Yoshikawa Shrine

A well-established Japanese sweets shop in Yoshikawa City that has been in business for 60 years. It was relocated to behind Yoshikawa Shrine and reopened in 2019. The famous "Namazu Manju," made from homemade red bean paste cooked with a rare attention to detail, makes for a perfect souvenir. We also recommend the "Namazu Monaka" to compare the taste of smooth and coarse red bean paste, and the dango (rice flour dumplings) made fresh to order.

This is a long-established rice cracker shop known for its large signboard. The cute "namazu sembei (rice cracker)" in the shape of a catfish symbolize Yoshikawa, the home of the catfish, and is a popular souvenir. Another favorite with many repeat customers are the Yoshikawa Chips, made with 100% Yoshikawa-grown rice flour and deep-fried in a secret recipe of soy sauce and vegetable oil. Both products have been certified as premium brands by Yoshikawa City.

Cherry trees sprouted from the seeds of the Jindai cherry tree in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, traveled to space with astronaut Koichi Wakata in 2008 and were planted in Seki Park on April 6th, 2019 through the Kibou (Hope) Cherry Blossom Project, which aims to plant cherry trees in municipalities affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The decision to plant the trees in Yoshikawa City was a result of (1) the children's communication with astronaut Kanai Yoshishige in space, (2) dispatching staff to Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture, which was evacuated after the 2011 earthquake, and (3) the desire to pass on to future generations an explanation of the damage caused by Typhoon Kathleen from 70 years ago. The Sakura Festival is held at Seki Park every March.

Just a minute's walk from the station, the water at this hot spring gushes from a source 1,500 meters underground, and is said to be a sodium chloride high salt onsen, a spring water source known as “Bijin no Yu” (beauty hot spring) that is neutral and gentle on the skin. It is also popular for its medicinal bath containing natural herbal medicines. In 2020, a new footbath named "Namazu no Ashiyu" (catfish footbath) was opened, and is gaining popularity as a new tourist spot in Yoshikawa City.

Located at the north exit of Yoshikawa Station on the JR Musashino Line, Rappi-Land offers a wide variety of goods and souvenirs related to the city of Yoshikawa, the home of the catfish. There is a wide variety of Japaese sweets such as manjyu, dorayaki, monaka, senbei, and even locally produced cola. You will even be greeted by a real catfish! The shop also serves as a tourist information center, so please stop by when you come to Yoshikawa.