials related to the Sugaya-yakata sites and medieval historical sites such as medieval castle buildings, and to utilize these materials for the development of education, learning, and culture. At that time, the name of the museum was changed to its current name. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

A roadside station with a full view of Watarase-yusuichi (a vast wetland and vibrant wildlife habitat). There is a facility selling products such as Koshihikari brand rice, grown on the fertile land of Kitakawabe area, and fresh local vegetables such as the Momotarō tomato. The richly flavored handmade soba available at the farm restaurant is also very popular, with many repeat customers. This new attraction is very unique to Japan as it straddles three prefectures, resulting in the roadside station being responsible for its overall promotion.

This sake brewery guards traditional techniques that have been in use since 1863. "Tradition is innovation" is their motto that gave birth to their sparkling sake, a product that has gathered attention and been praised, both domestically and abroad. Visit the brewery, interact with the brewers, and come in contact with the history and tradition of Japanese sake!

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.

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.

Visitors can learn about the rich nature and national treasures of Ina Town through the comprehensive exhibitions on local nature, geography, history and folklore on display. This museum moved to inside Ina Municipal Minami Junior High School in April 2016. Feel free to stop by, view the exhibitions and deepen your love and understanding of the wonderful Ina Town.

This tourist information center is located on the second floor of the station building adjacent to Higashi-Matsuyama Station. Here you can find pamphlets on sightseeing spots and city events, walking maps, and more. City mascot character goods and other local specialty goods are also available for purchase. A pamphlet rack is located in front of the ticket gates of Higashi-Matsuyama Station, allowing you to easily grab what you need on your way to the train.

This day trip hot spring facility was built in a relocated old private house. Located near the Tokigawa River, guests using the footbath on the Japanese-style terrace (engawa) are treated to the sounds of the calming babbling brook. There is also a nearby BBQ area you can visit with no preparation. After BBQ, you can relax and recharge in the hot spring.

The Ogose plum grove dates back to the separation of Umezono Shrine from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Named after Heian period scholar, poet, and politician, Sugawara no Michizane, this grove of trees is 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 within Japan. Around 20,000 plum trees, including the surrounding area, are in full bloom during peak season.

During wisteria season, you can enjoy vines of purple wisteria flowers descending from the trees in the precincts of Gokado Temple on Mt. Ogawa. Magohachi Honma, who built the temple, spent a night discussing the art of waka poetry with a traveling monk to finally master its secrets, and thus named the temple "Gokado" (words and songs temple). According to legend, the monk was said to have been the incarnation of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. The stone Buddha in the Koshinto pagoda on the right side of the hall is one of few existing in Chichibu. Collectible goshuin seals are available at Chokoji Temple, about 250 meters away.

Built in 1896, this brick warehouse supported Honjō's silk industry with the storage of cocoons and silk. It is a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

Atarashii Mura, or The New Village, is an agriculture-themed tourist facility. There is a market in the facility called "Mori no Ichiba Yui" that sells fresh vegetables produced by the local farmers of Atarashii Mura. There is also a cafe called "Mori no Cafe," where visitors can enjoy a drink or light meal. Lastly, at the facility, "Noh no Ie," they host hands-on experiences and lectures on agriculture and food, offer facility rentals, and have an herb garden of more than 100 different species where hands-on harvesting experiences for lavender and mint are available. They also grown their own rice, a popular product.

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.

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.