Sightseeing Spots

The largest Taiwanese Shinto shrine in Japan. This gorgeous structure is worth seeing at least once. The spiral ceiling assembled without any nails, the 5-meter Kowloon stone pillar, a 4-meter door with wood carvings of warrior gods and a coffered ceiling with dragons. You can experience authentic Taiwanese-style worship and omikuji (fortune slips) here.

Around 300 Someiyoshino cherry trees are in full bloom at Sakuranoyama Park in early April and the mountain peak boasts a view that overlooks the Saitama-Shintoshin area. A large fireworks display is held every year on the second Saturday of May.

Yamabuki no Sato is associated with Ota Dokan, who was also famous for writing Japanese waka poetry. In the spring, about 2,500 Japanese rose trees sway in the breeze and match with the water mill hut to create an elegant atmosphere.

This dairy farm allows visitors to experience farm life and enjoy freshly made gelato ice cream and yogurt. In addition to dairy cows, the farm is home to a variety of animals, including chickens, Japanese Bantam (ornamental chickens), mini pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and more. Kids can also play with toy cars and tricycles donated to the farm by locals. Enjoy the view of the Arakawa River and its surrounding nature while tasting some of the best fresh gelato ice cream you've ever had. Enoboku, a miniature Hokkaido, hidden in the beautiful Ageo!

Doukan Omotenashi (hospitality) Plaza provides information on Ogose Town tourist attractions, historical sites, hiking trails, cherry blossom forecasts, and specialty products. Be sure to stop by when visiting Ogose Town!

Located immediately next to the Ogose Station West Exit, this facility is used by many as a rest spot and meeting place, as a rendezvous point for hiking and to purchase souvenirs and light meals (rice balls, pizza, coffee, juice). There is also a free shuttle bus to SPA O Park OGOSE that departs from in front of the facility.

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!

Ageo Maruyama Park was opened in 1978 with the theme "a harmony of greenery and water." It has a small animal corner, a children's amusement park, a barbecue area, a nature learning center, and a large pond, making it a popular place to visit.

The hot spring contains no sodium, classifying it as a "simple" alkalinity hot spring, making it rare in the Kanto region. The color of the water is dark brown but becomes sparkling gold when hit by sunlight. Soaking in the hot spring will make your skin smooth, and you are guaranteed to have a relaxing time.

Built on the ruins of Iwatsuki Castle, this park has lush natural trails with open spaces and is a popular place of relaxation for the local people. There is also a tennis court, baseball field, playground equipment, a picnic area with a fountain, a pond covered by a vermillion-lacquered zigzag bridge, and a vintage Tobu Railway Romancecar "Kinu No.1" on display in this enjoyable park for all ages! In the spring, the park is known for its 600 cherry blossom trees and the lively events it sponsors.

At our exchange center, attached to the Iwatsuki Doll Museum, we promote the history and culture of Iwatsuki. You can participate in various fun events, try cafe menus, local specialties, eat delicious locally harvested vegetables, gain new knowledge, and meet new people! This is a joyful place where people and information come together.

“Saitama City Iwatsuki Ningyo Museum” was opened in Saitama’s Iwatsuki Ward in 2020 and explores the history between people and dolls, serving the role of promoting the culture of dolls for the future. We are working on a project to make dolls more familiar to people through exhibitions and activities, as well as collecting and storing documents related to dolls and researching about the culture of dolls. (For more information, please see the URL below)

Purchases can be made from 1 piece of sembei (Japanese rice crackers). We have more than 30 flavors available. Other than this, we also offer sembei wrapped individually to make it easier to eat, along with gifts and seasonal Japanese sweets. There is an “Inauguration Festival” in mid-April, a “Thanksgiving Festival” in mid-October, and a “Thank You Fair” at the end of June and November.

With Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the god of the sea and storms, enshrined here, this shrine is known to protect against evil and plague. Inside is a lion mask called the "Hirakata lion" which is popular among locals. Every year in July, a mysterious festival is held called "Doroinkyo." This festival is designated as an intangible folk cultural asset by Saitama prefecture. The giant zelkova tree and enoki mushrooms within the precincts are designated as natural monuments by Ageo City.

This district park is known for its stunning lawn of green grass and 18-hole golf course. In addition to the golf course, there is also a children's area, a multipurpose plaza, and a parkway that can be used for jogging and other activities. The park enables people from different generations to meet and enjoy spending a relaxing and healthy time together outdoors.

The stage for a powerful display of horseback archery, Izumo Iwai Shrine is the oldest shrine in the prefecture and, together with two building signs, designated as a national important cultural property. According to legend, the origin of the tradition dates back to 1063, when Minamoto no Yoshie visited the area to express gratitude after his successful conquest of Oshu, building the Hachiman Shrine dedicated to the god of horseback archery. Every spring and autumn, young people perform beautiful displays of archery while riding on the backs of galloping horses.

Kuroyama Santaki is the name of a group of three waterfalls known as Odaki (man waterfall), Medaki (woman waterfall) and Tengu Taki (demon waterfall). This scenic spot was selected as one of Japan’s 100 best sightseeing destinations. Enjoy fresh greenery in the spring, refreshing cool air in the summer and remarkably beautiful leaves in autumn.

This flower garden, dedicated to a variety of early-blooming azalea called Rhododendron dilatatum (mitsuba tsutsuji), was born from cultivating a section of mountain forest over a span of 10 years. In early April, roughly 2500 flowers bloom creating a world of stunning floral beauty!

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.

It is a core facility for promoting the culture of bonsai and is the world’s first public museum specializing in bonsai. To spread the culture of bonsai, which is designated a traditional industry of Saitama, along with bonsai, bonki (vase), suiseki (rocks) and paintings of bonsai can also be enjoyed in this diverse exhibit. (For more information regarding the facility, please refer to the URL below.)

The "Little Edo Kawagoe Spring Sailing" is a Japanese cherry blossom viewing event held at the end of April, where visitors sail down the Shigashi River behind Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine to view 500 meters of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Sail along in a small Japanese-style boat enjoying the fully blooming sakura overhead with a flowing river of pink petals beneath you. It's a must-see for fans of the Japanese cherry blossom!

The history of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine goes as far back as the reign of Emperor Kinmei in the 6th century, and is said to have started with the separation of worship practices by the Ōmiya Hikawa Shrine, a part of Musashi Ichinomiya, when the cultural practice of building burial mounds was passed on to them. When Ōta Dōkan built a castle thereafter, it was revered as a Sōja, a shrine enshrining several gods, of this location. Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is familiarly called “Ohikawa-sama.”

The history of the temple is said to date back about 2,000 years ago, to the reign of Emperor Keiko. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when faith in Mt. Mitumine spread, Hatakeyama Shigetada, Nitta Yoshioki, and others worshipped here. During the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), the Kishu shogunate and the Kishu family were revered, and gifts from the Kishu family in particular are still treasured by this shrine. When autumn arrives, the “Fifteen Nights and Moon Reading Festival” is held to herald the arrival of autumn in the mountains of Chichibu.

The entrance of the Kawagoe Kashiya Yokochō candy store is marked with a large purple noren (shop curtain with emblem and name). A wide variety of sweets are produced and sold here, including kura manjū (Japanese-style bun stuffed with sweetened bean paste), sweet potato yōkan (sweetened bean jelly), potato sweets, and rice crackers. We can assist you in basic English.