Sandwiched between Tokyo and the mountains, travelers often overlook Saitama Prefecture. While parts of the prefecture act as a dormitory for Tokyo’s workers, there are many other things to do in Saitama. The western area is mountainous, with the Saitama portion of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park providing an easy natural escape when the capital's bustle gets too much. Then there are the well-preserved historic buildings in Kawagoe, bonsai-related attractions in Ōmiya, and a couple of Japan’s largest soccer and entertainment arenas. It’s the perfect place to take a day trip from Tokyo.
Saitama Prefecture generally experiences the same climate as Tokyo: a hot and humid summer, cold winter, and delightful spring and fall. There are many lovely places to spot cherry blossoms in the spring, and the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is a popular leaf-peeping destination come fall. Although most travelers will prefer to avoid the intensely muggy summer, Saitama hosts some epic summer festivals in the hotter months, including many fireworks displays.
Saitama Prefecture is part of the greater Tokyo region so southern areas are very well-connected by train to the capital. Many train lines run through Saitama City, Ōmiya, and Urawa in the south of the prefecture. Some towns in the northern parts of the prefecture are accessible by bus only, but there’s not much to interest travelers in these places anyway. The Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park in western Saitama Prefecture is connected to Tokyo by rail on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line from Ikebukuro.
If you only have time to visit one place in Saitama Prefecture, make it Kawagoe, a historic town just a 30-minute train ride from central Tokyo. It’s often said to have the same vibe as Tokyo’s Asakusa but without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Although much of the Tokyo region was decimated at the end of World War II, Kawagoe’s Little Edo district retains some beautiful and well-preserved Edo-period (1603–1868) buildings.
