Great Access from Tokyo! Let’s Visit Saitama City’s Many Sightseeing Locations!

First off, let’s start our trip with a stroll through the sentimental warehouse-lined streets of Kawagoe. Enjoy your day with gourmet foods and fun souvenirs!

Once you’ve enjoyed all Kawagoe has to offer, it’s time to move on by train.

Our accommodations for the night are here at “ofuro café utatane.” Not only do they have baths, but they also have a chic café. Slowly soak in the hot water of the large main bath or the open-air bath, then spend the rest of your time leisurely in the relaxing space.

This museum is a great place to learn everything there is to know about railways through displays featuring real train cars and simulated riding experiences. You can also find original merchandise here that you won’t find anywhere else. The model railway diorama, one of the largest in Japan, is another must-see!

After enjoying our trip to “THE RAILWAY MUSEUM,” it’s time to visit the world-famous “Omiya Bonsai Art Museum” in Saitama. It’s located about 10 minutes by taxi from the railway museum.

This is the world’s first public bonsai art museum. In addition to its famous bonsai works, this museum also displays bonsai pots, viewing stones, and Japanese woodblock prints that feature bonsai.

After “The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum,” our next stop is “Omiya Bonsai Village,” located about a 5-minute walk from the museum.

This is an area dotted with six different bonsai gardens. Each garden is carefully maintained and has its own unique characteristics, and this village is also known as a sacred place where famous bonsai works are gathered together. Every year from May 3rd through 5th the village holds the “Dai Bonsai Festival,” where bonsai exhibits are put up and potted bonsai are up for sale.

After appreciating the beautiful bonsai, we move on to “Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine,” about 10 minutes away on foot.

This ancient shrine is said to have over 2,000 years of history. Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine is the head shrine of the Kanto region’s Hikawa shrine group, which includes Kawagoe’s Hikawa Shrine, and it has a beautiful and majestic atmosphere.

After visiting the shrine, we then walk to Omiya-koen Station to take a train.

This museum displays commemorative and antique coins, medals, Olympic medals from when Japan hosted the games, and more. You can also watch the manufacturing process used for making coins and medals.

After enjoying the “Japan Mint Museum of Saitama Branch,” our next stop is “COCOON CITY Saitama-Shintoshin,” about a 10-minute walk away. Time to go shopping at this large shopping center!

Around 280 shops are gathered together in this large-scale commercial facility and shopping mall. You’re sure to find anything you need here, from souvenirs to items for personal use. There are also cafes and restaurants inside, so it’s a great place to take a break.

After you’ve finished shopping, it’s time to head back to Tokyo.
It takes about a 30-minute train ride, no line changes, to get from Saitama-Shintoshin Station to Tokyo Station.

Tokyo and Saitama City are so close together that it’s easy to travel between them, so it’s very convenient for sightseeing!
You can also take your time and enjoy this sightseeing plan over 3 days 2 nights if that fits your schedule better!