The Fujimi Cosmos walkway along the Shingashi River is blooming lovely today. It is close to the Mizumiya “frog” shrine which has recently undergone a stunning transformation. In addition, Mizuko Kaizuka park in the area is an archeological site that preserves the land of a former Jomon period village. TheyRead More →
Akimode and Yatagarasu Suzu no Wa at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine, Autumn 2022. The three legged crow lanterns are up! The ring of bells is waiting to be unveiled. And the paper dolls are prepped and waiting to go. This is the scene at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine tonight, in preparation forRead More →
This scenic riverside area of Ogawa town is very much off the tourist trail, even though it has been visited by the (former) Emperor and Empress of Japan. Furthermore, it has an unique shrine, that you have to cross the river to get to. It is the Tsuki river, whichRead More →
A completely off the beaten path spot for hydrangea – Katsuragi Kannon. I’ve mentioned Katsuragi Kannon on a couple of posts on the blog in the past. But I’ve been waiting to have the right photos (which I often do) before giving it its own post! Finally, today, I gotRead More →
A village of hidden gems near the Honjo Agriculture Tourism Center in Northern Saitama. The Honjo Agriculture Tourism Center is quite different to any other location I have visited in the last few years. It reminds me greatly of the remote villages in Ibaraki I had the pleasure of visitingRead More →
Izumo Iwai Shrine, the Yabusame shrine, in Moroyama town in the Iruma-gun of Saitama Prefecture. Following on from yesterday’s post about the horse blessing temple, today a shrine known for its horse back archery! Moroyama Town is known as the yabusame town thanks to the yabusame that is performed atRead More →
The Batou Kannon Ema market is an only in Japan festival. Actually, there are only a few places in Japan that have an ema festival or market, so this festival is quite unique even in Saitama Prefecture too. Ema are the wooden prayer plaques or votive tablets you see atRead More →
Nosaka-ji (Nosaka Temple) the 12th stop on the Chichibu 34 temple pilgrimage, 秩父札所十二番 野坂寺. Nosaka-ji A few years ago while at Hitsujiyama Park for the moss phlox, my family and I went for a hike in the area. We found this stunning temple on our way. Furthermore, it had beautifulRead More →
In this article you will find ten places for gingko trees in Saitama Prefecture, close to Tokyo. They are divided into two sections: 1) gingko tree avenues and 2) sacred or ancient gingko trees at a shrine or temple. The best time for viewing varies greatly between location. For example:Read More →
I’ve been posting quite a bit about Gyoda city lately, but the city has quite a lot to share! Moreover, I have photos now, whereas for many years I didn’t. The last couple of times I visited Sakitama Shrine I had my four children with me. As I wrote inRead More →