7th Sacred Place, Hocho-ji of Mt. Seitai

A temple for safe childbirth, safe growth of children, and protection from evil. The main deity of the temple, Nyoirin Kannon, or Cintamani-cakra, is said to be the Goddess of Mercy and Wisdom, who has a wish-fulfilling jewel that removes evil and purifies the clouded mind, relieves suffering, and bestows prosperity by giving gold, silver, and treasure. In the precincts of the temple, there are three-story bluestone pagoda of the three Amida deities from the Muromachi period (1336-1573) and a mound of writings from the first year of the Hōei era, where women wrote their wishes and stored them.

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 Bukō as well as historical documents that portray the transitions of Yokoze-machi.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.

Also known as Ogino-do, the main deity, Saint Kannon, is said to have once stood on the top of Mount Bukō. The temple also has a buddha statue in the style of Seiryō-ji, a picture scroll of good fortune, and a tooth of Yamanba (a mountain witch). The view seen from the top of Mount Bukō is a magnificent sight.

From season to season, Saitama Prefecture’s largest terraced paddy field expands a rural scene that can only be seen in Japan. As of now, 4 hectares of the rice field (about 250 pieces) is in use out of the total area of 5.2 hectares. In the summer, en event of about 600 bonfires lighting up takes place, creating a magical atmophere, and is an experience limited to one night that cannot be enjoyed anywhere else. During the autumn, the 2,000,000 bulbs of the red spider lily planted on footpath blooms.

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)”.