In the most unlikely of places, in an old run down park in Ogano town, there is currently a Doko Demo “Anywhere Door”. An “Anywhere Door”, or doko demo door is one of the gadgets in the highly popular Doraemon cartoon in Japan. It is a bright pink door thatRead More →
Cluster Amaryllis / Higanbana / Red spider lilies at the Terasaka terraced Rice fields in Yokoze. In 2020 the Terasaka Terraced Rice fields are off limits to the public. Not only was the festival not on, they announced that they would be cutting all the red spider lilies to deterRead 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 →
Hydrangea in the Minano area of Chichibu in 2021. The cherry blossoms in Minoyama Park, Chichibu, are one of Chichibu’s most famous scenes. It is nicknamed the Mount Yoshino of the kanto plain due to the 8000 blossoms atop the mountain. However, Minoyama Park also has some stunning hydrangea. AndRead More →
Washi no Sato is a roadside station in Saitama’s last and only village, Higashichichibu. Moreover, it is one of the most famous places for traditional washi paper making, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. You can try your hand at the 1300 year old tradition at this quaint rest area inRead More →
Hodosan shrine, one of my top ten favorite shrines of all time, is one of those rare shrines that is well worth going out of your way to visit. Apart from its intriguing 1900 year history, the beauty and detail of the shrine and the grounds will captivate you inRead 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 →
A village of Peach Blossoms “Hanamomo no Sato” nicknamed an earthly paradise. In the Ouchizawa area of Higashichichibu, Saitama Prefecture. An Earthly Paradise The village of peach blossoms Ouchizawa Hanamono no Sato is one of Saitama’s most stunning spring scenes. Rightly nicknamed as “an earthly paradise” the location is remarkablyRead More →
Arakawa Roadside Station is a rest area in the Arakawa Hino area of Chichibu. The area is also known as the Hino Sightseeing Plantation Village. Attractions within and around the roadside station include fruit picking, nature museum, flowers, playground, restaurant, shopping, hot spring and steam locomotive! And in September theRead More →
The Chichibu area is known for its Dahlia. The Dahlia Garden at Mt Ryokami Fumoto Hana no Sato is one of the largest and most popular places to see Dahlia in Saitama. The garden have confirmed that they will open to the public in 2021. Mt Ryokami Dahlia Garden TheRead More →