Saitama Hidden Gems
Tokyo's northern neighbour, where an Edo-era merchant town, river valleys and long-standing craft traditions sit half an hour from Ikebukuro.
6 spots
Climate & Best Season
Hot, humid summers (Kumagaya regularly tops Japan's charts) and dry, sunny winters. Spring and autumn are most comfortable.
Famous For (Food)
- Soba
- Unagi
- Sayama tea
- Kusadango
Signature Sights
- Kawagoe 'Little Edo'
- Chichibu valley & Mitsumine Shrine
- Nagatoro river boating
- Hitsujiyama Park shibazakura
Chichibu Shrine — Dragon-Carved Sanctuary Since 2000 Years
Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社) claims a founding date of 2,100 years ago, though the current structures date to the 1592 reconst…
Hodosan Shrine & Ropeway — Mountain Summit Views
Mt. Hodo (宝登山, 497m) rises steeply above Nagatoro town, its summit accessible by a 5-minute ropeway ride that climbs 320…
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine — Matchmaking Power Spot
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine (川越氷川神社) is one of Japan's premier 'enmusubi' (縁結び, matchmaking) shrines, believed to grant blessi…
Mitsumine Shrine — Mountaintop Wolf Guardian
Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社) sits at 1,100 meters on a remote mountain peak in the Chichibu range, enshrining wolf deities (o…
Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage — Sacred Temple Circuit
The Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage (秩父三十四箇所観音霊場) is one of Japan's three major Kannon temple pilgrimages — a circuit of 3…
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine — Ancient Regional Headquarters
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine (武蔵一宮氷川神社) is the grand headquarters of over 280 Hikawa shrines scattered across the Ka…