Two Towns of History and Atmosphere Close to Tokyo
Despite being so close to Tokyo, Saitama is a prefecture often overlooked by tourists. But the truth is, there is a whole lot to explore, from traditional townscapes and cultural heritage spots to local crafts and delicacies. And you can visit it all without worrying that the crowds will get there first.
On this two-day trip I visited two of Saitama's lesser-known towns, Ogawa and Gyoda. Both have a rich cultural background, and while Ogawa is known for its paper-making, Gyoda is more known for its tabi (traditional sock) making, which have both affected the towns' atmosphere and the buildings themselves. These are two great areas to feel a little closer to Japan's rural history and culture, and try special dishes that are hard to find elsewhere.
Day One: Ogawa
My first stop in Ogawa was the centuries-old Yoshida Family Residence.
Built in 1721, the residence is the oldest recorded house in Saitama. The current owner still continues the daily tradition of lighting the hearth, an important practice to rid the house of dampness and keep the house in good condition. In the mysterious smoky atmosphere I bought myself a dango (grilled rice flour balls) to grill over the hearth. Everything felt like a peek into life centuries ago, with historic elements all around, like the tatami floors, thatched roof, pots for Japanese paper making, and even the old silk looms.
I got back in my taxi to travel around 10 minutes to Ogawa Futaba for lunch. The building was built in 1748 in a sukiya-zukuri architectural style, a style often associated with the tea ceremony and its use of natural materials.
Before or after the meal, it's a good idea to ask for a quick tour of the facility, as I was able to explore the antique rooms with their various rare wooden structures and decorations. Lunch was then served in a bright room with wide windows looking out onto the Japanese garden, and featured a variety of small dishes including classics like tuna and scallop sashimi, as well as more creative items like cheese tofu. However, their specialty is the Chushichimeshi, which is a bowl of rice topped with wasabi, green onion and yuzu citrus, with a warm light broth poured over it.
Saitama is known for its clear water, too, which is said to be of the utmost importance for making good sake. So I walked about ten minutes in the direction of Tsuki River to visit Seiun Sake Brewery. The brewery has been around since 1902, and has been making good use of the region's favorable climate and freshwater ever since.
While you can't do a full brewery tour, so as to not let in harmful bacteria, it is possible to take a look around the former brewhouse area, which is plastered with all sorts of certificates and awards, as well as antique sake bottles. You can try some of the sake for free in the shop, too, which I couldn't resist!
A few minutes' walk south from the brewery will take you to the scenic Tsuki River, which played an important part in Ogawa's history.
The river is important to the area because Ogawa is also known for its washi (Japanese paper) industry, which was traditionally made by the riverside.
So you might not be surprised when I tell you my next stop was a paper making experience at the Ogawa Washi Learning Center, just a 12-minute walk from the brewery.
The most important element of washi making, other than the water, is the kozo plant. When you enter the courtyard of the Learning Center, there is one such plant sitting in wait. Every year, the plant is cut down to be used for paper making, and then by winter it grows back to 3 meters tall, ready to be used once again.
When the kozo has been processed by stripping, boiling, and mashing up the bark, a sticky substance made from another plant is added. Those steps take many hours of work, so in my short workshop experience, I learnt about the process, then was invited to swish the paper sieve in the gloopy solution to make a sheet of paper. It was then taken to be fully dried, and mailed to me.
While you do receive the sheet of washi that you made, there is no shop at the center, so if you want to browse more expertly-made washi items, there are two places to do it: Kamisuki no Mura and the Ogawamachi Tourist Information Center "MUSUBIME". I personally liked Kamisuki no Mura because there was a whole array of unique washi items and sheets of washi, but it is about a 25-minute walk from the Learning Center (or 5 minutes by taxi). So, if you prefer to keep things simple, the Ogawamachi Tourist Information Center also has a small selection of washi goods alongside other local crafts and items, and is just opposite Ogawamachi Station (a 10-minute walk from the Learning Center).
I then made my way to my hotel near Kumagaya Station, which is accessible by one direct bus from Ogawamachi Station.
Day Two: Gyoda
My first stop of the second day was to the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds. This important area of Sakitama is in fact where modern-day Saitama gets its name. The large park spans around 40 hectares, making it a serene place for dog walkers as well as school trips to learn about the history of the burial mounds, called kofun in Japanese.
On my visit, I climbed the 99 steps to the top of the Maruhakayama Kofun. This is one of Japan's largest circular kofun, estimated to have been built in the 6th century. It is rare for a kofun to be a simple circle, as most are a keyhole shape made to face Mt. Fuji, like the rest of the ones in the park. Walking a bit further east, I saw on top of the Shogunyama Kofun a series of small ceramics, called Haniwa. These are thought to have been used to mark the area as sacred, and would have had no gaps between them, unlike now.
