Koshigaya Natural Hot Spring Bijin-no-yu Yunohana

This single-floor wooden house, built using the architectural style called 'Sukiya,' has been praised and written about by the Japanese literature researcher Donald Keene. The facility now serves as a place to introduce the Sōka area's culture of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and classical instruments such as koto and shamisen. Furthermore, the facility is also open as a resting area where visitors, at a small sum, can enjoy a cup of tea.

The 12 cities and towns along with the 13 places of scenic beauty related to Matsuo Bashō’s “Oku no Hosomichi” has been recognized for influencing the scenery and lives of future people, as well as preserving the elegance and atmosphere of past times. Collectively, these areas are appointed as one of the best scenic spots in the country.

This is the village shrine of Ōsawa. It is said to be the Katori Shrine from Saishiro which was transferred here. The establishment is mentioned as Ōei era (1394 to 1428) in the “Meisaichō”. Given that the vicinity belonged to Shimo-usa-no-kuni in medieval times, the Shimo-usa-no-kuni Ichi-no-miya Katori Jingū was made into the village’s shrine in hopes of the Buddha honoring his presence in the village. Despite the shrine being built in Sagishiro, with the maintenance of the Ōushū Kaidō, it was built on the current ground around the Kan’ei era (1624 to 1644). According to the date of construction, the current main shrine was rebuilt in 1866. Around one side of the main shrine, a sign of the dyer’s operation is engraved. It is the work of Takejiro Hasegawa who resides in Mount Asama San’ya-machi and is the city’s designated cultural property.

An old resting house for travelers, built from local cedar and cypress trees, was remodeled and opened on May 16th in 2018 as a public rest area. Local products, such as the Sōka Senbei (rice cracker), are sold, and you can find plenty of useful information, making it a great starting place for any traveler in the area.

Hanataen is a circular water garden of about 2 hectares that is centered around a beautiful pond and displays Japanese culture and tradition. It has a characteristic wooden bridge centered on a beautiful pond, a tea room built in Sukiya style, an artificial hill overlooking the garden, and atmospheric stone lanterns. Also, various trees such as cherry blossoms and plums are planted, and you can enjoy both the autumn leaves and the flowers of each season. Furthermore, the garden is adjacent to Saitama Prefecture's only outdoor Noh (a traditional type of theater) stage, Koshigaya Noh Theater. A great place to both enjoy the beauty of Japan's culture and natural beauty.