There are highlights for every season so you can enjoy yourself any time you visit
Nagatoro is famous as a longtime tourist destination within Saitama Prefecture. Along with it being a popular spot for every season, there are plenty of things to enjoy throughout the year such as the temples and shrines and a steam engine. Spring is the season of cherry blossoms, and in Nagatoro, which has been selected as one of “Japan’s Top 100 Places for Cherry Blossoms”, there are about 3000 cherry trees planted there with 3 good times to visit. The first time is late March with the Ohte-no-Sakura cherry tree which is a 100-year-old weeping cherry tree whose width goes up to 16 meters making it a local natural monument. The second time is early April on Kita Sakura-dori where a tunnel of 600 cherry trees runs for 2.5 km from Nagatoro Station to Higuchi Station two stations away. And the third time is from mid-April to late April with the cherry trees on the side streets. 500 trees of 31 different species of double-flowered cherries can be enjoyed and during the season, there is also evening illumination. In the summer, river activities are synonymous with the season. Rafting down the rapids, cruising down the river and people of all ages enjoying river activities, you can fully enjoy Mother Nature while viewing the sedimentary rock for 1 kilometer that has been recognized as a National Natural Monument. Then there is autumn which is famous for its colors. The trees across from the sedimentary rock provide a natural beauty of color with their reds and golds. Also, seven flowers of autumn are each planted at 7 different temples so that The Seven-Flower Temples Tour in which all of the temples are seen has been considered a secret hit with the tourists. Winter is the season for hatsumode at Hodosan (Treasure Trove Climb) Shrine. The name is said to have originated from the phrase “Climb the treasure trove”, and many visitors come since the history of the hatsumode there has been good. As well, going up to the peak of Mt. Hodo by ropeway, you will be greeted by colorful flowers, and from the peak, you can get a panoramic view of Chichibu. Recently, pamphlets in foreign languages and Wi-Fi have been provided, and the area has become a spot that can be toured easily by foreign tourists.