Saitama Prefecture is Tokyo's underrated northern neighbor — a landlocked prefecture where the Edo-period streets of Kawagoe, the world's largest railway museum collection, bonsai gardens tended for a century, and the moss-phlox hills of Chichibu sit within an hour of the capital, all at a fraction of Tokyo's crowds and prices.
Best time to visit
Recommendation
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None