Best Nature Spot List

Manyo Park has been selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan, as it is the only hot spring mentioned in ancient Manyoshu collection of poetry, and has been visited by many notable writers and artists. Inside the park you can see many of the flowers and plants mentioned in the Manyoshu, and take a leisurely stroll while listening to the murmur of the waterfalls and streams. You can rest your feet in any of the nine different foot baths at Doppo-no-yu, or enjoy matcha green tea and sweets at Manyotei. Each year, a ”firefly party” is held in the ”Hanakien” section of the park from early to mid-June, enabling you to enjoy the sight of Luciola fireflies flitting around the park, as well as enjoy stalls set up in the evenings in front of the nearby Tourist Hall. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 12 minutes We are located right next to the Koen Iriguchi bus stop

A famous spot for cherry blossoms which line a path along the Okawa River

Activities in all seasons: hiking in summer, skiing in winter, and a whole lot of tengu masks

Said to have the best view of the surrounding marshland

Towering about 700 meters high, Mt. Maya lies in the central part of Rokko mountain range. The night view of Kobe seen from Kikuseidai near the mountaintop is famous as one of new three best night views in Japan. Legend has it that the name comes from the fact that Kobo-Daishi enshrined the statue of Shaka’s mother, Maya, on the mountain.

Shinjuku Central Park is the largest public park in Shinjuku Ward. It is an urban oasis in the western Shinjuku area where high-rise buildings stand side-by-side. Cherry blossoms bloom in the spring and on weekends, events such as flea markets are sometimes held for local residents. If you wish to take a break from the energy and excitement of Shinjuku and relax among the greenery, take a stroll to Shinjuku Central Park. Photo: Courtesy of Shinjuku Ward

Zushi Beach is a beach facing Sagami Bay that is popular among many people, young and old, and is full of bathers in the summer.

Kannonzaki is a cape protruding into the Tokyo Bay. The cape area is a park with a Western-style lighthouse, a nature museum, and an art museum. You can definitely spend an entire day here.

Located right in the heart of America Mura is Mitsu Park. Commonly known as Sankaku Park (triangle park) because of its shape, this spot is a magnet for young people all day long and doubles as a convenient meeting place.

Sun Beach with palm trees, which many people visit for swimming during summer, has an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you were in a tropical country. The sandy beach is lit up at night, making visitors enjoy a view like a tropical resort. The beach is opened for swimmers every year from the second Saturday of July to August 31. Swimming is allowed from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the above-mentioned swimming period. The beach is lit up every night from the sunset to 10:00 p.m.

Sakura Castle was also used as the government office of the Sakura Domain during the Edo period. What was built in this site of greenery and history was the Sakura Castle Ruins Park. Castle remains can be found in the park such as parts of old towers and dry moats. There are also many large trees such as the Mokkuku Couple evergreen trees which are around 400 years old and have been designated a natural monument by Chiba Prefecture. It is also a place where around 48 varieties of around 1,100 cherry blossom trees proudly blossom during spring. The park hosts tea gatherings for the general public on Sundays and national holidays at the tea room called Sankeitei.

The mountain streams passing through the town are a paradise for fishing. Enjoy fishing for Japanese salmon, as well as ayu once the season begins in early summer. Japanese salmon: Season opened on Sunday March 4, 2018 Ayu: ・Season opened on Sunday June 3, 2018 (Chitose river: river mouth - Kawaseki bridge) from one hour before sunrise ・Season opened on Sunday June 17, 2018 (Chitose river: Kawaseki bridge - Ochiai bridge) from one hour before sunrise The season for both Japanese salmon and ayu closes on October 15, 2018 (however, ayu can be fished from December 1-31)

Adachi Fireworks Festival is held in the summer, and it is crowded with many people.

Edogawa Fireworks Festival is held in the summer, and it is crowded with many people.

Two waterfalls located close to Tenshozan Shrine. Hakuun Waterfall is a beautiful 30-meter-high waterfall with water resembling silk threads falling. Kyorai waterfall is located right beside the shrine. The waterfall is used for Yamabushi training, which involves participants reflecting on their past and future life under the waterfall. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Motohakone for about 45 minutes The falls are a 20-minute walk from the Tenshozan bus stop

Koto Fireworks Festival is held in the summer, and it is crowded with many people.

From the Fudo Waterfall, if you continue walking along the stream toward Okuyugawara, you will come across the Godan Waterfall. Godan means ”five steps” in Japanese and the 100-meter-tall waterfall appears to flow down five steps. Steam from hot spring water gathers around the falls, creating a real hot spring atmosphere. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 20 minutes The falls are a two-minute walk from the Fudo-Taki bus stop

This waterfall is only 15 meters high, but a large volume of water flows through it. A Migawari Fudoson (a guardian who acts as a substitute to take on people's illnesses and other bad health) has been enshrined on the left side of the waterfall, and the right side has a Shusse Daikokuson which supports wealth and success. There is also a teahouse near the waterfall. Yugawara zeolite was discovered at the Fudo Waterfall by Dr. Kinichi Sakurai in 1931. The Yugawara zeolite discovered was found to belong to the oldest Neogene Yugashima Group on the Izu Peninsula. Zeolite has also been discovered in Okuyugawara, near the Yugawara water purification plant and Jatai Bridge near the upper part of the Fujiki River where the Yugashima Group is exposed, but Fudo Waterfall has also produced zeolites such as laumontite, mordenite, epistilbite and chabazite. Yugawara’s zeolite is thought to have a close relationship to the Yugawara hot springs as the areas in which it is found share the same water source as the hot springs. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 20 minutes The falls are next to the Fudo-Taki bus stop

Katsushika Fireworks Festival is held in the summer, and it is crowded with many people.