Hodosan

Mt. Hodosan in Saitama has an altitude of 497.1 meters. If you take the ropeway from Hodosanroku Station, you will reach Hodosancho Station in about five minutes. At the top you have a view of other mountains, the okumiya (rear shrine) of Hodosan Shrine and the Hodosan Small Animal Park. Here, you can feed, pet and play with untethered animals such as Japanese macaques, Japanese deer and rabbits. The top of Hodosan is also known for its beautiful flowers. There is a garden with 3,000 Japanese allspices, translucent light-yellow flowers also called wintersweet for their strong sweet scent, and in winter, a umehyakka garden that prides itself on some 470 plums from 170 species. Mt. Hodosan is showcase of nature in each season, with cherry blossoms, azaleas and autumn leaves from spring through fall. Hodosanroku Station (ropeway) is a 20-minute walk from Nagatoro Station on the Chichibu Railway.