Top Things to do in Saitama
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Top 10 Things to do in Saitama, Japan
Discover the best top things to do in Saitama, Japan including The Railway Museum, Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama, Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine, Saitama Prefecture Omiya Park, Saitama Stadium 2002, NACK5 Stadium Omiya, Cocoon City, Tsuki Shrine, Omiya Bonsai Village, Keyaki Hiroba.
Restaurants in Saitama
1. The Railway Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 581 reviews
The Railway Museum was built in Onari, Saitama City as the centerpiece of the JR East 20th Anniversary Memorial Project. This is a railway museum, and it preserves both the physical elements and heritage of Railways in Japan and abroad. It also preserves materials relating to JR East and the JNR privatization reforms. The Railway Museum also conducts research and development. This is a historical museum that tells the industrial history of the development of the railway system while introducing the historical background of each period with displays of actual models. It is also an educational museum. Children can learn about and experience railway principles, systems, and the latest technologies (including future plans) through models, simulations, and play equipment.
Reviewed By travelmomVancouver - Vancouver
Nice train models from different historical periods. Also interesting for a foreigner is to observe the infatuation of Japanese toward railway system and trains. Avoid the crowd and visit only at off peak days. Food tend to be a little expensive. Parking fine but needs to walk a bit.
DON'T MISS OUT the miniature railway show. The best attraction of this museum. It was a new addition just completed in July 2017. Well worth your time!
2. Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 127 reviews
Reviewed By Prepcook - Fussa, Japan
This small museum is best reached by train as it is only a five minute walk from the nearest station. Admission is low but you absolutely get a huge return in terms of quality.
There are a combination of indoor/outdoor exhibits so plan to go on a clear day. The venue was crowded on the weekend so perhaps a week day visit would be more relaxing.
There is a small café on the second floor which gives an excellent overview of the outdoor layout. The café is only for drinks and snacks, no meals are served but there is a tea house with a light lunch menu quite nearby.
The trees themselves are gorgeous and range in age from relatively young to ancient.
There are ample notations in English and even a bilingual book available for a very small fee. Photos are allowed ONLY in designated areas, people tend not to notice or pay attention to the signs. It is always best to remember that you are a guest of the museum and respect for the signs is a part of that. Young children may not be the ideal guests without close supervision as they may want to touch the trees or pull off flowers so parents use discretion please. Older kids may really enjoy the periodic workshops held to start their own bonsai. Demonstrations are also given in the care of the trees.
The location is excellent because it is in a neighborhood originally dedicated to Bonsai gardeners and some of these Gardens still exist.
3. Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 346 reviews
Reviewed By みみずくパパ - 越谷市
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine (武蔵一宮氷川神社, Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Jinja) is a popular shrine in Saitama City, a 20-30 minute walk from Omiya Station. As its name suggests ("Musashi Ichinomiya" literally means "top shrine of Musashi"), this shrine used to be the head Shinto shrine of former Musashi Province, which covered present day Greater Tokyo, including large parts of Saitama Prefecture. It is this shrine which gave Omiya (which literally means "great shrine") its name.
The shrine is set in lush greenery and has many auxiliary buildings on its grounds. A long approach from the south leads to the shrine's precincts, where a tall vermillion torii gate and several secondary shrines are located. Proceeding north takes visitors to a bridge across a pond. Here, the two-storied Romon Gate marks the entrance to the main shrine grounds, where the main hall (honden), the praying hall (haiden) and a dance stage (maiden) stand.
Musashi Ichinomiya is the most important of the many branches of Hikawa Shrines in Japan, which enshrine Susanoo, the God of the sea and storms. Additional structures have been added to the shrine during its history and its current main buildings date back to 1940. For most of the year, this shrine has a tranquil environment. However, during special occasions, such as during hatsumode (first visit to a shrine on New Year ), it becomes one of the most visited shrines in Japan.
Hikawa Shrine is a ten minute walk from Kita Omiya Station (2 minutes, 150 yen from Omiya Station by Tobu Noda Line). Alternatively, it can be reached in a 20-30 minute walk from Omiya Station.
4. Saitama Prefecture Omiya Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By junkymotown - Japan
Took my infant son to Omiya park (walked there from Omiya station) in February. He loved the playground and the small zoo there, and we happily killed half a day there. Well worth a look, as it's rather scenic. There's a shrine in the grounds too.
5. Saitama Stadium 2002
Overall Ratings
4 based on 210 reviews
Reviewed By Ben M - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Went to Saitama for sellout match between Japanese National Team and Australian Socceroos.
Long but easy walk from closest station, so allow time for this. Ticket collection and access was very easy. Food inside is average (and cold) - would recommend eating from the mass of tented food vendors outside.
Great view from any area of the stands.
Japanese fans very friendly and we always felt safe and welcome.
Overall a fantastic experience.
6. NACK5 Stadium Omiya
Overall Ratings
4 based on 88 reviews
Reviewed By mizz_zer0 - Tokyo, Japan
NACK5 Stadium Omiya isn't a big stadium at all. However, it made the home fans of Omiya Ardijas feel 'that' much closer to each other since there aren't too many people stuffed in a venue.
It's actually within the surroundings of Omiya Park itself, something that I pleasantly discovered before watching my first football game there. It had been overlooked all this time, probably because of its size and presence, or lack of.
7. Cocoon City
Overall Ratings
4 based on 87 reviews
8. Tsuki Shrine
Overall Ratings
4 based on 117 reviews
Reviewed By kazmatrix - Saitama, Japan
This shrine is about 10 minutes from Urawa station and a worthwhile visit for anyone interested in seeing some of the historical sites/shrines of this region. Be sure to check the local calendars, as they have a regular flee-market / antique-fair here on weekends.
9. Omiya Bonsai Village
Overall Ratings
4 based on 60 reviews
Loosely clustered into the "bonsai village," 15 bonsai nurseries lie within walking distance of one another in Omiya, each displaying its wares in an formal, open-air Japanese garden. In May, the village puts on a Bonsai festival, and all the nurseries display their finest creations against a backdrop of spring flowers.
Reviewed By Jansje S - Paris, France
We took the train from Akinhabara station to Toro Station in Omiya, about a 45 minutes ride. Omiya is the Bonsai Village of Japan and gives a feeling of a village rather than a town. After a 10 minute walk we arrived at the "Bonsai Museum", a small museum with a beautiful garden showing off trees of over 100 years old. Spectacular! It sets the standard for our visit to some bonsai nurseries. Omiya seems a relatively well off community where the Bonsai nurseries look from the outside like private homes. Once there you step into a whole different world where 80 year old trees are only 60cm tall and considered very tall...The gardeners use different sheers to snip away a small branch or a new shoot knowing that it never can be replaced in the evergreens. We saw quite some gardeners who were busy snipping away at new small roots, scraping away hard soil and replacing it with nice fresh one before repotting the trees. Many of the bonsai trees had a sort of wire around its branches to force it to grow in a certain way. Old bark of old trees were somehow kept and shaped in sculpturally shapes. Hundreds of plants were set on shelves, vendors were busy either talking to clients or getting bonsai trees ready for shipment around the world. We had lunch in the "Bonsai" restaurant across from the Bonsai museum before returning to Tokyo. A very special day spent in a very special world. A wonderful experience!
10. Keyaki Hiroba
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 125 reviews
Reviewed By anned0201 - Tokyo, Japan
Various festivals and cultural events/fairs are held here throughout a year. It's also surrounded by numerous restaurants and bars. There is also DVD rental Tsutaya and some shops underground. In Christmas time the whole Keyaki space is illuminated and every year the christmas trees design is different here.
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