A major exhibition dedicated to legendary manga creator Leiji Matsumoto is now being held at the Kadokawa Musashino Museum in Tokorozawa. The Galaxy Express 999 50th Anniversary Project: Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition – The Journey of Creation celebrates more than 70 years of the artist’s work and coincides with the 50thRead More →
The Washinomiya (formerly Washimiya) Yasakasai (鷲宮八坂祭) is the official grand summer Tennō‑sama festival of the Washinomiya district of Kuki. According to Kuki city’s official description, Tennō‑sama is a ritual meant to calm Gozu Tennō, a deity associated with summer epidemics and natural disasters, ensuring protection for the community during theRead More →
The former Shimozato (Shimosato) Elementary School in Ogawa Town, also known as the Ashigaoka School from the anime Non Non Biyori. A popular spot for cherry blossoms and one of the few places you can see sunflowers in the month of June (most places its July to September). Moreover, eachRead More →
I was very excited to visit Kitanoten Shrine (Kitano Ten Jinja 北野天神社 ) in Tokorozawa this month. It has long been on my list of places I want to visit. It did not disappoint. In fact, it far surpassed expectations. That was partially due to the presence of a HorseshoeRead More →
It only took ten years to revisit the “Totoro Shrine” to finally get photos I couldn’t get on my first visit due to all sorts of mishaps, all explained in this linked post! A big change in that ten years is that the monument at this shrine is now calledRead More →
In February 2025, I went along to the opening of the Chiikawa shop (Chiikawa Mogumogu Honpo) in Kawagoe. There were several social media posts online about it at the time and great excitement about the Chiikawa shop opening in the Penny Candy Alley. It would seem the world and itsRead More →
Each year the stunning Kadokawa Culture Museum have a child friendly exhibition during the period of the summer holidays. It is on in what they used to call the EJ Anime Museum, but the EJ Anime Museum hasn’t had any exhibitions in months. Moreover, they are no longer calling itRead More →
Only in Saitama: Totoro x poppies. I have visited Totoro during the poppy season three times in total. The first two times, in previous years, they weren’t in their prime, but this week they were. So I want to get this post out pronto, as we all know flowers comeRead More →
Dozens of new places have opened up in Kawagoe during the pandemic, but few have created as much as a social media frenzy as the Miffy Storehouse Kitchen and Bakery on Ichibangai. Ichibangai is the main thoroughfare of the tourist area of Kawagoe and the bakery / shop has aRead More →
If the AniTamaSai is on in 2023, it is the best kept secret in the world! I can find no information online for an event in 2023. However, I have a feeling, that the Acosta festival at the Tokorozawa Sakura Town Bunkasai, is replacing the AniTamaSai. I am on theRead More →