It was around 3 p.m. on a chilly day in December. The sky was overcast and the scent of rain hung in the air when Rina Kambayashi happened upon a creature she had never seen before. Opening the front door to her family's gracefully ...
A weekend in Saitama: Coffee, temples and a spot of river rafting
Kick off a weekend in Saitama Prefecture in Kumagaya, an excellent starting point for a trip that will take you all across the region — from river rafting in the forested mountains of Chichibu to the historical alleys of Kawagoe.
Chichibu: Steeped in tradition, but challenged by industry
The city of Chichibu, about 90 minutes by train from Ikebukuro, Tokyo, has a population of approximately 60,000. The region, which sits in the shadow of Mount Buko and alongside the Arakawa river is steeped in tradition with more than 300 festivals taking place ...
Jobs battle environment on sacred but scarred Mount Buko
Shin Sasakubo grew up listening to blasts of dynamite scar the slopes of Mount Buko and echo across his small town every day at half past noon. But it wasn't until the guitarist returned from Peru, where he studied Andean music, that he understood the ...
Small Saitama town embraces sharing economy in bid to battle demographic drain
Yokoze, a quiet, scenic town of around 8,400 in the mountainous Chichibu region in Saitama Prefecture, isn't immune to the sweeping demographic change impacting hundreds of rural municipalities across Japan. The town's population has been shrinking for the past two decades as its residents age. ...
Saitama's Nagatoro is home to stillness, motion and an endless variety of color
It wasn't immediately clear what the man tossing large pebbles at the torii of a shrine was trying to achieve. What appeared to be the desecration of a religious structure, with the vocal encouragement of his wife, turned out to be related to superstition, the ...
The 'washi' paper trail: from the tree to its many purposes
Stepping off the bus at the Gakko-iriguchi stop in Higashi-Chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture, the first things to strike the eye are high-flying clusters of balloons, suspended like colorful dirigibles. Here, the workshops and exhibition spaces of Washi-no-Sato, a well-known papermaking center tucked into the ...
Toshima Ward survey finds a fifth of residents willing to be resettled in Saitama
The Tokyo ward is accelerating moves to promote the resettlement of healthy seniors in Chichibu, where plans to create a retirement community are underway.
Seibu Railway cars to feature Hello Kitty characters in tourist draw
Hello Kitty characters will be featured on some Seibu Railway Co. train cars from Saturday in a bid to draw visitors to the Chichibu mountainous area where the operator serves. Under the campaign, dubbed "Hello Kitty meets Chichibu," a four-car train bearing the Sanrio Co. ...
Seibu to debut dinner trains featuring local fare on its scenic Chichibu Line from spring
Seibu Railway Co. will debut a dining train service in spring 2016 that offers gourmet meals to passengers traveling the scenic Seibu Chichibu Line. Starting April 17, passengers will be able to board a newly introduced train dubbed "52 seats of happiness," so named because ...
Whisky distillery plays a winning hand
Inside the visitors’ center at Chichibu Distillery, high in the hills of Saitama Prefecture, a hint of sawdust mingled with the aromas of vanilla, dried fruits and honey that filled the air.
