Taste authentic maple syrup tapped straight from the surrounding Japanese maple trees at Chichibu Muse Park in Saitama.

This 200-year-old farmhouse has been lovingly restored as a luxurious ryokan for guests who want to experience an authentic retreat in the Japanese countryside near Tokyo. For a luxurious ryokan experience just outside of Tokyo, Miyamotoke offers guests countryside hospitality in a traditional Japanese farmhouse, plus something unique.

Making use of Chichibu’s historical shops and houses, NIPPONIA Chichibu Shrine Town helps preserve the town’s cultural heritage while supporting responsible tourism to the area through partnerships with local businesses. Saitama’s Chichibu is nestled in a basin dotted with dozens of historical shrines, a world of serene beauty just outside Tokyo’s doorstep. The city was also home to a thriving silk textile industry in the days when wearing kimono was more common than Western-style clothing.

Explore Chichibu’s beautiful nature, ancient historical sites, and spiritual power spots along a route taken by travelers for centuries. Whether you are seeking a spiritual renewal or a quiet trek through the beauty of rural Saitama, close to Tokyo, the Chichibu Fudasho might be just what you’re looking for. The Chichibu Fudasho is a 100 kilometer long pilgrimage route connecting 34 of the area’s Kannon Buddhist temples, with a history dating back almost 800 years. The popularity of the route peaked in the Edo Period, when many of the city’s common folk traveled here to gain wisdom and clarity by participating in the pilgrimage.

At Shougaku-ji, a 15th-century Soto Zen temple nestled in the forests of Hanno, visitors can experience an overnight retreat that delves into the calmness of zazen meditation and the gentle discipline of temple life.