In May 2024 there was a gorgeous mini mini-umbrella sky at the frog shrine in Fujimi City. The umbrellas were adorable, no bigger than my hand, and hang in rows along the shrine’s approach. In May 2025, they have the heads of pinwheels strung up on a string. On MayRead More →
Kaigara Cafe in Johnson Town, aka Little America, is an instagrammable cafe all year round, but particularly when they put up their mini umbrella sky for rainy season. According to the official Instagram account the cafe was modeled on a sea theme. Thus the cafe is decorated in shades ofRead More →
There are several different lavender fields in Kuki City, mostly within the vicinity of City Hall Shobu Branch. Between them they grow three different type of lavender: Hidcote (English lavender), Lavandula Grosso (French lavender) and Lavandula stoechas (Spanish lavender). The site at Kuki City Hall, known as Lavender Street, growsRead More →
Did you know that Ogose has both an Hydrangea Road and an ajisai mountain!? Ajisai is the Japanese for hydrangea. Information for the 2026 season and festival included. But before you get too excited, unfortunately there is a bit of a tale of woe to divulge first…. Ogose Ajisai TheRead More →
In praise of Culture Cafe Grandir and 5½ other reasons to visit “Little America”, Johnson Town, in Saitama Prefecture. Johnson Town Johnson town, at the site of the former American military Johnson Air base, is a collection of stores, cafes & restaurants and private residences in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture.Read More →
Everyday UFO Catcher Amusement, a crane game center in Gyoda City Saitama Prefecture, claims to hold the world record for the most crane games in one store. Tripadvisor says that it is a Guinness World Record, but the official website does not claim it as a “Guinness Record”. However, itRead More →
Ukiya no Sato is a nature reserve in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is part of what is known as the Saitama Green (greenery) Trust – conservation area number ten of fourteen areas in total in Saitama Prefecture. The reserve is known for two flowers. Nourishi in April andRead More →
An account of visiting the Umbrella Sky “Forest and Lake and Umbrella“ aka Umbrella Sky Project / Umbrella Street in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The umbrella sky in Metsa* is one of the most famous and most popular summer events in Saitama Prefecture annually. (Since 2023 it is now in springRead More →
Tokorozawa aviation museum (所沢航空発祥記念館 in Japanese) is in one corner of the engaging Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park. It is very easy to spot thanks to the hangar shaped design of the building and the airplane out front. Tokorozawa Aviation Museum The museum like the area around it has a fascinatingRead More →
The last two or three years there has been a boom in trampoline play centers around Japan. To that end, a new trampoline land, AIRJOY, opened in Kawagoe in Saitama earlier this year. Bringing the number of indoor trampoline centers in Saitama to six (that I know of). There areRead More →