Experience Autumn Foliage and Seasonal Flavors on an Autumn Trip to Fuchu—A Place to Enjoy Plants in All Four Seasons

Fuchu offers a wide variety of gourmet experiences, but today, we’d like to introduce a highly-rated spot known for its delicious seafood dishes: Ajidokoro Sato. With rave reviews as "the go-to place for great fish dishes in Fuchu," this hidden gem is just a 3-minute walk from Keio Line’s Bubaigawara Station.
Tucked away at the end of a shopping street, its modest entrance is so unnoticeable you might almost miss it.
Finding this spot feels like discovering a secret hideaway—enjoy the anticipation as you make your way there!

The owner, who trained in Japanese kaiseki (a traditional multi-course meal) cuisine and sushi restaurants, carefully selects seasonal ingredients from all over Japan to create exceptional dishes.
The seafood rice bowls and simmered fish, made with a commitment to seasonal seafood sourced naturally, are particularly popular, and even on weekdays, the restaurant is extremely crowded during lunchtime.
A standout specialty is the aged sashimi, perfected over 20 years of meticulous research. By removing excess moisture and concentrating the umami, the sashimi pairs perfectly with the restaurant’s homemade soy sauce—an undeniably exquisite taste.

After lunch, visit Aokiya Kyodo no Mori Factory Store, a long-established confectionery store with a proud history dating back to 1893. It’s about a 22-minute walk from Bubaigawara Station (Keio Line & JR Nambu Line) or approximately 15 minutes by bus.
Since its founding, the store has been committed to homemade sweet bean paste and primarily sells confections made with carefully selected Hokkaido adzuki beans.
Their sweets, made with high-quality natural water in the lush, nature-rich Musashino area, have long been loved by the locals.
While there are multiple locations, including the Fuchu Keyaki Namiki Street store and the MINANO Bubaigawara store, this particular shop is attached to the factory.
In addition to their standard products, they also sell sweets with irregular shapes—created during the manufacturing process—at special prices, allowing you to enjoy the flavors of their famous confections at a more affordable cost. They also offer a wide selection of seasonal specialties, so you can savor the tastes of each season.

After enjoying the Musashino sweets, take a 5-minute walk from Aokiya to visit the Fuchu City Kyodo no Mori Museum. The museum is set on a vast 140,000㎡ site, with plenty to explore, including the main museum building, a planetarium and reconstructed historical buildings.
The expansive grounds are home to many trees and flowers, offering beautiful views that change with the seasons throughout the year.

As you enter through the main gate, you'll immediately encounter the main museum building. A short walk further takes you to a street lined with reconstructed historical buildings. This area features eight buildings that were relocated and restored, representing structures from the Edo period to the early Showa era. The street is designed as a miniature version of Fuchu.
On the street designed to recreate the Keyaki (Japanese zelkova) Avenue and Koshu Highway, which are the heart of Fuchu, you'll find buildings from the past, such as the former town hall and post office.

As you continue deeper into the area, you'll find a watermill, a waterfall and a pond for water play, all nestled in a nature-filled environment. Various plants and trees, including plum trees, wintersweet, hydrangeas, spider lilies, Japanese bush clover, ginkgo trees and maples, are planted throughout, allowing you to experience the grandeur of Musashino’s nature. With many broadleaf trees, the autumn foliage is particularly stunning, with vibrant reds and yellows.
One highlight is the Momiji no Taki (Maple Waterfall), where countless maple trees surround the waterfall, making it a perfect photo spot.

After enjoying the autumn foliage in the garden, why not take a break at the tea room "Baikyoan"?
The name comes from the plum and keyaki trees, which are Fuchu City's flower and tree.
In this traditional Japanese sukiya-style building, associated with tea ceremony rooms, you can experience a matcha tea ceremony. Even if you're not familiar with tea ceremony etiquette, the staff will guide you, so there's no need to worry. Sipping tea while gazing at the colorful autumn leaves is truly a moment of bliss.

After immersing yourself in nature and history, head to the Fuchu City Kyodo no Mori Kanko Bussankan, located right next to the museum’s main gate.
Here, you'll find a vegetable section offering fresh local produce, eggs and processed goods from Fuchu, as well as a souvenir section filled with local specialties and sweets, making it a great place to shop at a leisurely pace.

In the vegetable section, you'll find seasonal produce such as komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), broccoli, Chinese cabbage, daikon radish, persimmons and mandarins. Komatsuna, in particular, is the most widely produced crop in Fuchu, and many customers look forward to this time of year for it.
In the souvenir section, you'll find regular items like Komaki Farm's jams, Musashi-ya's rice crackers, and SEC’s konpeito (sugar candies), all beloved by both locals and tourists.
The FUCHU LUCKY HORSESHOE is also popular as a unique souvenir from Fuchu, home to the Tokyo Racecourse. It uses horseshoes that have been actually used, which are cleaned and polished to create an amulet.

In addition, the Bussankan houses a restaurant named "Kotomi Shokudo," inspired by the Fuchu Tourism Association's mascot, Kotomi-chan.
The restaurant offers original menus made with of local ingredients, each dish providing a heartwarming taste. It’s a great spot to enjoy a meal after your stroll around the area.

Within the grounds of Ookunitama Shrine, there are many cherry blossom spots, including Somei Yoshino and other varieties. However, the most famous is the weeping cherry tree (shidare-zakura) standing in front of the kagura stage.
At night, the tree is beautifully illuminated, attracting a crowd of visitors.

Fuchu is home to a famous cherry blossom spot, where the Fuchu City Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year. The breathtaking 1.1 km-long arch of cherry blossoms, with Somei Yoshino trees blooming on both sides, creates an awe-inspiring sight.

The Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, lining the walking path along the Tamagawa River, create a magnificent sight.
As an oasis for locals, it’s a popular spot for families and groups to gather for hanami on weekends.

The garden is home to around 120 varieties and 1,300 plum trees, offering a stunning display of colorful plum blossoms in early spring. The Ume Matsuri (Plum Festival), held every year from early February, features a magical night-time illumination that can be enjoyed for a limited time.

From late May to early July each year, around 30 varieties and 10,000 hydrangea plants bloom in full glory. The garden features spacious walking paths, allowing visitors to leisurely stroll among the flowers and enjoy the view. Especially on rainy days, the hydrangea flowers become more vibrant, enhancing their beauty even further. There’s also something elegant about a leisurely stroll with an umbrella.

The higanbana (red spider lily) is characterized by its long, slender red petals. As its name suggests, it is famous for blooming during the ohigan season in the fall, around the time of the autumn equinox.
Each year, about 400,000 higanbana flowers bloom in the garden. Among them are white spider lilies, and the sight of red and white flowers in full bloom is spectacular. It's a must-visit spot to experience the fleeting beauty of autumn.