Benibana means safflower: it is the flower of Okegawa where this Furusato Kan is located. A Furusato Kan is a type of folk museum and you can find a furusato kan in hundreds of towns around Japan. Benibana Furusato Kan The Furusato kan in Okegawa was once a private homeRead More →
For the last couple of years Ageo City have been replacing the playground at Ageo Sports Park. The old equipment is now almost all gone, but there is still two pieces that may or may not remain. Several pieces have been completely demolished including a cement monstrosity which was visuallyRead More →
Information for Saitama’s largest rose garden at Ina Memorial Park and biannual rose festivals. The spring rose festival in Ina surprisingly went ahead in 2021 despite a stay at home directive. It was one of the few Rose festivals on in 2021. So no surprises that the festival was onRead More →
Fukiage Poppy Festival is just one part of the annual Konosu Flower Festival. The Fukiage area of Konosu became quite famous this year after the Fukiage cherry blossoms went viral. The poppies are in a different area , along the Arakawa. They are just one of two poppy fields inRead More →
Kitamoto City has dozens of cherry blossom spots, including one of the five great sakura of Japan. They also have several cherry blossom festivals in different areas of the city, but this one – The Kitamoto Cherry Blossom Festival – is the main one. Throughout the pandemic, at least oneRead More →
Ageo City have confirmed they will once again have their cherry blossom festival in 2023. They were one of the few that had it in 2022 too, after two years of being cancelled. The Ageo Cherry Blossom Festival is held in two different locations in the city… Ageo Cherry BlossomRead More →
Information for, and an account of, visiting Japan’s largest Dolls festival display at the Konosu Surprising Dolls Festival or Konosu Bikkuri Hina Matsuri in Japanese. 鴻巣びっくりひな祭り。 Japan’s largest dolls festival pyramid display “Konosu Doll Pyramid” in Konosu, Saitama Prefecture, is just a 50 minute train ride from Ueno station inRead More →
Saitama Prefecture is getting a new indoor petting zoo in Ageo City! The information is a bit thin on the ground, but from what we can tell the new “Ikimono Tankentai” is a type of petting zoo aimed at children. Ikimono means creatures or living things. Tankentai means expedition orRead More →
Hatsu hinode is the wonderful Japanese tradition of watching the first sunrise of the New Year. Only three sleeps to go! Until we embrace the New Year with a crisp start! Because whenever we can, we start our New Year in the freezing cold of dawn to watch the firstRead More →
Saitama’s first certified Forest therapy base and therapy road at Kitamoto Nature Observation Park, also home to the Saitama Nature Study Center. When my kids were small we spent quite a lot of time at this park in Kitamoto. Or to be more precise; combining a visit here with theRead More →