Nagatoro Cherry Blossoms
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The weeping cherry of Hozen Temple -
Kita Sakura Dori Avenue
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Minami Sakura Dori Avenue -
Toori Nuke
Nagatoro has been selected as one of the 100 most famous spots for cherry blossoms in Japan.
There are a little over 3000 cherry trees in Nagatoro. In April, all the cherry trees in Nagatoro come into bloom at once.
In particular, Kita Sakura Dori Avenue and Minami Sakura Dori Avenue feature a tunnel of flowers made by the trees on both sides, creating an utterly spectacular sight.
There are also illuminations, tree-lined lanes and cherry trees on the road approaching Hodosan Shrine showing 30 different kinds of cherry blossoms.
Approaching Hodosan Shrine
Fall Foliage in Nagatoro
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Fall foliage in Nagatoro Iwadatami -
Tsukinoishi Momiji Park
Tsukinoishi Momiji Park, one great place to see the beautiful autumn foliage in Nagatoro, is illuminated in mid-November.
Its beauty is so mystical that it is covered by the press every year and brings in over 20,000 visitors. The autumn leaves along the valley are also a pleasure for tourists.
Nagatoro Valley
Nagatoro Valley is 6 km long in total and is designated a place of scenic beauty and natural monument.
The valley contains Iwadatami that is a rock formation exposed over a width of 80 m and a length of 500 m along the Arakawa river.
It was named Iwadatami because the rocks look like successive layers of tatami overlapping each other.
Throughout the Nagatoro Valley, you can enjoy looking at the formative beauty of nature that was created by changes in the earth's crust and erosion by the river.
Nagatoro Hodosan Wintersweet Garden & Ume Hyakkaen(Plum Garden)
In the Nagatoro Hodosan Wintersweet Garden spread across the summit of Mt. Hodosan in Nagatoro, there are 2500 wintersweet trees dispersed over a 10,000 square meter slope. When they reach full bloom in February, you can enjoy their sweet fragrance and elegant yellow flowers.
The Plum Garden boasts about 470 trees of about 170 varieties of plum blossoms in red, white, peach, and other colors. It is best viewed from mid-February until the end of March. Go up to the summit of Mt. Hodosan by ropeway.
The Plum Garden
Hodosan Shrine
Hodosan Shrine stands at the foot of Mt. Hodosan and is said to date back about 2000 years. About 1 million worshipers visit the shrine each year to receive protection against fire disasters, theft, and various other difficulties. It celebrates events throughout the year, with the Shinnen Kaiun Kigan festival in January, Setsubun festival in February, Reitaisai festival in April, and Funatama festival in August, among others. Hodosan Shrine received a one star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan 2nd Edition that is an internationally recognized travel guide.
First visit in the year to a shrine
Seven Flower Temples
The Seven Flower Temples are 7 temples in Nagatoro that each have one of the seven flowers of autumn.
The 7 flowers are bush clover, Japanese pampas grass, kudzu, fringed pink, golden lace, thoroughwort, and Chinese bellflower. The Japanese people have loved these flowers since long ago.
We recommend taking a tour of the Seven Flower Temples by hiking or using a rental bicycle.
Nagatoro Town Museum
This museum displays silkworm culture and farming implements that have been collected mostly from Nagatoro Town. The adjacent Historic Arai Silkworm House is the house of the silkworm farmer that was built around 270 years ago. It features a shingle roof with layers of chestnut boards pressed down by stones. This has been designated as an important cultural property by the Japanese government.
Page TopSaitama Museum of Natural History
This museum exhibits various fossils, rocks, minerals, plants, animals and more collected in Saitama Prefecture.
The fossils of an extinct giant shark and a rare Paleoparadoxia are must-see exhibits. Nagatoro is known as the birthplace of geology in Japan, and has been visited by many researchers and students since the end of the 19th century.
The Museum collects and houses natural history artifacts from around the Nagatoro area.
