Terasaka Terraced Rice Fields

Simple sulfur hot spring. Chichibu Yumoto (source of a hot spring), is a day trip hot spring that utilizes the Bukō Hot Spring as the source; it is effective for a range of chronic diseases such as neuralgia, sore muscles, arthralgia, stiff shoulders, and poor blood circulation. This is a liberating open-air bath where one can fully enjoy nature, with the cypress bath giving a tender feel of the tree and the rock bath providing a simplistic natural atmosphere. In addition, there is a “Bukō Auto Campsite (Phone Number: 0494-23-8229)” nearby and a lodging facility “Bukō-no-yu Bekkan (annex) (For reservation: 0494-24-4141)”.

This is a museum that exhibits the entire cultural heritage of Yokoze-machi. From stage models of Yokoze’s puppet show (intangible folk cultural property designated by the prefecture) and models of Bukōzanmitake Shrine Palace, there are displays of animals and plants collected from Mt. Bukō as well as historical documents that portray the transitions of Yokoze-machi. In the “nature” section of the permanent exhibition room, fossils of Sinomegaceros yabei, wild ox, wolves from about 130,000 years ago produced in the Nagoya Limestone Cave are on display. These fossil data are very rare on a national scale.

This is a house lodge located in the mountain valley with the surrounding enclosed in deciduous trees and the chirping of birds giving one a feel of the season. In the forest, close to the Terasaka Rice Terrace, is a Yuyado (a lodge with a hot spring) of medicinal herbs which is beloved by many as the “Yakusō-no-yu (hot water of medicinal herbs)”. The pride of the lodging is the medicinal herb bath which contains, among other herbs, chameleon plant and Japanese mugwort, allowing for the body to warm up from its core and improving blood circulation. One can expect recovery from fatigue and better skin.

A small hill (approx. 4 hectares) at the end of the parking lot of the Yokoze town citizen ground is being maintained by volunteers, mainly local residents, to make it into a place where people can gather and enjoy the blooming flowers. They have planted more than 6000 flowers and trees, mainly white flowers, which can be enjoyed from season to season. In addition, as a joint project between the government and academia, the town collaborated with Musashino Art University to create three integrated artworks that make the area even more attractive.

The seventh temple and sacred place is called Ushibushi-do, and the main deity is the eleven-faced Kannon. The eleven-faced Kannon was originally located at Ushibushi in the third ward of Negoya. Due to a disaster in 1782, it was moved to the main hall of Hocho-ji temple, where it has been enshrined ever since. Hocho-ji temple is called Mt. Seitai and follows the Sōtō school of Buddhism. The temple was founded by Ryodo Kansei, who passed away in 1606. The founder of the Buddhist sect here was Shigekata Uchida, the second head of the Uchida family, and the Uchida family is said to be of the Fujita lineage, which Hōjō Ujikuni adopted as his son-in-law.