A day trip to Ranzan

Ranzan Town in the Hiki district of Saitama is off the international tourist trail, but may not be for much longer. The town have been working hard to improve their visibility and appeal to the tourist market. Here are some suggestions of places to visit in Ranzan, particularly in the month of June:

Ranzan Valley or Ranzan Gorge

Ranzan valley (also known as Ranzan Gorge) is picturesque all year round, but the autumn leaves are particularly breathtaking. It has been likened to Arashiyama in Kyoto. At this time of the year though you can paddle your feet in the Tsuki River that runs through the valley. The area around the Ranzan Valley Barbecue site (see below) isn't particularly clean, but further down the river is.

There are hiking trails in the area and several scenic spots. You can enjoy stepping stones and quaint bridges at several spots along the river in the valley. And there are several "Saitama Trust" forests in the area that are protected natural forests or woods. The location was awarded the Saitama Greenery Trust in 1998 and the land became public property. 

Lavender Fields

Sennen no Sono lavender field is a prime example: until last year it was relatively unknown, even though it was the largest in the Kanto area. But they planted additional lavender to make it the largest lavender field in the whole of Japan. The festival started on Saturday (June 8th), but the lavender are only coming into bloom now. 

Barbecue Site 

The Ranzan barbecue site has been voted the number one barbecue site accessible from Tokyo on a renowned Japanese tourist website for eight years in a row. The town decided to cash in on this accolade and improved the facilities at the site. And added a hefty parking fee to the car park. The location is convenient by car, the area is very scenic and the facilities are very good, but personally I think the barbecue site is overrated especially as the river isn't the cleanest and the river beach is stonier than most.

Trendy cafes

There is a relatively good choice of trendy cafes in Ranzan. One of my personal favourites is Fukurou no Mori close to the barbecue site if you take the riverside walk. Cafe Wa is popular with visitor to the area, for its homemade lunches and desserts. Locals are proud of their traditional Japanese style neighbourhood restaurant Wagokoro where you can eat tempura, udon and other Japanese dishes at an affordable price.

Butterfly park

Ranzan Town is home to the national butterfly of Japan, the Great Purple Emperor or Oomurazaki in Japanese. The town mascot is modeled on the Great Purple. Butterfly enthusiasts are very familiar with the small butterfly park in Ranzan, but otherwise it is quite off the beaten track. June is one of the best months to see the Purple Emperor in its natural habitat. You can see several other varieties of butterfly and other bugs too. 

Firefly Park 

Right beside the butterfly park there is a firefly park, where fireflies thrive in their natural environment. You can generally see them around the end of June, but you need to go in a guided tour. Both the butterfly and firefly parks are for admiring the wildlife from a distance: no touching or chasing either is permitted. And under no circumstances are you allowed to try and capture any of the wildlife. 

At other times of the year there are other attractions to enjoy, such as the cherry blossoms at the end of March and start of April. And for any history buffs or Japanese castle fans, you might already know of the area due to Sugiyama Castle, listed in the second round of the 100 Great Castles in Japan. You can visit the land where the castle once stood.

Have you been to Ranzan? Did you enjoy it? Anywhere else in the area you'd like to recommend?