Then I made my way back to the more central area by the castle for lunch. I visited a restaurant called Chujiro-Gura, known for their soba noodles.
The town of Gyoda was once famous for its tabi-making. Tabi are traditional split-toe socks that were once very common when everyone wore zori sandals. The reason I mention this now is because there are lots of former tabi shops in the town that have been renovated into something new. One example is Chujiro-Gura, which is complete with an antique safe and storage space typical of wholesalers at the time. Now, its noodles are the highlight, particularly their "ju-wari soba" (100% buckwheat), served cold, of which they serve only a limited number of bowls per day. I personally tried their "ni-hachi soba" (20% wheat, 80% buckwheat) which was soft and comforting served with the hot soup.
This was also my opportunity to try a local delicacy, zeri furai. It's made primarily with soy pulp, mixed with potatoes and other vegetables, and flavored with a soy-based sauce. I really liked the texture and soy flavor.
One of the still-surviving tabi makers is Isami, so I wanted to visit to see how they make this traditional Gyoda craft. On the way, I made a quick stop to Gyoda Hachiman Shrine, because it has all sorts of deities in one place, including a shrine to wish for better eye health; very useful as a glasses-wearer!
At the Isami Tabi Honpo store, you can do a tour of the factory, a tabi-making experience, and visit the shop. To this day, they still use much of the original machinery from when they were established in 1907, and make 500 pairs a day in their 13-step process. Their shop has a fun selection of both traditional and modern patterns, if you want to take some home.
Intrigued by this tabi history, my next stop was the Gyoda City Museum, set on the grounds of Oshi Castle. The museum is organized by theme; the castle, tabi, and kofun. When it comes to Japanese castles, though, you might think of a large central building. Oshi Castle, however, was built on marshland, so instead the central Honmaru area was densely forested, and the residence was built next to it in the Ninomaru area, which made the castle more difficult to attack. The white structure towards the east is in fact a Yagura tower, rather than the central keep.
The museum's tabi section had some recreations of workers using the very same machines that I had seen at Isami, as well as a historic travel guide from 1765 noting Gyoda as a notable spot for tabi. In the final section, there are ancient terracotta haniwa dating back to the Kofun Period (mid-3rd to late 6th century) itself. All this is explained via the audio guide in English.
Of course, it wouldn't be a visit to a Japanese castle without a commemorative photo. So to remember my visit, I went all out and got into a full samurai costume at the Oshi Castle Bus Terminal Tourist Information Center. It took about 30 minutes to get all the gear on, and then I headed to the castle tower for a fun and silly photoshoot. Complete with replica samurai sword, this was certainly an unforgettable way to end my trip to Saitama!
How to get to and around Ogawa
Ogawamachi Station is easily accessible by one direct train from Ikebukuro Station in central Tokyo on the Tobu Tojo Line (75 minutes, 830 yen).
Many of Ogawa's highlights can be visited on foot or by public transport, except for the Yoshida Family Residence and Kamisuki no Mura. The residence is easiest to reach by a 10-minute taxi ride from Ogawamachi Station, or a 20-minute walk from Tobu Tojo Line Takezawa Station. Kamisuki no Mura can be accessed by bus (15 minutes, 1-3 times an hour), a 6-minute taxi ride, or a 30-minute walk from Ogawamachi Station. If you want to visit all the spots without too much walking, using a taxi is recommended.
How to get to and around Gyoda
The spots mentioned in this article can be accessed from Gyoda Station or Kumagaya Station, but in this case Kumagaya Station may be more convenient, as there is a direct connection to the Chichibu Railway that stops at Gyodashi Station, a 15-minute walk from Oshi Castle.
Kumagaya Station can be directly accessed from central Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station on the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (65 minutes, 990 yen), or from Tokyo Station on the Takasaki Line (75 minutes, 1,170 yen). It can also be accessed by shinkansen from Tokyo Station (40 minutes, around 3,500 yen).
Gyoda Station can be directly accessed from central Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station on the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (60 minutes, 990 yen), or from Tokyo Station on the Takasaki Line (70 minutes, 990 yen). A shinkansen route would require changing at Kumagaya.
The Gyoda City Museum can be accessed via a 10-minute train ride from Kumagaya Station to Gyodashi Station, followed by a 15-minute walk, or via a roughly 30-minute bus ride from JR Gyoda Station to the bus stop nearest the museum. The mounds are around 40 minutes away on foot, or a combination of bus and on foot. If you want to visit all the spots without too much walking, you can rent a bicycle to explore the area, use a taxi, or hire a car.