Saitama is a highly underrated prefecture that actually has so many sightseeing spots to offer compared to what the average may Tokyoite believe! For some reason, it has the image of being the ‘uncool’ prefecture, very much uncalled for if you ask me.
If you’re Iiving in or visiting Tokyo for a reasonable amount of time, exploring Saitama should definitely be on your radar. There’s much more to enjoy here than many people know of.
In this post, I’ll be outlining my favourite Saitama sightseeing spots, a combination of well-known places and secret sites. I hope by the end of this article, I’ll be able to encourage more of you to take a trip here and experience the beauty of this prefecture for yourselves.
Let’s get started with my favourite and perhaps the most hidden gem that I discovered during lockdown life!
7. Yamaguchi Kannon Konjoin Temple, Tokorozawa
Yamaguchi Kannon Konjoin Temple is different to any temple I’ve experienced before in Japan. Walking around the grounds, it displays a real melting point of Buddhist influence and artefacts from Thailand, and China.
There’s quite a lot of striking monuments here too, from the dragon-flanked stairs, to the bright red pagoda, hundreds of jizo statues, and a shrine dedicated to a samurai’s brave horse. Not to mention a bamboo forest on the hill it’s located on!
A true hidden gem of Saitama and its location is also near to several other sights to see. You should definitely make the short 5 minute walk to the nearby Sayama Fudoji temple. There, you can see an ornate gate that survived the Tokyo bombings of WWII and was moved here from Zojoji Temple for safekeeping.
After exploring these two temples, don’t miss the close-by view from Sayama dam. It has a lovely park to walk around, perfect for a picnic, and the reservoir is a calming sight. On a clear day, it’s said you can even see Mt. Fuji! Unfortunately I’ve only ever visited on hazy days, so if you get a chance to see this view, please do show me!
If you’re a baseball fan, you also might want to coincide your visit for a baseball day, as the Seibu Dome is right next door. Cheer on the Seibu Lions for me!
Top travel tip: I recommend combining your visit with Number 1 on this list – Totoro’s Forest, as that’s also nearby.
Access to Yamaguchi Kannon Kojoin Temple
Closest train station: Seibukyujo-Mae (Sayama Line & Yamaguchi Line). Easily accessed by taking the Seibu Ikebukuro Line & changing at Nishi-Tokorozawa station to the Sayama Line.
Parking: Plenty of parking available. The temple has it’s own car park with many spaces.
Cost: Free to enter, but as always, I encourage you to make a donation or purchase when visiting a shrine/temple.
6. Omiya Bonsai Art Museum & Bonsai Village, Omiya
You might think you need to be a bonsai enthusiast to enjoy your visit here but that’s not the case. At Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, anyone would be impressed at the interesting shapes and sizes of the bonsai in their collection. Some of which are a 1000 years old! It’s absolutely mind-blowing to me that these trees have been cared for by generation after generation.
One point that I really loved about this place is that they have very well-written English captions inside the museum. For those of you living in Japan, you’ll know how rare it is to find informative plaques that are actually interesting to read in museums. However, Omiya Bonsai Art Museum does an excellent job of presenting beautiful pieces of art alongside detailed historical and technical descriptions of the bonsai.
Once you’ve explored the museum and learnt more about this important art form in Japanese culture, head outside of the museum and to the surrounding area. There, you can enjoy six bonsai gardens, in what is known as Omiya Bonsai Village, established back in 1925.
Don’t miss the bonsai shop in the car park! They have a great range and we struggled narrowing it down to buying only two! Very reasonably priced and I’m happy to report both plant babies are doing well so far.
Access to Omiya Bonsai Village, Omiya
Closest train stations: Toro station (JR Utsunomiya Line). East exit, 5 minutes walk. Alternatively, a 10 minute walk from Omiya Kouen station (Tobu Noda Line).
Parking: Spaces for up to 39 cars.
Opening hours: 09:00-16:30 (March – October), 09:00-16:00 (November – February). Closed on Thursdays.
Cost: ¥310 for adults.
5. Mitsumine Shrine, Chichibu
This mountain shrine nestled deep in the forest, is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful, mysterious shrines I’ve visited in all of Japan, let alone in Saitama. Surrounded by tall pine trees, the collection of elaborate shrine buildings here are a real sight to behold. If I had to pick one Saitama sightseeing spot to take your breath away, I’d pick this one.
I wish I could also transmit that fresh forest smell that I instantly remember whenever I think about the place. My writing and photos do this place no justice, it truly has an atmosphere unlike no other and is an established power spot for good reason.
