From fishing for your dinner to riding on whitewater rapids, you can do it all in Nagatoro!

Nagatoro, a six-kilometer valley in Saitama, has flourished as a tourist destination since the late 1800s. Receiving two million visitors each year, its biggest draw is undoubtedly the stunning Arakawa River and the Nagatoro Iwadatami, a 500-meter-long stretch of exposed rocks that look like layers of overlapping tatami mats. Here, you can take it easy while on a guided riverboat tour, led by skilled boatmen who navigate the rapid currents with ease.

In addition to riding the wild river, Nagatoro is also a prefectural nature park, with plenty of other stuff enjoy; seasonal beauty can be appreciated at nearby Mt. Hodosan, a gentle hike for all the family, complete with a cable car for an even more relaxing way to the top No trip to the area would be complete without trying some of the local cuisine, particularly ayu, the Japanese name for sweetfish, from the river. Another local dish is waraji katsudon, a breaded pork cutlet on rice with a salty-sweet miso sauce. Or get a sugar kick from kakigori shaved ice made with local water. Once you’ve eaten your fill, get back on the water!