[Kanto day trip spot] [Saitama Prefecture] Bike trip to Hitsujiyama Park! Harley touring to enjoy the spectacular view of moss phlox and specialty products
Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I toured Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture on a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. Hitsujiyama Park is famous for its moss phlox blooming all over in spring, but there are many other attractions and special products. This time, we will tell you about the charm of Hitsujiyama Park and information about the motorcycle parking lot.
Hitsujiyama Park is a lush green park located on the east side of Chichibu City and included in the northwestern part of the Prefectural Buko Natural Park. It is a popular place for citizens to relax. Visitors to the park are greeted by seasonal natural scenery, including moss phlox in spring. Hitsujiyama Park is known as a park designed by Dr. Seiroku Honda. Dr. Shizuka Honda has been involved in the design of parks across the country for approximately 35 years during the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, and is known as the “father of Japanese parks.”
Route to Hitsujiyama Park
is as follows.
From Hakozaki Minatobashi Dori and Hakozaki IC, take the 22 Mukojima Line/Shuto Expressway No. 6/Route 6.
At Edobashi JCT, enter the Metropolitan Expressway City Loop Line/C1, and at Takebashi JCT, enter the Metropolitan Expressway No. 5 Ikebukuro Line/Route 5.
Enter the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway/Tohoku Jukan Expressway at Bijogi JCT, and enter the Kanetsu Expressway/Kanetsu Expressway at Oizumi JCT.
From the Hanazono IC exit, enter Saikai Kaido/West Kanto Connecting Road/National Route 140 and head towards Chichibu.
Turn left at Otsuka (intersection) onto Saikai Highway/National Route 140, then turn right at Yasaka Shrine (intersection) onto Prefectural Route 11/Prefectural Route 82.
Turn left at Takashino Komae (intersection) onto Prefectural Route 11, and go straight at Sakahyo (intersection).
Turn diagonally to the right and arrive at Hitsujiyama Park.
This route uses many expressways such as the Shuto Expressway and the Kanetsu Expressway. You can feel the power and torque of a Harley on the highway. Also, the exhilarating feeling of running through the wind is exceptional.
If you want to save on expressway tolls, there are also routes that use local roads such as national highways and prefectural roads. However, since it takes time on public roads due to traffic lights and traffic jams, we recommend starting early. The general road route is as follows.
From Hakozaki Minatobashi Dori and Hakozaki IC, take the 22 Mukojima Line/Shuto Expressway No. 6/Route 6.
At Edobashi JCT, enter the Metropolitan Expressway City Loop Line/C1, and at Takebashi JCT, enter the Metropolitan Expressway No. 5 Ikebukuro Line/Route 5.
From the Takadanobaba IC exit, enter National Route 17/Nakasendo and proceed to Kawagoe City.
Enter National Route 254/Kawagoe Kaido in Kawagoe City and proceed to Chichibu City.
In Chichibu City, take National Route 140/Saikai Kaido and arrive at Hitsujiyama Park.
This route allows you to drive along historic roads such as National Route 17 and National Route 254. Old buildings and charming scenery can be seen along the road. You can also enjoy local gourmet food and sights in central areas such as Kawagoe City and Chichibu City. However, the general road route is about 200 km and takes about 4 hours, so it is recommended for those who are confident in their physical strength and time.
Highlights of Hitsujiyama Park
Hitsujiyama Park has many other attractions besides the moss phlox hill. I will introduce some of them below.
Miharashi no Oka
https://yakei.jp/photo/pc/hitsujiyama2.jpg
Miharashi-no-oka has been popular as a cherry blossom viewing spot since ancient times. At Miharashi-no-Oka, you can literally see the entire city of Chichibu. Park facilities include Yamato Art Museum'' andMt. Buko Museum.” Yamato Art Museum is an art museum that exhibits the works of Japanese painter Taro Yamamoto. Mt. Buko Museum is a museum that introduces the nature and history of Mt. Buko, the symbol of Chichibu.
“Fureai Farm” is located near the moss phlox hill. Hitsujiyama Park used to be home to the Saitama Prefecture Breeding Farm Chichibu Branch, which handles sheep. This is said to be the origin of the name “Hitsujiyama”. At our farm, we raise Japanese Corriedale breeds. You can interact with sheep and experience feeding them.
Iris flowers are planted in the “Iris Field” on the south side of the tennis courts in the park. In fiscal 2006, we constructed the garden path that leads from the irises to the moss phlox hill. The best time to see the flowers is from early to mid-June. Approximately 1,000 irises bloom in Iris Field. The colorful irises look beautiful reflected on the water, making for a spectacular sight to behold.
Shibazakura hill
The biggest highlight of Hitsujiyama Park is the Shibazakura no Oka''. Shibazakura no Oka is about 400,000 moss phlox plants planted in an area of about 17,600 square meters. There are nine varieties of moss phlox, including pink, white, and purple. The best time to see the moss phlox is from late April to early May. At Shibazakura no Oka, various patterns and letters are painted to match the color and shape of the moss phlox. For example, there are the charactersChichibu”, the characters “Hitsujiyama Park”, and shapes such as hearts and stars. These patterns and letters change every year. From the moss phlox hill, you can see Mt. Buko and the Chichibu city area. The contrast between the moss phlox, the blue sky, and the mountains is breathtaking. In addition, the moss phlox that is lit up in the evening is magical and beautiful.
Hitsujiyama Park motorcycle parking lot
Hitsujiyama Park has a parking lot exclusively for motorcycles. The motorcycle parking lot is immediately to the left of the park entrance. Motorcycle parking is available free of charge, but the number of spaces is limited. Please also note that the motorcycle parking lot is shared with general vehicles. You can walk from the bike parking lot to the park. There are many slopes and stairs in the park, so please wear comfortable shoes.
Summary
This time, I toured Hitsujiyama Park in Saitama Prefecture on a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. Hitsujiyama Park is famous for its moss phlox blooming all over in spring, but it also has many other attractions such as Miharashi no Oka, Fureai Farm, and Shobutada. Special products are also sold at Hitsujiyama Park.
Harley touring to Hitsujiyama Park is a convenient route that is close to the city center. If you use the expressway, you can get there in about two and a half hours, or if you use local roads, you can drive through historic roads. You can enjoy the nature and specialty products of Hitsujiyama Park while feeling the charm of a Harley. Please try Harley touring to Hitsujiyama Park.
The English name of Sheep Hill Park is Sheep Hill Park.
[Kanto day trip spot] [Saitama Prefecture] Bike trip to Hitsujiyama Park! Harley touring to enjoy the spectacular view of moss phlox and specialty products
