Tokyo again? Of course. We all love Tokyo. I immensely do, which is why I have lived here for 6 years.
But this time, instead of sprinting off to some faraway prefecture, we decided to look just one step beyond the city limits. And that is how we ended up in Saitama — the place everyone loves to tease… until they actually visit.
Saitama may not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a trip around Tokyo, but our 4-day, 3-night journey through its Bonsai village, shrines, mountain temples, tea fields, and local cuisine revealed a destination rich in character and discovery.
This 6D5N itinerary is designed to help you discover the quieter, softer, and wonderfully unexpected side of the Tokyo region — the one that has been hiding right next door all along.
DAY 1
Tokyo, but make it fresh again
Before diving into Saitama, we spent our first day exploring a different side of Tokyo — the kind of itinerary you keep in your back pocket for the moment you think, “I’ve run out of things to do in this city.” These spots are gentle spin-offs from the usual tourist route, perfect for anyone who has already checked off Shibuya Crossing, Asakusa, and Harajuku twice.
Kiyosumi Garden: A Pocket of Peace in the Big City
Our morning began in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa with a peaceful walk through Kiyosumi Garden. This classic stroll garden feels like stepping into a painted landscape: ponds reflecting the sky, curved bridges, stone paths, and foliage that turns into a watercolor scene in autumn. It is a surprising pocket of stillness for a city so famously fast.
Website: https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/kiyosumi/
CLANN by the river
Situated right along the Sumida River in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, CLANN by the river is a café-restaurant where the vibe is all about unwinding with a view. You’ll find specialty coffee, craft beer, breakfast soups, and light lunch options like clam chowder, pulled-pork burgers, and seasonal small plates that pair well with riverside relaxation
Website: https://clannbytheriver.jp/
MOT: Tokyo’s Underrated Contemporary Art Museum
From there, we headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT), one of the city’s most underrated museums despite having world-class exhibitions. Its spacious galleries, modern installations, and beautifully designed building make it the perfect bridge between nature and creativity. Even if you know Tokyo well, MOT always has a way of refreshing your perspective.
Website: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en
3000 Days Burger
Known for its concept of “the ultimate burger perfected over 3,000 days,” this Kiyosumi-Shirakawa burger shop centers around classic American-style burgers made with carefully selected beef, original buns, and simple, well-balanced toppings, along with sides like fries and gelato.
Website: https://3000days.jp/
Kintsugi: Mending with Gold, the Japanese Way
The highlight of the afternoon was a hands-on kintsugi workshop in Nihonbashi, where broken ceramics are repaired with lacquer and gold. The process is slow, calming, and almost meditative, and simple enough for any beginners. It’s a perfect way to ease into the mindset for the rest of the trip. Plus, you walk away with a piece of art that carries your own story.
Website: https://mutoh-corp.com/
Think of Day 1 as Tokyo’s soft reset button. Familiar city, new angles… ideal for days when you want the Tokyo you love, just a little gentler and a little more unexpected.
RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo: A Quiet Retreat in Waseda
Before the adventure began, we checked into RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo, a quiet hideaway tucked into the Waseda area. The hotel is adjacent to Okuma Garden, a beautifully landscaped green space that adds a sense of calm and openness to the surroundings, making it easy to forget you are still in the heart of Tokyo.
Inside, the hotel’s classic European-style interiors add a warm, gentle charm — the kind that instantly slows your pace after a long day of travel. If you’re looking for a stay that gives you both convenience and true quiet time, this is one you would enjoy your stay at.
Website: https://www.rihga.com/tokyo
DAY 2
A relaxing day in Omiya City
From Tokyo, we move on to Omiya in Saitama — a city that feels both connected to the capital and distinctly its own. Historically, Tokyo and Omiya were part of the same ancient province of Musashi, and even today the two are linked by some of the busiest railway lines in the country. Many people live in Saitama and commute into Tokyo, making the border between the two feel more like a gentle fade than a sharp line.