Mitsumine shrine itself is rather unique for a number of reasons, most notably that it worships wolves. In the past, it was believed that wolves kept crops safe from wild boars, as well as being messengers of the gods.
In fact, you’ll come across two statues of wolves (instead of the usual komainu lion-dogs) guarding the entrance to the shrine. You’ll also encounter many wolf-themed products in the souvenir store, including cuddly toys and sake! Another unique point, now that I think of it, as not many shrines have full-on souvenir stores!
Anime have also been set in Chichibu so you’ll notice the ema (prayer boards) picturing wolves are drawn in anime style. When I visited, the shrine was also doing a collaboration with several anime and had several unique products on sale.
Access to Mitsumine Shrine, Chichibu
Closest train station: Seibu-Chichibu station. From Tokyo, head to Ikebukuro and then take the Red Arrow express to Seibu-Chichibu station. Once you arrive, you’ll need to catch a bus to the shrine (Mitsumine-jinja stop), taking over an hour.
Parking: Plenty! I would caution that new drivers may find the narrow, winding roads challenging, and I would not recommend driving in winter.
Cost: Free to enter, but as always, I encourage you to make a donation or purchase when visiting a shrine/temple.
4. Metsä village, Hanno
Metsä village is essentially a large Nordic-inspired park created on the shore of Lake Miyazawa. You can enjoy a refreshing walk around the lake, shop Nordic products at the Nordic market, and enjoy tasting Scandinavian food.
What I like about this place is it’s a lovely little departure from the usual parks you get in the city and it seems to have something for everyone. I’ve never been to Scandinavia so I can’t quite say whether it’s authentic, but you definitely get the vibe you’ve been transported somewhere outside of Japan. Definitely refreshing for us long-term residents.
To my health-conscious & veggie friends: inside the market hall at Vege Tower, they sell locally grown, organic, pesticide and fertiliser-free vegetables. I love stocking up on these when we visit!
As another foodie point, you can also enjoy some delicious snacks from the seasonal food trucks there. My favourite so far being the huge fruit sandwich truck! At Christmas time, there’s always a nice mulled wine stand too. And don’t worry Starbucks addicts, there’s one of those to get your caffeine fix at too.
For those of you looking for that instagrammable shot, they have an umbrella walkway, although it’s now in the paid area unfortunately.
For any families visiting, there’s a huge hammock play facility and you’ll also want to head over to the hugely popular Moomin Valley Park inside the grounds of Metsä – a perfect way to make a day of it. Pet owners, you’ll want to put this place on your list as fur babies are welcome here!
Access to Metsä village, Hanno
Closest train stations: Hanno station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line), Higashi-Hanno station (Seibu Ikebukuro & JR Lines).
Parking: Plenty available.
Cost: Metsä is free to enter, however to enter the Moomin Valley Park a ticket will need to be bought. And it is a little pricey! Entry only is ¥2500 on the door (¥2300 in advance). In addition, for access to the paid facilities the price rises to ¥4200 (¥4000 in advance). For more information on ticket prices & what the paid facilities include, click here.
3. Hikawa Shrine, Kawagoe
Located in the historic city of Kawagoe, affectionately called by locals ‘Ko-edo’ (meaning Little Edo), is the romantic Hikawa shrine.
It’s one of the most renowned shrines to visit if you’re looking for that special someone to enter your life. With 1500 years of history dedicated to matchmaking and having a good marriage, a visit to Hikawa shrine is bound to help you improve your luck in love! It has a few characteristic, unique features that will make for a fun and memorable visit…
My favourite feature is the ‘fishing for your fortune’ aitai-mikuji, a fun pun as ‘aitai’ means ‘I want to meet you’ and tai is the type of fish you try to catch. This summer they have a limited edition purple coloured one!
After paying ¥300 & picking up a rod, you get to fish for your omikuji (fortune telling paper). You’ll find the paper wrapped up inside the shape of a colourful snapper fish. The omikuji will inform you how lucky you are, along with some advice. Even if your luck is not that great though, it makes for a fun experience and a cute souvenir!
I really recommend visiting this place in the summer if you can. A tunnel of fūrin – wind-chimes is set up, which are an iconic sound and sight of a Japanese summer. It’s felt that hearing the delicate chiming of fūrin helps cool you down, so you often spot these hanging outside houses in summer.
