Nagatoro – river, nature and hiking

Nagatoro is surrounded by nature and offers breathtaking views, located about two hours from the heart ofTokyo, which makes him very popular with Japanese. The entire city of Nagatoro is designated as the Nagatoro Tamayodo Prefectural Natural Park, and the two banks of the Arakawa River crossing its centre are designated as picturesque beauty places and natural monuments.

Cherry blossoms of Nagatoro

Nagatoro was selected as one of the 100 most famous locations for cherry blossoms in Japan, with some 3000 cherry blossoms at the same time in April. Kita Sakura Dori Avenue and Minami Sakura Dori Avenue present a tunnel of flowers, creating a spectacular view. The aisles bordered by trees and cherry trees on the road approaching the Hodosan sanctuary showing 30 different kinds of cherry blossoms, the walk is particularly appreciated at nightfall, when the alleys light up.

Tsukinoishi Momiji Park

Tsukinoishi Momiji Park is the ideal place to admire the beautiful autumn foliage in Nagatoro, which lights up in mid-November. Many Japanese tourists come to enjoy the park, but also the valley that offers a wide variety of foliage in autumn.

Nagatoro Valley

The Nagatoro Valley spans a total of 6 km and is designated a picturesque beauty and natural monument. It is the cradle of Iwadatami which is a rock formation that extends over a width of 80 m and a length of 500 m along the Arakawa River. His name comes from his resemblance to diapers of tatami. Throughout the Nagatoro Valley, you can admire the beauty of nature created by the movements of the earth’s crust and erosion by the river.

Nagatoro Garden Hodosan Wintersweet

In the Nagatoro Hodosan Wintersweet garden, distributed on the top of Mount Hodosan in Nagatoro, there are 2,500 Wintersweet trees scattered on a 10,000 square metre slope. When they reach full bloom in February, you can enjoy their sweet scent and elegant yellow flowers. The plum garden has about 470 trees of about 170 varieties of plum flowers in red, white, peach and other colours. It is best to see him from mid-February to the end of March. Go up to the top of Mount Hodosan by cable car.

Hodosan Shrine

The Hodosan shrine stands at the foot of Mount Hodosan and is believed to be about 2000 years old. About 1 million faithful visit the sanctuary each year to be protected from fires, theft and other difficulties. It celebrates events throughout the year, with Shinnen Kaiun Kigan festival in January, Setsubun festival in February, Reitaisai festival in April and Funatama festival in August, among others. The Hodosan sanctuary received a star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan 2nd edition, an internationally recognized travel guide.

Temples with seven flowers

The temples with seven flowers are 7 temples of Nagatoro which each represent one of the seven autumn flowers. It is recommended to visit temples with seven flowers by hiking or using a rental bike.

Nagatoro City Museum

This museum presents the culture of silkworm and agricultural tools that were collected mainly in the city of Nagatoro. The historic Arai Silkworm House adjacent is the home of silkworm breeder that was built about 270 years ago. It has a shingle roof with layers of chestnut boards pressed by stones. This was identified as an important cultural asset by the Japanese government.

Saitama Natural History Museum

This museum exhibits various fossils, rocks, minerals, plants, animals and others collected in Saitama Prefecture. The fossils of an extinct giant shark and a rare paleoparadoxy are essential pieces. Nagatoro is known as the birthplace of geology in Japan and has been visited by many researchers and students since the late 19th century.

Getting to Nagatoro

Nagatoro is accessible by train or car. By train, take the Seibu line to Seibu-Chichibu station or the Tobu line to Yorii station. Then take the Chichibu railway to Nagatoro station.

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