Access is extremely easy. Omiya Station is well connected from Tokyo Station and other major hubs in central Tokyo, making it possible to reach in around 25 minutes on a direct train. It’s close enough for a half-day trip, but rich enough to spend an entire day exploring.
The Railway Museum: Nostalgic Trains and Family Fun
Begin your day at Japan’s premier railway museum, just one stop from Omiya Station. This museum isn’t only for train enthusiasts, it’s a beautifully designed interactive space that tells the story of how trains shaped modern Japan.
You can actually walk into beautifully preserved retro trains — the kind you’ve seen in old Japanese anime and films — and feel like you’ve stepped straight into a nostalgic scene. Kids love climbing into the driver’s seat, adults love the retro interiors and Shinkansen displays, and families end up staying much longer than planned.
It’s an easy, relaxed attraction that feels educational without being heavy, and fun without being overly childish — perfect for visitors of all ages.
Website: https://www.railway-museum.jp/e/
Omiya Bonsai Village: A Living Neighborhood of Miniature Forests
From the world of steel and engines, step into a quiet, leafy neighborhood dedicated to one of Japan’s most refined arts. Omiya Bonsai Village has been home to master bonsai families since they relocated from Tokyo after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Today, several long-running nurseries line the streets, each displaying miniature landscapes shaped by decades of patient hands.
While exploring the village, visitors can deepen their understanding of bonsai by also visiting the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, located nearby but operated as a separate facility. The museum provides historical context, explanations of styles and techniques, and seasonal displays that help first-time visitors learn how to view bonsai more consciously. Together, the village and the museum offer complementary perspectives — one as a living community, the other as a curated educational space.
Website: https://www.bonsai-art-museum.jp/en/
Bonsai Experience at Tojuen: Create Your Own Miniature Juniper Tree
For travelers who want more than simply admiring bonsai, Tojuen offers a rare hands-on experience guided by artisan instructors. This small, long-established garden lets you sit at a workbench, pick up real bonsai tools, and learn how to trim, wire, and gently bend branches — the same techniques used by professionals who shape these trees for decades. It’s quiet, meditative, and surprisingly absorbing.
If you live in Tokyo or within Japan, you can take your creation home and continue caring for it. For overseas travelers, transporting plants internationally is restricted, so please check your country’s immigration and quarantine regulations before planning to bring your bonsai home.
This experience pairs beautifully with a visit to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. I must say that I am very proud of my first potted bonsai masterpiece.
Tojuen Website: https://bonsaitojuen.com/
Experience Booking (Deeper Japan): https://www.deeperjapan.com/bonsai
Lunch at Bonsai Restaurant Omiya
If you’re staying in Omiya for lunch, Bonsai Restaurant Omiya is a charming stop just a short walk from the village. The menu is simple and comforting, but the highlight is the adorable bonsai-themed dessert — a tiny “kokedama” moss ball, playful enough to photograph yet surprisingly delicious.
Website: https://bonsairestaurant-omiya.com/
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa-jinja Shrine: The Ancient Spiritual Center of Musashi
End your Omiya day with Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa-jinja Shrine, one of the most historically important shrines in eastern Japan.
In autumn, the long path leading to the shrine becomes especially beautiful, lined with zelkova and maple trees that turn the entire approach into a gentle corridor of red and gold.
With a history said to span over 2,400 years, Hikawa served as the ichinomiya — the highest-ranking shrine — of ancient Musashi Province. The long tree-lined approach, ponds, and quiet grounds create a peaceful atmosphere, a grounding way to complete your Omiya journey.
Website: https://musashiichinomiya-hikawa.or.jp/
Dinner: Shichigo
Shichigo is a cozy Japanese restaurant just a short walk from Omiya Station that focuses on hand-crafted dishes highlighting local ingredients, especially chicken and tofu. The menu ranges from classic oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) to a variety of house-made tofu dishes and small plates, and it also offers a selection of sake from Saitama and around Japan.
