2025 Soka Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in August)

📍Address: 1 Chome-32-20 Hanaguri, Sōka, Saitama 340-0044, Japan https://maps.google.com?q=Coco's%20Restaurant,%201%20Chome-32-20 ⏰Hours: Open daily, 24 hours This breakfast buffet-style restaurant offers a wide variety of breakfast options. They have coffee and matcha dispensers, with the matcha being rich, not too sweet, and very delicious. The restaurant has plenty of seating and is open 24 hours, allowing you to enjoy a diverse range of food at any time.

First, the Tofuku-ji is somewhere there are relatively few visitors here. The Honbo garden is even less people willing to spend a few hundred yen to enter the place. However, believe me, the Honbo garden has the most beautiful Karesansui after i saw so many Karesansui. If you don't know what is Karesansui, it actually used the small little rock to arrange the ripple of water through the graveling to represent the stream/water and use the big stone to act as the mountain for the Zen garden. The monk/temple staff definitely use a lot of their time to make this scenery place for us to visit. If you have spare time, just walk 15 minutes from the nearest Keihan station to here. I guess you will not regret it especially during the time close to sunset. #travelgram

#cherryblossom25 Soka University in Hachioji, Tokyo, is renowned for its breathtaking cherry blossoms that envelop the campus each spring. With approximately 2,500 cherry trees—including Somei-yoshino, yaezakura, and weeping varieties—the university transforms into a vibrant tapestry of pink and white hues. The tree-lined paths and serene ponds create a picturesque setting, attracting both students and visitors. Each year, the university hosts a Cherry Blossom Viewing Event, celebrating the season’s beauty. During this time, the campus is illuminated in the evenings, offering a magical experience of the blossoms under the night sky. This annual spectacle embodies the harmony of nature and education at Soka University.

#springplace2024 Soka Park is a natural park famous for its beautiful mountains and rivers, and is deeply loved by local residents and tourists. The park has lush woods and winding streams, and the environment is quiet, making it an ideal place to relax and get close to nature. The trails in Tengah Park are cleverly designed, allowing visitors to explore different paths and experience a variety of natural landscapes. There are many viewing points in the park, from which you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire park. The scenery is particularly magnificent at sunrise and sunset. Tengah Park also features seating areas and picnic areas where families and friends can enjoy outdoor dining and leisure time. In addition, the ecological environment in the park is very rich, attracting a variety of birds and small animals, providing excellent observation opportunities for bird watchers and nature lovers. The lakes and ponds in the park also add a lot of vitality, and fish and waterfowl can often be seen swimming in the water.

Kamigumi Inari Shrine in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃 An Inari shrine located near the intersection where the Hitotsubashi Floodway branches off, across the Denu River. The guardian deity of the Kamigumi village of Shinbei Shinden (now Shinei Town). The guardian deity of the Shimogumi village also exists in the same town. There is a Jizo Bodhisattva in the precincts, and a Chikaraishi stone near the main hall. There were also four stone towers. There is also a Jizo Bodhisattva next to the main hall. Ryūguri Bridge is nearby, and there is also a relief of a dragon. And looking back, there is the Ryūguri Water Gate. It is an open shrine where you can see the inside at a glance because there is no Tamagaki fence. ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ ꕥShrine name: Kamigumi Inari Shrine ꕥAddress: 3-18 Shinsakae, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture ꕥAccess 🚉Totsuka-Angyo Station → approx. 18 minutes walk ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ #Sakura2024 #Shrine tour #Shrine worship #Shrines and temples #Soka city

Soka Shrine in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃 This shrine was enshrined from Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine during the Tensho era (1573-1592). It was originally built as Hikawa Shrine. It is said to have been the guardian shrine of the former Minami Soka Village. In 1909, 11 neighboring shrines were enshrined and the shrine name became the current Soka Shrine. The shrine grounds include Inari Shrine, Hachiman Shrine, Mitake Shrine, and Raiden Shrine. The main hall is noteworthy. It is said to have been built around the Tenpo era (1830-1844), and you can see wonderful sculptures. There are also flower water basins scattered all over the place. ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ ꕥShrine name: Soka Shrine ꕥAddress: 2118-2 Hikawa-cho, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture ꕥAccess 🚉Soka Station → 6 minutes walk ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ #Sakura2024 #SokaShrine #ShrinesandTemples #ShrineTour #ShrineVisit #SokaCity

Seimei Inari Shrine in Soka, Saitama Prefecture 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃 This shrine is located in a secluded area of ​​the Seimon Town Hall. During the Edo period, it was owned by the headman Tanaka Yaemon and was the guardian shrine of Seiemon Shinden Village. The plaque inside the shrine is engraved with the words Tanaka Inari Daimyojin. On the left side of the approach are many stone monuments. There is a koshin tower and a Benzaiten statue. On the right is a chikaraishi. It is quiet, but it is a shrine that should be preserved so that it can continue to watch over the area. ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ ꕥShrine name: Seimon Inari Shrine ꕥAddress: 2-14 Seimon, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture ꕥAccess 🚉Shinden Station → approx. 23 minutes walk ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ #Sakura2024 #Inari Shrine #Shrines and Temples #Visiting Shrines #Shrines and Temples #Soka City

Shimogumi Inari Shrine in Soka, Saitama Prefecture 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃 A shrine near the Den'u River. Upstream is Kamigumi Inari Shrine. Downstream is Shimogumi Inari Shrine. According to the history on the sign, Shinei-cho has had three addresses since ancient times. Michishita, Kawadonumasomi, Michikami. This shrine is called Shimogumi Inari Shrine because it is located in Michishita. Going through the torii gate, there is a small building that looks like a shrine office. The main shrine building is on the left. Beside the main shrine building, there is a stone monument of the smallpox god and Suitengu Shrine. There are green and red offerings. The grounds are a little larger than Kamigumi Inari Shrine. And best of all, the guardian foxes were so cute, with the baby foxes being held in the mother's arms! ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ ