Chukaman Museum ~ free nikuman / chukaman factory tour in Iruma. The “Only in Saitama” series continues with Saitama’s latest free factory tour. The Chukaman Museum is a Chinese Steamed buns factory tour in Iruma. It is the first, and currently only, museum of its type in the whole ofRead More →
Yorii Little Prince Parking area, Kanetsu Expressway, Japan. Jump to “Driving in Japan” information. From yesterday’s very Japanese parking area in Hanyu to today’s quintessentially not Japanese parking area in Yorii. Yorii Little Prince parking area may not be a timeslip like Onihei Edo Dokoro parking area in Hanyu, butRead 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 →
Komainu The guardians of shrines, Komainu are usually referred to as lion-dogs in English. They are the guardian stone statues you see near the entrance to a shrine. One on either side of the walkway. One if male, one is female. Commonly one, believed to be the male one, hasRead More →
A report on making my own Saika Bonsai in the Omiya Bonsai Village for a special on Saitama Prefecture by the NHK Cool Japan programme. Disclaimer: I was invited onto the programme for my knowledge of, and work in promoting Saitama Prefecture, not bonsai! It was my first time pruningRead More →
Meiji Chocolate Factory Tour in Sakado, Saitama Prefecture – commutable from Tokyo. Meiji have seven factories with a free guided tour in the whole of Japan. We are lucky here in Saitama, that not only do we have one, but we have one of the chocolate and snack ones! AndRead More →
The life size Totoro and the House of Kurosuke were closed to the public from the start of the pandemic until May 2022. They did have a few special events at the house during that period. They reopened to the public in June 2022. However, there have been some majorRead More →
Santome Konjaku Mura / Village (Santome Konjyamura Kouryu Plaza) for something completely different in Saitama. Part I of a 4 part series about this unique outdoor theme / eco park. We had so many adventures in 2017 and enjoyed each in different ways. However, in terms of new locations forRead More →
Kawaguchi, Saitama. A national holiday that falls on a Saturday usually equates full car parking lots, queues for entry, crowds and general pandemonium. So when we arrived at Skip City without encountering a traffic jam, secured a parking spot in a half empty parking lot, with no entry queues norRead More →
Hiking in the Totoro Forest in Sayama Hills in Tokorozawa. Information on an easy hiking trail for families in the Totoro Foundation area of the Sayama Hills. Read More →