Website: https://www.shichigo.jp/
DAY 3
Sayama Hills for Serenity, Tokorozawa for Style
Day 3 is the most activity-packed day of the itinerary — a satisfying blend of nature walks, incredible local food, tea experiences, modern shrine architecture, and a museum that feels straight out of an animated world.
Lake Sayama: Tokyo’s Hidden Water Source
Lake Sayama is a calm, scenic reservoir surrounded by gentle forested hills — a perfect place for a peaceful morning walk. Beneath its quiet surface, however, the lake plays an important role as part of Tokyo’s water system, storing and stabilizing the supply drawn from the Tama River. It’s a rare spot where everyday nature and essential infrastructure blend seamlessly.
Lunch at Udokichi: Musashino’s Udon Superstar
For lunch, stop by Udokichi, a local favorite with a loyal fanbase and a queue that forms every day — and for good reason. It’s one of the best bowls of udon I’ve ever had, showcasing Saitama’s reputation as one of Japan’s top wheat regions.
Udokichi’s charm is its selection of house-made noodles, each offering a different texture: ultra-chewy, mochi-like, firm Hanamanten wheat, or even a unique chuka-style noodle. Whichever you choose, the flavor and craftsmanship are unmistakable.
A simple, satisfying meal that perfectly sets up the afternoon tea experience.
Miyanoen: Sayama Tea Experience
At Miyanoen, the tea experience goes far beyond tasting. You begin by slowly grinding fresh tea leaves on a traditional stone mill, feeling the weight and rhythm that turns leaves into fine matcha powder.
From there, the staff guide you on a short walk through the small tea fields surrounding the workshop, where you can see up close how Sayama-cha grows in the cool climate that gives it its famously rich flavor.
Back inside, you whisk your own bowl of matcha by hand, learning how subtle changes in movement affect the aroma and froth. The session ends with a bit of playful creativity: making simple matcha art using the foam you’ve whipped yourself.
Website: https://miyanoen.com/en/
Musashino Reiwa Jinja and Kadokawa Culture Museum: Saitama’s Most Photogenic Duo
From the tea fields of Sayama, the day shifts into something completely different: Tokorozawa Sakura Town, a modern cultural complex created by Kadokawa, one of Japan’s most influential publishers. Kadokawa is known for producing everything from novels and encyclopedias to anime, manga, and films — shaping Japanese pop culture for decades.
Sakura Town is their ambitious attempt to bring all of that creativity into a physical space, blending shrines, museums, bookstores, and digital art into a single walkable area.
At its center stands Musashino Reiwa Jinja, a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional shrine architecture. While its structure follows the classic style, the materials and artistic touches are unmistakably modern, giving the shrine a clean, sculptural presence. It feels both familiar and new, as if the past and present are quietly shaking hands.
Just beside it is YOT-TOKO, the complex’s charming souvenir shop featuring a curated selection of Tokorozawa’s local products — teas, sweets, condiments, everyday goods, and small crafts.
I ended up buying a cute incense stand made by a Hanno pottery studio — a small, well-crafted piece that feels even more meaningful because I try to support local artisans whenever I can.
A short walk away is the iconic Kadokawa Culture Museum, a massive stone-like building designed by Kuma Kengo. It’s more than just a museum — it’s a cultural fusion space where literature, art, and digital media coexist.
Inside, the famous Bookshelf Theater surrounds you with towering 360-degree shelves, creating a world where analog books and digital projections blend seamlessly.
The projection mapping makes it feel as though the books themselves are speaking, narrating stories through shifting light and images. It’s immersive, unexpected, and unforgettable.
Dinner: Unagi no Naruse
Unagi no Naruse is a casual unagi restaurant offering eel dishes at relatively accessible price points. The menu focuses on straightforward “unajyu” (kabayaki-style unagi served over rice), a practical option for days when you’re craving unagi without committing to a high-end, occasion-style meal.
