The Otaki Ice festival, illuminated Misotsuchi Icicles in 2021 – One of the most famous, and beautiful, winter scenes of Saitama is at the Otaki Ice Festival – in the former Otaki village – in Chichibu. The Misotsuchi Icicles are the only naturally formed icicles of the three Great iciclesRead More →
Tentative information for the Ashigakubo Icicles in 2021. The icicles are generally open to the public from the first week in January to the last week in February. In 2020 due to warmer than normal weather the icicles were severely effected and the event ended up starting late and endingRead More →
Onouchi Hyakkei Icicles are one of three icicle winter spectacles of Chichibu. “Hyakkei” means hundred and the Saitama Prefectural Tourism website translates the icicles name as Onouchi Hundred Icicles. However, the icicles are most commonly referred to as the romanized version of their Japanese name. 2020 icicles Due to theRead 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 is the festival not on, they are cutting all the red spider lilies to deter people from visiting theRead More →
Kinchakuda Red Spider Lily Festival 2020, Hidaka, Saitama Japan – The festival has been cancelled this year on account of the Coronavirus outbreak. And on the 17th of September the city will cut the spider lilies that have grown. There is nothing to see here this year folks! The famous redRead 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 →
Chichibu Highland Ranch, also known as Sai No Kuni Fureai Farm, is a free prefectural farm on top of a 766 meter high mountain ridge in Higashichichibu village. Located on an old mountain route that connects Ogawa and Higashichichibu to the Chichibu District, the drive itself is both beautiful andRead More →
Toryu bridge (also called Toryumon) is over the Ara River (Arakawa) in the Mitsumine area of the former Otaki Village in Chichibu, Saitama. Toryu Bridge Toryu Bridge is a footbridge at the start of the “omotesando”, the sacred trail, to the famous Mitsumine Shrine. The hike from the bridge toRead More →
Kuroyama is a beautiful, mystical, rugged area of Ogose town. It is best known for the three waterfalls of Kuroyama (Kuroyama Santaki), which were once ranked as the 9th most scenic waterfalls in Japan. They don’t enjoy as much fame these days and the area – while beautiful – doesRead More →
Nagatoro is one area renowned for wisteria. The area has naturally grown wisterias historically and is referred to as the valley of wisteria. There are about 3000 wisteria trees in the area, with the most famous around the Iwadatami. Iwadatami is also a celebrated natural phenomenon of Nagatoro and hasRead More →