Access to Hikawa shrine, Kawagoe
Closest train stations: Hon-Kawagoe (Seibu Line), Kawagoe (JR & Tobu Line) or Kawagoe-shi (Tobu Line). From these stations it’s about a 25-35 minute walk, a little far but don’t let that put you off! The walk will fly by as there’s so much else to enjoy looking at on the way.
Parking: There are public car parks in the town. However, traffic can be extreme on the weekends and it can be a challenge to find a spot.
Cost: Free, but do make a donation!
2. Sakura Town & teamLab, Tokorozawa
With Sakura Town opening late 2020, it put Tokorozawa on the map making it a much cooler place to visit!
Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the focal point (seen below) is the Kadokawa Culture Museum, a huge, imposing structure made of over 20,000 granite stones. Inside, the 5 floor building contains an anime museum, the highly impressive (& very instagrammable) bookshelf theatre, art exhibitions, shops and a cafe.
Across the road is the teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest exhibition. Anything teamLab needs visiting in my opinion and this one is no exception.
Although much smaller than other teamLab exhibits, it’s nestled within Musashino Woods giving it a truly fairytale feeling. It definitely feels different to the other permanent exhibits which, naturally due to their locations, are more artificial.
Listening to the characteristic magical music of teamLab in the background, you can wander around knocking the little “acorns” as you go. As you gently hit them, they change colour, release a little chime, and send a cascade of change throughout the forest.
Access to Sakura Town & teamLab
Closest train station: A 10 minute walk from Higashi-Tokorozawa station (JR Musashino Line). From Shinjuku it takes under 45 minutes, Ikebukuro around half hour.
Parking: Plenty of spaces but it’s not free (¥200 per half hour).
Cost to enter Kadokawa Culture Museum: ¥1200 for standard entry and to see the Bookshelf Theater, extra costs for other exhibitions. Beware, tickets should be booked online before visiting! I turned up on a Saturday and tickets were already sold out so do plan ahead & book first.
Cost for teamLab: ¥1000 Monday – Thursday, ¥1200 for Fridays, Weekends & Holidays. Often closed on Tuesdays. Opening hours seem to change due to coronavirus so please check latest opening hours here.
1. Totoro’s Forest, Sayama Hills, Tokorozawa
I couldn’t believe we spent years living in Tokorozawa and only just discovered that the forests which inspired the much loved classic, My Neighbour Totoro, were right here under our noses!
Again, this was another spot we discovered during lockdown when I was just craving to be in nature and surrounded by greenery. Indeed, the time we spent there was the epitome of shinrin-yoku. A Japanese concept of “bathing” in forests as a way of therapy, which I’m definitely a firm advocate of.
Since 1991, Totoro’s Forest has been protected under the National Trust of Totoro no Furusato which was started to protect the abundant nature of the Sayama Hills area. Looking on the Trust’s map, you can see there are many numbered Totoro Forests, some are connected and it’s easy to hike between.
Walking through the forest, you’ll feel like you’ve entered the Ghibli movie itself and it’s easy to see why the director Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by this mysterious place. I can definitely imagine a Totoro appearing out of nowhere, can’t you?
In terms of the walk/hike, it’s not too challenging and I say that as someone who is very unfit. There are some uphill parts and of course it can be muddy depending on the weather, but it’s a leisurely walk you can enjoy.
What I loved most about our wander around this forest is that we randomly came across the shrine, Tenman Tenjinsha. If there’s nothing I love more living in Japan, it’s when deserted shrines or temples seem to pop out of nowhere for me to explore! No one was around except for an adorable little old couple having a picnic there. It was quiet, peaceful, and makes me wonder what it was like in the past.
Access to Totoro’s Forest, Sayama Hills, Tokorozawa
Closest train station: Seibukyujo-Mae (Seibu Sayama Line)
Parking: Limited but there are public car parks around.
Travel tip: As mentioned above, I recommend combining with Number 7 on this list. Exit Seibukyujo-Mae and explore the close-by Yamaguchi Kannon and Sayama Fudoji temple. Then head to Sayama Dam & enjoy a picnic in the park. Finally, walk along to Totoro’s Forest for an afternoon hike! This will make for the perfect day trip from Tokyo to Saitama!
Time for you to experience one of these Saitama sightseeing spots!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this run down of some of my favourite Saitama sightseeing spots. As always, my Instagram contains videos of these places under my Saitama highlights, as well as many posts and reels.
Finally, if you have any questions, let me know, and if you enjoy your visit to any of these Saitama sightseeing spots, feel free to tag me on Instagram, I love to see your adventures!
No Comments