Website: https://gj3w719.gorp.jp/
Stay: IN THE LIBRARY hotel and books TOKOROZAWA
Opening in July 2025, IN THE LIBRARY hotel and books TOKOROZAWA sits right inside the Tokorozawa Sakura Town complex, making it the perfect place to end the day. With nearly 5,000 books spread across its signature space, THE LIBRARY, the hotel feels like a quiet refuge built for readers, creatives, and anyone who enjoys slow, thoughtful time.
Breakfast is delivered to your room, letting you spend the morning exactly as you like: reading, relaxing, or simply enjoying the stillness.
Because the hotel is part of Sakura Town itself, you can easily spend an entire day here — exploring the quirky, modern complex, visiting the museum, browsing the shops, stopping by the shrine, and returning to a room that feels like an extension of the experience.
Website: https://tokorozawa-sakuratown.com/
DAY 4
A Cultural Journey Through Hanno and Chichibu
Today is your deepest dive into Saitama’s spiritual and cultural heritage — a day that moves from mountain temples to kimono traditions, ancient shrines, and the craftsmanship behind local sake.
It begins in the quiet forests of Hanno, where Takedera stands hidden among bamboo groves. This temple is unique in eastern Japan: it escaped the Meiji-era separation of Shinto and Buddhism, allowing rare traces of Shinbutsu-shūgō, the old blended form of worship, to survive unchanged.
Here, you’ll experience suizen, a form of flute meditation practiced by Zen monks. It’s an almost unknown tradition, and in the silence of the mountain, the sound of the shakuhachi drifting through the bamboo creates a sensation that feels both ancient and entirely new.
After suizen meditation, lunch is served inside Takedera — a serene space surrounded by thick bamboo groves. The temple is known for its unique bamboo shōjin-ryōri (Buddhist cuisine).
The dishes are gentle, plant-based, and deeply connected to the land: simmered wild greens, lightly seasoned roots, fragrant herbs picked from the surrounding mountains, and small plates arranged in bamboo bowls crafted specifically for the temple. Many ingredients change throughout the year, reflecting the landscape just outside the sliding doors.
Temple website: https://www.takedera.net/
Experience booking: Beauty of Japan
Chichibu Meisen Kimono Experience: Bold Patterns and Living Heritage
From the quiet forests of Hanno, the day continues into Chichibu, a region famous for Chichibu Meisen, one of Japan’s most vibrant and innovative kimono textiles.
At Irohatori located inside the Chichibu Furusato-kan, you can try on a Meisen kimono and step directly into that history. Dressed in Meisen, you then take a gentle stroll through Chichibu’s small streets — a charming contrast of traditional storefronts and quiet alleys, an easy, atmospheric way to experience the town and its heritage.
The Chichibu Meisen Museum is the best place to understand how this vibrant textile became one of Japan’s most iconic fashions. The museum collects and preserves historic Meisen garments, tools, stencils, and weaving equipment — each piece revealing how boldly creative textile design was in the early 20th century.
The souvenir shop here carries a small but lovely collection of Meisen items made by local artisans. I ended up buying a scarf, very soft, vibrant, and easy to wear daily.
Website: https://www.meisenkan.com/
Chichibu Shrine: A 2,100-Year-Old Guardian of the Region
Just a short walk from the kimono experience is Chichibu Shrine, the spiritual heart of the region and the general guardian (sōchinju) of the entire Chichibu area. With a history stretching back more than 2,100 years, it stands among Japan’s most ancient shrines.
Chichibu Shrine is also the stage for the famous Chichibu Night Festival, one of Japan’s grandest winter festivals, known for its lavish floats, lanterns, and powerful rhythms. Dressed in your Meisen kimono, the contrast of traditional architecture and modern textile design makes this visit feel especially photogenic and meaningful.
Website: https://www.chichibu-jinja.or.jp/
Chichibu Nishiki Sake Brewery: 270 Years of Craftsmanship in a Single Sip
Your cultural journey continues at Chichibu Nishiki, a sake brewery with more than 270 years of history. Operated by Yao Honten, the brewery has long relied on the pure waters of the Arakawa River system — originating from Mount Kobushigatake — and the rigorous winters of Chichibu to produce clean, elegant sake with remarkable depth.
