Get to Know Saitama Prefecture!
Streets with Traditional Japanese Warehouses
Saitama is located just north of Tokyo, close to the centre of the metropolis and with convenient public transportation. The city of Kawagoe, located just 30 minutes from Tokyo by train, features historical streets lined with traditional Japanese warehouses. The Chichibu region, though located 70 minutes from Tokyo, is the perfect place for enjoying hands-on experiences, such as fruit-picking and making soba noodles, and appreciating nature, such as the beautiful hills covered in shibazakura (mountain phlox) in spring.
Kawagoe: Streets Lined with Traditional Warehouses and Candy Shops
Experience the feel of old Edo (present-day Tokyo) on a walk through Kawagoe’s streets, which are lined with traditional warehouses and are a popular draw for tourists who want to experience the Japan of the past. This historical cityscape was recognised as a designated Important Traditional Architecture Area by the national government in 1999 and as one of the 100 Beautiful and Historic Sites of Japan in 2007.
Near these streets is Kashiya Yokochō, also known as Confectionary Row or Penny Candy Lane. While the stone-paved road inlaid with coloured glass is enough to draw anyone’s eye, this area’s main attraction lies in the many traditional candy stores and snack shops beloved by the local Japanese population and visitors young and old for decades.
Kashiya Yokochō (Penny Candy Lane)
The Chichibu Region: Hitsujiyama Park’s Shibazakura and Nagatoro Boat Tours
The Chichibu region is blanketed in greenery and nature, but a particularly famous spot is the shibazakura hills in Hitsujiyama Park. The shibazakura bloom from April through early May and welcome enthusiastic tourists every year. Mt. Bukō, a symbol of Chichibu, provides a backdrop for the 17,500 square meters of pink and light blue blossoms that sprout from the 400,000 shibazakura plants.
Nagatoro, also located in the Chichibu region, is essentially a valley through which one of Japan’s most famous rivers, the Arakawa, flows. Nagatoro’s natural beauty calls to mind carefully crafted works of art that take an observer’s breath away. Visitors can immerse themselves in this gorgeous valley by taking a ride down the Arakawa in a traditional Japanese boat and learning more about Nagatoro from their boat tour guide. From gentle curves to rolling rapids, visitors can truly experience the force and beauty of the river and the region.
Shibazakura at Hitsujiyama Park
Nagatoro Boat Tour
