Summer in Saitama 2022 – In 2020 and 2021 summer was quite different to life before the pandemic. And although we are still in the shadow of the pandemic in 2022, life does feel somewhat more ‘normal’ than the past two years. For example, several water play areas and poolsRead More →
A selection of 10 Strawberry Picking farms in the Northern area of Saitama, including Chichibu, for the 2023 strawberry picking season. Strawberry Picking Chichibu and Northern Saitama Last year (2022), several farms opted to open late due to the pandemic. Many farms that normally open in winter opted to waitRead More →
The O park Bio Resort and Hotel will have their annual sky lantern event again in 2022. However, this year the event is quite different to previous years. The full name of the event is “Satoyama Sky Lantern Night”. In previous years it was only on select Friday, Saturday andRead More →
The Naked Men Festival, Kamikawa, Saitama. Naked Men Festival The naked men festival is on the 19th of November annually, in Kamikawa town, Saitama prefecture. And during the time the festival is on there is also a winter cherry blossom festival on a ten minute drive away. The cherry blossomsRead More →
Nagatoro spring leaves light up 2021 – In Japan they have a word for new leaves on a tree 新緑 “Shinryoku” which literally translates as ‘new green’. It is often translated into ‘fresh green’ in English. It is not a word we use in Ireland and it doesn’t really conveyRead More →
Sun Amenity Kitamoto Camp Field and outdoor activity center is ideal for an inexpensive camping experience. Just 500 yen for the night – one coin camping! Open all year round, but it is particularly scenic in spring with cherry blossoms and ‘hanadaikon’, a flowering plant similar to bluebells. Furthermore, theRead More →
Autumn leaves 紅葉, Ranzan valley / Gorge. New information added on November 11th 2022. Ranzan Valley (also known as Ranzan Gorge or Ranzan Keikoku in Japanese) is a beautiful nature spot with several hiking routes in the Hiki area of Saitama Prefecture. It is particularly popular in Autumn when theRead More →
I have been to several dams in Japan over the years. They are all very picturesque and the engineering admirable. I never really had a favorite… until earlier this month. I was instantly bewitched when I visited the Shimokubo Dam that straddles Fujioka City in Gunma and Kamikawa town inRead More →
Kanasana Shrine is a rare type of shrine that preserves koshinto, the old form of shinto worship. At Kanasana they venerate the entire mountain, Mt Mitake, as a God in the back of the worship hall. Supposedly there are only three shrines of this kind in all of Japan. Also,Read More →
Ryokami Sanroku Camping Ground is an old style riverside camping ground with cabins, deep in a mountain valley and cocooned by forest. The campsite is an isolated area of Ogano that has for the most part escaped tourism development. I think it is the most remote location in Saitama thatRead More →