The brewery complex, called “Sakezukuri no Mori”, includes a small museum where old tools, brewing equipment, and historical documents reveal how sake production has evolved over the centuries. Walking through the displays gives you a sense of just how much patience and precision the craft requires.
After the museum, you can enjoy tastings in the shop, where staff explain the characteristics of each sake — from crisp, refreshing varieties to richer, more aromatic styles. It’s a lovely moment to pause and taste the region’s natural environment expressed through rice, koji, and water.
Website: https://chichibunishiki.com/mori/
Dinner at Highlander Inn Chichibu: A Cozy Evening with Ichiro’s Malt
As evening settles in, head to Highlander Inn Chichibu, a renovated kominka infused with a warm, British-pub atmosphere. It’s intimate, quiet, and full of character — the kind of place where wood, whisky, and soft lighting create an instant sense of comfort.
This is also one of the few places where you can enjoy Ichiro’s Malt, the special whisky born in Chichibu and now considered one of Japan’s rarest and most sought-after bottles. Sipping it here, in its hometown, feels special — a small luxury surrounded by local stories and friendly conversation.
The food menu features simple, hearty dishes that pair well with whisky, making it a relaxed, satisfying end to a full cultural day.
Ryokan Stay at Yunoyado Wado: A Night in Chichibu’s Oldest Hot Spring
End the day at Yunoyado Wado, a peaceful hot spring ryokan located between Chichibu and Nagatoro.
Wado’s pride is its private hot spring source, known as Wadō Kōsen Yakushi no Yu, said to be the oldest among the seven traditional hot springs of Chichibu. The ryokan atmosphere is warm and unpretentious, offering just the right balance of comfort and tradition.
Website: https://www.seibu-leisure.co.jp/matsuri/English/index.html
DAY 5
Souvenirs, Scenic Rail, and the Journey Back to Tokyo
The final morning in Chichibu is intentionally gentle — a slow start that gives you time to pick up local souvenirs and enjoy Saitama’s relaxed atmosphere one last time.
Souvenir Shopping at Matsuri-no-Yu
Before leaving, stop by the souvenir area inside Matsuri-no-Yu, located right in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station. It’s one of the most convenient places to shop in the region, with a surprisingly wide selection of local specialties: Chichibu sweets, artisanal snacks, regional sake, Meisen-inspired items, and even adorable local character goods.
Website: https://www.seibu-leisure.co.jp/matsuri/English/index.html
Ride the Laview Limited Express: The Most Beautiful Way Back to Tokyo
From Seibu-Chichibu Station, board the award-winning Laview Limited Express, one of the most striking trains in Japan.
Designed by architect Kazuyo Sejima, Laview is known for its huge panoramic windows, soft yellow seats, and quiet, almost floating sensation as it moves. The wide views of mountains, towns, and open skies turn the return journey into its own memorable experience — not just transportation, but a scenic final chapter to the trip.
Train: Laview “Chichibu 26”
Route: Seibu-Chichibu 10:24 → Ikebukuro 11:43
Arriving in Ikebukuro: Travel Information and Next Steps
Once you arrive at Ikebukuro, you can stop by the Tourist Information Center, where multilingual staff (English and Japanese) provide guidance on the Seibu Line area, local attractions, and special passes for visitors. It’s a helpful final stop — especially if you’re planning to explore Tokyo further or extend your travels along the Seibu railway network.
Final Thoughts
Saitama is often overlooked — a quiet, humble neighbor sitting right beside Tokyo. Most travelers never think to look beyond the capital, yet just a short train ride away, an entirely different Japan unfolds.
What makes Saitama special is not grand landmarks, but the feeling of discovery. Everything here is close enough to reach easily, yet far enough to feel like a new world. If you’re willing to explore just a little further — one extra train stop, one quiet detour — Saitama reveals itself slowly and sincerely, offering experiences that stay with you long after you return to Tokyo.
And when you finally go, you’ll wonder why you didn’t visit sooner.
