Culture
Sakura in Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama
Sandra IsakaOne thousand cherry trees in Chichibu's Hitsujiyama Park make up one of Kanto's loveliest (and quietest) cherry blossom displays.
Hitsujiyama Park (羊山公園) is known for its picturesque moss pink (shibazakura) hills in spring.
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One thousand cherry trees in Chichibu's Hitsujiyama Park make up one of Kanto's loveliest (and quietest) cherry blossom displays.
Spectacular flower beds made from tiny flowers called "Shibazakura" that could be seen in Hitsujiyama Park in the end of April - beginning of May.
One of the best places in the Kanto region to enjoy shibazakura is at Hitsujiyama Park, where the annual Chichibu Shibazakura Festival is held. The event is home to an incredible 400,000 shibazakura plants covering 17,600 square meters, ensuring a true visual treat.
The city of Chichibu in Saitama is renowned for its array of festivals, with over 300 events held in the area annually. A new one that combines projection mapping with historic locations is Night Walk Chichibu, which is the brainchild of digital art collective NAKED.
200 plus year old Onsen in Saitama Prefecture. Twelfth generation owner is a former professional Sumo wrestler, and one of the baths is Dohyo shaped. The food is prepared from local veggies and ingredients and the bar is located in a historic building.
Experience the tatami-matted rooms, onsen bath, yukata, and delicious food at Hatogo Ichiban, Chichibu, Saitama
It was my second visit to Chichibu Meisenkan in Chichibu city, a museum where you can experience the making of Chichibu Meisen, a particular type of Japanese silk. Next to the famous areas in Gunma and Nagano, Chichibu was also well-known for the production of raw silk and silk goods during the Meiji period and until the beginning of the Showa period. Raw silk was Japan’s main export good at that time. After that the Chichibu industrial institute of textile became the museum of silk goods, and the museum continues to introduce the technique of Chichibu Meisen until today.
Two hours from the largest metropolis in the world, and all hints of the city are gone. You’re in Chichibu, a little town in the mountains, full of nature, agriculturally-oriented, built on terraces of the Ara River.
Situated in western Saitama Prefecture the Chichibu region (and the city of Chichibu) lies to the west-northwest of Tokyo. By train it's about 80 minutes away from Ikebukuro Station on the Red Arrow Limited Express to Chichibu city. By car, it can take from 90 minutes to two hours depending on your route and traffic. Going by car gives you the option to explore the various sites along the way, walks along the rivers, or stops at any of the many restaurants you'll find along the way. Situated in a beautiful natural environment with a historical atmosphere, Chichibu has a lot to offer visitors regardless of the season. In the spring you can view the grounds carpeted by Shibazakura (pink moss) flowers, which look like sakura (cherry blossoms) in Hitsujiyama Park. If you go by car drive on back past the fields of blossoms and you'll find an area to relax and enjoy a picnic lunch. Of course, during the sakura season, which lasts a bit longer in Chichibu as compared to Tokyo, you can see a nice variety of cherry trees and other flowers as you make your way along the highway. In the summer you can take boat tours on the Arakawa (Ara River). This river runs from Saitama Prefecture to Tokyo. You'll have your choice of a gentle boat ride or you can raft your way down the river with some runs through the rapids. Boat rides are available from March through mid-December while rafting operates year round. If you are fortunate enough to make your trip close to the May 5th Children's Day holiday in Japan be sure to visit the town of Kanna. There you can see hundreds of "koinobori," the traditional carp flags flown for this holiday. The display we saw, pictured here, is on the hillside by the Jinryu River. The town also holds a festival during the holiday weekend. When we went we stopped for a short walk through the Onouchi Valley. Unfortunately, it was a very short walk as the old footbridge that crossed the river apparently was washed away some time ago. However, this new suspension bridge remains and offers a good view of the small waterfall in the valley. There are more interesting hikes and walks in the Chichibu region than this little valley, but it does have a small area jam packed with shakunage shrubs (Tsukushi rhododendron / part of the azalea family), which are usually in full bloom in the latter half of May or early June. Take the Seibu line from Ikebukuro station in Tokyo to Seibu-Chichibu Station on the Seibu Chichibu Line.