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Saitama 📜 History 📷 10

Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park

国営武蔵丘陵森林公園

A preserved streetscape or archaeological site you can walk through.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season Year-round; spring and autumn are most comfortable
Time needed 1.5–3 hours
Admission Street free; individual houses roughly ¥200–500 (≈ $1–3)
Opening hours Street open access; buildings typically 9:00–17:00

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

What this place is

Musashi Kyūryō National Government Park (国営武蔵丘陵森林公園, Kokuei Musashi Kyūryō Shinrin Kōen) is a national government park located on the Hiki Hills (比企丘陵, Hiki Kyūryō) of the town of Namegawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as a National forest park. In 1974, it opened as the first National Government Park. The park covers a vast area of forest and offers opportunities for various outdoor activities. The park has four entrances: the Central, North, West, and South Entrances. It takes roughly 80 minutes to walk the 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the South Entrance to the North Entrance and 30 minutes from the West to the Central Entrance, a distance of 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi).

Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park (国営武蔵丘陵森林公園) is one of the standout places to visit in Saitama. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Buildings and layouts kept as they were, so the scale of an older Japan is still readable on the ground.
  • Interpretation panels and reconstructions that turn foundations and fragments into a story.
  • Working shops, workshops or houses inside the district — this is heritage still in use, not a stage set.

What you can do here

  • Walk the main street end to end, then double back through the side lanes where the crowds thin out.
  • Go inside at least one open house or exhibition hall to see how the interiors were arranged.
  • Try a craft workshop or local speciality made the way it has been for generations.
  • Photograph early morning or late afternoon, when the light is warm and the street is quiet.

Getting there by public transport

  1. Tobu Tojo Line to Shinrin-Koen Station, walk to gate.
  2. Nearest station/stop: Shinrin-Koen.

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Many buildings are private homes — stay outside unless entry is clearly signposted.
  • Stone-paved lanes are uneven; comfortable shoes make a big difference.
  • Shops here close early, often around 17:00, even when the street itself stays open.

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