- Attractions by Region -
Warehouse streets, gorge adventures, and a sacred mountain shrine—Saitama in a nutshell.
Kawagoe Warehouse District
A “Little Edo” area preserving the atmosphere of old Tokyo (Edo). Stroll past the Toki no Kane bell tower and Candy Alley while snacking and browsing retro shops.
Nagatoro Riverboat Ride
Enjoy the gorge scenery of the upper Arakawa by traditional boat: fresh green in spring, river fun in summer, blazing foliage in autumn, and kotatsu-heated boats in winter. Don’t miss the Iwadatami rock terrace geosite.
Mitsumine Shrine (Chichibu)
One of Kanto’s most powerful spiritual spots, perched on sacred Mt. Mitsumine. Gorgeous polychrome shrine buildings and sea-of-cloud views feel otherworldly. Famous for its wolf talismans (okami).
A scenic gorge famed for the Iwadatami rock terrace and traditional riverboat rides on the Arakawa.
A spectacular gorge of rock terraces and riverboats!
Nagatoro Gorge in Nagatoro, Chichibu District, features dramatic “Iwadatami” rock formations carved by the Arakawa River over millennia.
The classic “line-kudari” boat ride dates to the Edo period—skippers deftly navigate and guide you down the clear stream.
Spring brings riverside cherry blossoms and kerria; summer offers refreshing greenery and cool breezes; autumn saturates the gorge in vivid foliage; and in winter kotatsu boats run so you can stay warm while enjoying the view.
Nearby are Hodosan Shrine and the ropeway. It’s a top scenic spot where you can enjoy nature year-round.
Come autumn, five million red spider lilies blanket the riverside fields.
A crimson carpet of five million spider lilies!
Kinchakuda is a flatland formed by a meander of the Koma River in Hidaka. Its purse-like shape inspired the name “Kinchakuda.”
From mid to late September, about five million red spider lilies bloom, creating a sensational “crimson carpet.”
During peak bloom, the Manjushage Festival draws big crowds. In spring, rapeseed blossoms; in summer, cosmos—making it ideal for riverside walks and picnics throughout the year.
One of Kanto’s premier floral spots—sakura tunnels above, rapeseed fields below.
Sakura tunnels meet yellow rapeseed seas!
Satte’s embankment park is a celebrated cherry-blossom spot.
Roughly 1,000 Somei-yoshino cherry trees line a 1km stretch, forming a spectacular tunnel in spring. Beneath, a vast rapeseed field paints the ground yellow, creating a striking pink-and-yellow contrast.
The Cherry Blossom Festival enlivens the park at peak bloom. In June enjoy hydrangeas; in July, sunflowers; in September, red spider lilies—there’s seasonal color year-round.
Three falls—Otaki, Metaki, and Tengu—compose a cool, soothing natural scene.
Three famed falls: Otaki, Metaki & Tengu!
In Ogose’s mountains, Kuroyama Santaki comprises Otaki (≈11m), Metaki (≈5m, two-tiered), and the dramatic Tengu Falls (≈14m). It’s counted among Japan’s top sightseeing selections.
Long revered as a training ground for ascetics, the area exudes a sacred air. Stand near the basins to feel the cool, ion-rich mist.
Lush green summers and vivid autumn foliage make it a beloved four-season hiking and photography spot.
Japan’s first national government park—vast grounds of seasonal flowers and play zones.
304 hectares—about 65 Tokyo Domes—of seasonal delight!
Straddling Namegawa, this was Japan’s first national government park, spanning 304 hectares (≈65 Tokyo Domes).
Woods, ponds, and fields host sakura and poppies in spring; lush green in summer; cosmos and foliage in autumn; illuminations in winter.
Facilities include the country’s largest air trampoline “Ponpoko Mountain,” an adventure course, and 17km of cycling paths—perfect for families.
Multiple zones run seasonal flower festivals and events. Picnic, stroll, and recharge in expansive nature.
Station-adjacent hot springs with a festive Chichibu vibe—soak, dine, and shop.
Hot springs and festival spirit—right at the station!
“Matsuri no Yu” adjoins Seibu Chichibu Station—ideal for quick dips on arrival or before heading home.
Indoor and open-air baths draw natural hot spring water; spacious tubs and saunas are clean and comfortable.
The “Matsuri no Utage” food court serves Chichibu specialties like waraji katsudon and miso potatoes; “Chichibu Souvenir Market” sells local sweets and crafts.
