From Akiruno City in Tokyo to Hinohara Village, there is a place called Akigawa Valley. This time, I would like to talk about the charm of Akigawa Valley.
One of its charms is undoubtedly the vast expanse of nature, even though it is in Tokyo. The river is clear and beautiful, and you can see many sweetfish swimming. In the summer, just soaking your feet in the river will make you forget the heat. You can enjoy hiking and cycling while looking at the trees dyed in various colors such as red and yellow. There are also sunflowers that bloom until around November, so you can take pictures of both autumn leaves and summer sunflowers.
2. Campgrounds and barbecue areas
There are many campsites and barbecue areas, so you can enjoy playing in the river and fishing, making it a very popular place for families with children. Recently, there are campsites with saunas that are popular now, and the moment you jump into the river instead of a sauna or a cold bath in the great outdoors is the best.
The next recommended spot is Seoto no Yu. This is a hot spring located along the Akigawa Valley. A lot of wood is used in the hall, and it is characterized by a very soothing atmosphere when you enter. There is a hot spring in front, and a restaurant and rest space in the back. At the restaurant, you can enjoy local ingredients such as sweetfish dishes and soba noodles. And the rest space is actually a very healing spot.
sunflour in Akigawa
A part of the hall is a garden, and you can go outside. can melt into It feels good to take a nap. And about the main hot spring, it has won the “moisturizing skin category first place” in the general elections selected from hot springs nationwide in 2019, 2020, and 2022! The colorless and transparent hot water is thick and smooth, and the day you bathe in Seoto no Yu, your skin will be smooth. There is an indoor bath and an open-air bath, and the interior is clean, and the open-air bath allows you to enjoy the scenery while enjoying the view of nature. You can see the scenery outside from inside the sauna.
The bath is nice, but across from Seonoyu, there is a building where local vegetables and handmade sweets are lined up, so you can enjoy shopping. You can get seasonal vegetables and fruits, and it is a happy spot for housewives. There is a short trail around Seonoyu that takes you through the mountains to a bridge over a ravine. It's the best time to walk and see the scenery while feeling the breeze after taking a bath. And surprisingly, you can stay at Seonoyu! If you stay in a cottage, you can take a bath as much as you want, and you can relax while watching nature. It's a perfect place to wash off your sweat while camping.
4. Hydrangea
Akigawa Valley Hydrangea
The last attractive spot in Akigawa Valley to be introduced is “hydrangea”. In the Akigawa Valley, there is a place called "Minamisawa Hydrangea Mountain" where about 10,000 hydrangeas are in full bloom. The best time to see them is from mid-June to early July, and the Hydrangea Festival is also held. Beautiful pink and blue hydrangeas will welcome you as you walk along the quiet mountain path. The person who created this hydrangea mountain was Chuichi Minamizawa, who has been planting hydrangeas all by himself for about 50 years. It started when he planted about 20 hydrangea seedlings along the forest road to add color to the path to his parents' grave. became something. There are various types of hydrangeas, so it's fun to discover and compare the names and shapes of the types.
Why don't you all come and visit Akigawa Valley, the great nature of Tokyo full of charm?
