Information for the first sunrise, Hatsuhinode, in Saitama in 2021. However, some of the locations in this post are suited to watching a sunrise anytime of the year. Unfortunately, there are also some that do not open for sunrise except for the very first sunrise of the year on JanuaryRead More →
Unfortunately, even though the sunflower fields were scheduled to open in 2021, they have since decided not to open the fields to the public in 2021. They have quoted the increasing numbers of Coronavirus as the reason. Hopefully it is not setting a precedent for other sunflower fields. The HasudaRead More →
Saitama Aquarium in Hanyu It was a pleasant surprise revisiting Saitama Aquarium this past week. We hadn’t been in around eight years. And the last time was a bit of a disappointment so we left it this long to visit again. In the eight years since we’d been there thoughRead More →
Every September in the City of Kazo there is a fire walking ceremony, 柴燈護摩火渡り式, steeped in ritual and history, held at Sougan-ji Temple in Kazo City. Currently, the festival has not yet been cancelled for 2021, but there is every chance it will be cancelled in the coming weeks. PleaseRead More →
CESS ~ The centre for Environmental Science in Saitama, or the much more manageable “CESS” for short, is a unique museum in Kazo City, Saitama. It was designed to create awareness and educate about the environment. Particularly, it focuses on the impact of our lifestyles on the ecology and ideasRead More →
For the second year in a row the Hanyu Tennosama festival has been cancelled on account of the Coronavirus. The Hanyu Tennosama summer festival has a history of almost 400 years. It is normally celebrated annually in July, usually in the middle of the month. It is a portable shrineRead More →
I’ve brought the kids to Tobu Zoo a few times over the years. Our initial visit was about seven years ago and we weren’t as impressed with the zoo side on that first visit. However, they have improved the zoo over the years and we have grown to like itRead More →
The Onihei Edo-dokoro Parking Area is a rest stop in Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture, on the Tohoku Expressway on the way into Tokyo. It is most commonly called the Hanyu Parking Area despite their best efforts to market it by the name of the character it was called after. Onihei Edo-dokoroRead More →
A new branch of Kona’s Coffee Hawaiian Pancake House opened this month in Kazo City. There is a whole new development in the area where it opened: around Viva Home in the Shimotakayanagi area of Kazo. Kona’s Coffee is a Hawaiian style pancake and coffee house restaurant with branches allRead More →
Rice Field Art, Ancient Lotus, Cherry Blossoms, Observation Tower, Nature Hall, Winter Illumination and Park (with small playground) at Kodai Hasu no Sato in Gyoda Ancient Lotus at Kodai Hasu no Sato “Kodai Hasu no Sato (Ancient Lotus Pond)” treats visitors to the mysterious beauty of Gyoda lotus flowers thatRead More →