Festival-inspired décor keeps the atmosphere lively all year—relax in the baths while soaking up local culture.
Open-air baths with waterfall views—an onsen embraced by Oku-Nagatoro’s nature.
Silky alkaline waters and a waterfall panorama!
Near 20m-tall Mangan Falls in Minano, this natural hot spring boasts silky, high-alkaline waters (pH 9.5) prized for skin benefits.
From the rotemburo you can gaze at the falls, listening to its soothing sound while soaking in forest air.
Opened in the 1990s as Chichibu’s first successful deep-drilled hot spring, it’s popular with locals and visitors. Try the signature onsen porridge cooked with the source water.
The name “Mangan” means “wish fulfilled,” drawing visitors who pray for good fortune. A restorative finale to Oku-Nagatoro sightseeing.
The emblem of “Little Edo”—rows of kurazukuri merchant houses evoke old Japan.
Time-travel streets lined with kurazukuri!
Kawagoe’s Ichibangai preserves black-plastered, fireproof warehouse-style houses from the Edo–Meiji eras; a dozen-plus remain today, testament to the city’s prosperity and resilience (they withstood the Great Kanto quake).
The Toki no Kane bell tower—Kawagoe’s symbol—chimes four times daily over the tiled roofs.
Ground floors host sweets shops, general stores, and eateries where you can sample local confections, soy sauce, sake, and more while strolling photogenic streets packed with visitors.
Legendary “Floating Castle” that withstood Ishida Mitsunari’s flood attack—now a restored landmark.
Unfallen “Floating Castle” of Kanto!
Counted among Kanto’s seven famous castles, Oshi resisted Ishida Mitsunari’s massive flood attack during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Kanto campaign, earning the nickname “Ukijo” (floating castle).
Today, Oshi Castle Park preserves moats and earthworks; in 1990 a three-story yagura-style keep was reconstructed.
Inside is Gyoda City Local Museum, with dioramas and videos that bring the castle’s history to life. The park is also a cherry-blossom spot in spring.
Ancient cliffside cave tombs with a rare patch of luminous moss inside.
Ancient horizontal tombs and glowing moss!
This late Kofun-period necropolis (6th–7th c.) features about 219 small caves honeycombed into a cliff. It’s been a National Historic Site since the Taisho era.
The caves served as family tombs with inner chambers; some can be entered to feel the ancient atmosphere firsthand.
Inside grows Hikarigoke (Schistostega), a luminous moss designated a Natural Monument—extremely rare in the Kanto plain.
During WWII, parts of the area were adapted for Nakajima Aircraft’s underground factory and as air-raid shelters. Boardwalks and exhibits allow you to explore history from antiquity to modern times.
Large ancient mounds dot a historic park—see the National Treasure gold-inlaid iron sword at the museum.
Home of the National Treasure gold-inlaid iron sword!
Preserving a cluster of 5th–7th-century tumuli, the park contains nine large keyhole and round mounds among green spaces.
The largest, Maruhakayama, is a 100m-diameter, 18m-high round mound—one of Japan’s biggest. Its summit is ringed with cherry trees.
At the Saitama Prefectural Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds, see artifacts excavated here. The gold-inlaid iron sword from Inariyama Kofun is a National Treasure and a crucial 5th-century inscription of the Yamato polity.
Trails, reconstructed pit dwellings, and seasonal flora make it perfect for both history and nature walks.
Hands-on museum in Omiya showcasing the history and technology of Japan’s railways.
Over 40 real trains—immerse in the world of rail!
One of Japan’s largest railway museums, featuring steam locomotives to Shinkansen—many open for boarding with detailed explanations.
Drive trains in simulators and watch shows at a huge diorama depicting Japan’s rail network—fun for all ages.
With a restaurant and library, you can spend the whole day even on rainy trips. Easily accessed from central Tokyo.
A lakeside theme park where the world of the Finnish “Moomin” stories comes to life.
Step into the Moomin stories beside the lake!
Opened in 2019 on Lake Miyazawa, Hanno, this park recreates the blue Moominhouse with guided interior tours filled with playful touches. Don’t miss the Hattifatteners’ maze and Little My’s playground.
Lake attractions, theater shows, and character greetings deepen immersion in the stories. Shop Nordic-inspired goods and exclusive items; enjoy lakeside walks and dining in a nature-rich setting.
