Saitama Prefectural Museum of Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds

Sakitama Kofun Park is home to nine large megalithic tombs (kofun), such as the "Inariyama Kofun," where the national treasure the "Iron Sword with Golden Illusions" was excavated, and the largest kofun in Japan, "Maruhakayama Kofun," a popular cherry blossom spot. Gyoda City Sakitama, where the park is located, is also known as the origin of Saitama Prefecture's name (the characters for "Sakitama" are also read as "Saitama"), and you can see the stone monument commemorating this in the park.

At the Haniwa building located inside the Saitama Kofun Group, anyone can experience making their own Haniwa with the help of an instructor. Creating a Haniwa takes 3 steps: molding for 90 to 120 minutes, drying for about a month, and finally heating the Haniwa in the kiln located inside the building for around 7 hours at 800℃. Once the Haniwa is completed, it can either be retrieved in person or be delivered and paid for on arrival.

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).

This spot located nearby Ōshi Castle is famous for its water hyacinth. The park's Blue Lake (Aoi no Ike) displays beautiful water hyacinth when in season. The square is also known for its 200 cherry blossom trees. There is also the "Literary Monument of a Country Teacher“ (Inaka Kyōshi-no Bungakuhi) of Katai Tayama. A verse from the book Inaka Kyōshi, “The road to Yori was long…,” is engraved on the monument.

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.