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The Unknown City 20 Mins From Tokyo (No Crowds) | Saitama, Japan
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The Unknown City 20 Mins From Tokyo (No Crowds) | Saitama, Japan



The Unknown City 20 Mins From Tokyo (No Crowds) | Saitama, Japan

I had an amazing time exploring Saitama this weekend! ^o^

Even though Saitama is so close and accessible to Tokyo, it’s often overlooked ☹️ But honestly it’s really easy to get to, you can get a real taste of what Japan is actually like for locals, AND best of all, there’s very few tourists ✨

I know it’s tempting to add another Asakusa-esque place to your itinerary, but places like that are soooo overcrowded and super touristy nowadays 😅 I’m not saying don’t go, I’m saying you should balance it out with trips to places like this so you can experience as many sides of Japan as you can! Everywhere I went, the staff were very kind and you can tell they are excited to get foreign visitors 😇

📍If you want to copy my itinerary, here’s everywhere I went! Feel free to change the order, everything is in roughly the same area. I started the day from Omiya Station!
Hikawa Shrine → Hikawa Dango → The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama → The Railway Museum → Hikawa Brewery → BOOKOFF PLUS Omiya Rakuun Store → Shopping Streets near Omiya Station (Omiya Ichibangai, Suzuran Dori, etc)

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🌟 If you’re interested in getting a personalized tour of Omiya yourself, check out Japan Adventurer here:
Omiya Tour Information Page:

Freestyle Guided Tour: Ōmiya

Omiya Tour Booking & Payment Page:
https://japanadventurer.wetravel.com/trips/freestyle-guided-tour-omiya-japan-adventurer-7770948047#about-this-trip

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Thank you to Saitama City for inviting me out to explore the area 🥰 #PR #japantravel

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21 Comments

  2. @AllisoninTokyo

    I was really surprised by how undiscovered this city is!! Basically no tourists come out here so you’ll get to enjoy a premium local Japan experience 🤓

    Let me know your favorite low-crowd place in Japan!

  4. @Itsabeautifulife

    Very cool Allison thanks for sharing! Super empty compared to main touristy areas for sure. That dango looked pretty good!

  7. @B_TheHappyHiker

    Thank you for showing us around Saitama. The bonsai museum sounds really nice. From my own travels I have very fond memories of the elderly volunteers in Japanese museums! They were always so friendly and engaging. And I like your dress, Allison! It suits you really well.

  9. @B_TheHappyHiker

    My favorite low-crowd place in Japan? I liked Ishinomaki when I went there in 2019, I think. And I agree, Tohoku deserves more visitors!

  10. @VerhoevenSimon

    Thank you for sharing some less talked about places.
    I'd love to visit that bonsai museum, and while I am no densha otaku, the railway museum looks like a nice place to visit.
    One small request: could you please include ticket prices if applicable?

  16. @Margie_Ellis

    Bonsai!!! I want to bring some action figures to have a nice walk through & picnic in the bonsai forest. Very respectfully, of course. 😸 I would proudly buy two Hello Kitty ekiben, one to keep nice to display as a diorama & one to play w/set up nice photo shoots with all of my fandom gashapons. Someone listed an empty one for $40 w/$10 shipping. 🎉This is the Allison well rounded travel/history/otaku/pop culture/where to eat show that I wished for! 🎊 ty💐

  18. @sonicase

    not sure if I'd describe it as undiscovered, but not like it's got too many attractions either. more like a place for people to live near tokyo…the closest thing japan has to a suburb maybe.

  20. @endlessteatime4733

    I‘ve never been to Saitama but your experience reminds me of my day trip to Mito in (infamous) Ibaraki a couple of years ago. Barely any foreign tourists there but there‘s so much English at all of the sights, which are surprisingly many if you‘re interested in history at all.