A large cultural complex and pop-culture hub developed by KADOKAWA.
Kengo Kuma × KADOKAWA—epic pop-culture base!
Opened in 2020, Sakura Town is anchored by the stone-clad Kadokawa Musashino Museum designed by Kengo Kuma—part library, part art museum, part history museum—with its jaw-dropping “Bookshelf Theater.”
The site also features the Da Vinci Store, restaurants, event halls, and frequent anime/game events. Musashino Reiwa Shrine on the grounds even offers “anime ema” votive tablets.
Night lighting turns the site into a dreamy photo spot. Where cutting-edge culture meets tradition, every visit brims with discovery.
The world’s first public bonsai museum—see masterpieces up close and learn the culture behind them.
The world’s first bonsai-dedicated museum!
Opened in 2010 in Saitama’s “Bonsai Village,” the museum showcases dozens of seasonal masterpieces, including century-old trees and prize-winners—living art that condenses nature into a pot.
Exhibits of pots, suiseki (viewing stones), and historical materials trace bonsai’s cultural journey. Tours and demonstrations help beginners learn care and appreciation points.
Stroll the outdoor bonsai garden to see displays in harmony with surrounding plantings—an oasis of quiet reflection.
A December festival of lavish floats and fireworks—the grand annual rites of Chichibu Shrine.
UNESCO-listed winter festival ablaze with splendor!
Held every year on December 2–3, this is one of Japan’s three great float festivals.
Six towering floats (kasaboko and yatai) are drawn through town to flute-and-drum music; intricate carvings and curtains dazzle by lantern light at night.
The climax on Dec 3 is the dramatic pull up Dangozaka slope, accompanied by spectacular winter fireworks.
With over 300 years of history, the festival is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list and draws huge crowds despite the chill.
A fall festival where ornate floats parade through “Little Edo”; famous for musical showdowns.
“Hikkawase” float face-offs ignite Little Edo!
Held the 3rd Sat–Sun of October, the festival is the annual rites of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine with about 370 years of tradition; its float events are an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
A dozen-plus doll-topped floats traverse the warehouse-lined streets. When floats meet, bands duel in “hikkawase,” rousing crowds with flutes, drums, and gongs.
Daytime brims with history; at night lantern-lit floats create a magical scene recalling Edo festival scrolls.
Dubbed “Kanto’s Gion Festival,” with the tradition of handing out lucky fans.
Lucky fan tradition at Kanto’s “Gion”!
Held July 20–22, the festival emulates Kyoto’s Gion with grand floats and yatai.
Its name stems from the Edo-era custom of distributing uchiwa fans to beat the heat—a practice that continues today.
Twelve floats parade by day; at night, lantern-lit floats clash in musical “battles,” drums and flutes booming as heroic figures loom overhead.
For three days the city is festival-drenched—fans in hand, feel midsummer’s pulse up close.
Nostalgic alley lined with candy shops—perfect for strolling and snacking.
Sweet retro lane for time-travel snacking!
Dating back to the Meiji era, this narrow lane prospered with candy making. Today a dozen-plus shops give off a Showa-retro vibe.
Colorful candies, karume-yaki, hand-grilled senbei, and sweet potato treats beckon at pocket-change prices—nostalgic for adults, fresh for kids.
A popular stop during Kawagoe walks and a great place to pick up edible souvenirs of “Little Edo.”
Pick and hand-roll one of Japan’s “big three” teas—Sayama—at a long-running tea farm.
Pick the tea famed for its flavor!
Miyanoen in Sayama offers hands-on programs to experience the culture of Sayama-cha, known for the saying “Color is Shizuoka, aroma is Uji, flavor is Sayama.”
In new-tea season, don a traditional outfit to pick leaves in the fields, pan-fry them to release aroma, and taste freshly brewed tea on the spot.
Grind matcha on a stone mill, blend your own tea, or take a hand-rolling class—many tea experiences await amid pastoral fields. Take your own-picked tea home as a tasteful memory.
A mystical high-mountain shrine venerating wolves (okami) as divine messengers.
Wolf-venerating power spot atop the mountains!
Near the 1,100m summit of Mt. Mitsumine in Chichibu, this ancient shrine is said to be over 1,900 years old.
Uniquely, wolves are revered as divine messengers offering protection from evil and granting fortune. The triple torii and wolf statues add to the aura.
Richly colored carvings adorn the main halls amid towering cedars; on clear days you can see Lake Chichibu and the Okuchichibu ranges.
Crowds flock for the monthly first-day visit and its special white amulet. A renowned spiritual site drawing worshippers year-round.
The principal shrine of the old Musashi Province; one of Japan’s busiest New Year’s destinations.
Approx. 2,400 years of history—Musashi’s top shrine!
In Omiya, Saitama, the shrine is traditionally dated to about 2,400 years ago.
Shaded by keyaki-lined approaches and a placid pond within Omiya Park, the vermilion worship hall is famed for blessings in matchmaking and warding off misfortune.
Over two million people visit at New Year. The summer Tokaichi festival fills the grounds with lively stalls and crowds. Historically patronized by the Tokugawa shoguns, it remains Omiya’s guardian shrine today.
Regarded as Kanto’s oldest grand shrine—more recently a noted anime pilgrimage spot.
Oldest in Kanto—and an anime holy ground!
Believed to date back to the era of Emperor Jimmu, Washinomiya long enjoyed the patronage of court and samurai as a major Musashi shrine.
In January, the “Hajisai” rites include traditional offerings; the thousand-year-old “Washinomiya Saibara Kagura” is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
The shrine gained fame as the model for a key location in the anime “Lucky☆Star,” drawing fans who dedicate character ema tablets—especially at New Year—while the grounds retain a dignified, ancient calm.
Historic Tendai temple known for Edo Castle rooms and over 500 expressive rakan statues.
Edo Castle rooms and 500 rakan tell a grand story!
Founded in 830, Kitain thrived under Priest Tenkai in the Edo period and is widely known as Kawagoe Daishi.
After the 1638 great fire, parts of Edo Castle were moved here, including the room where Shogun Iemitsu was born. Today you can tour fine transoms and the audience rooms.
Outside, more than 500 unique rakan (arhat) statues—each with distinct expressions—delight visitors hunting for look-alikes. The Jan 3 Daruma Market is a local highlight.
Renowned Shingon temple dedicated to Shoten—its brilliantly carved main hall is a National Treasure.
“Nikko of Saitama” with dazzling polychrome carvings!
Founded in the 12th century, this temple venerates Shoten (Kangi-ten), famed for blessings in love and marital harmony.
The main hall, restored from 2003, stuns with riotous polychrome carvings of dragons, lions, and figures—earning the nickname “Saitama’s Nikko.” In 2012 it was designated a National Treasure.
Guided visits reveal sumptuous interior paintings and ceiling art. Seasonal colors—cherry in spring, chrysanthemums in autumn—enrich the quiet grounds that draw pilgrims nationwide.
A Zen temple set in a protected Musashino woodland—famous for fall colors and deep stillness.
Autumn-color Zen amid Musashino woods!
Revitalized in the mid-Edo period as the Matsudaira clan’s family temple, Heirin-ji manages a 46-hectare forest designated a Natural Monument.
Pass the gate into hushed woodlands; thatched bell tower and halls exude a solemn Zen atmosphere.
Mid–late November, maples and ginkgo blaze with color. Join sutra-copying or zazen sessions to touch Zen spirit close to Tokyo.
World-class flood-control facility nicknamed the “Underground Temple”; guided tours are popular.
World’s largest “underground temple” for flood control!
Completed in 2006 at a depth of 50m, this colossal facility stores floodwater from tributaries and discharges it to the Edo River.
The most famous part is the pressure-adjusting tank: 177m long, 78m wide, 18m high, lined with 59 pillars—cathedral-like in scale.
Guided tours (reservation required) take you by elevator into the space to learn the system and construction story and walk part of the gigantic chamber.
A frequent filming location, it offers a rare look at cutting-edge infrastructure.
A matchmaking power spot famed for 2,000+ wind chimes and the playful “sea bream omikuji.”
Wind-chime corridors and “sea bream” fortunes!
Traditionally founded in 541, the shrine enshrines five deities of marriage and family, making it Kawagoe’s beloved guardian and a famed matchmaking spot.
Each summer, “Enmusubi Furin” hangs some 2,000 Edo-style glass wind chimes—clear tones by day, fantastical illuminations by night.
Try the popular “tai-mikuji” fortune: use a fishing rod to “catch” a red or pink sea bream charm—fun and Instagrammable for luck and love.
About 25 minutes on foot (5 by bus) from Hon-Kawagoe Station. Walking from the warehouse district is a lovely approach steeped in history and romance.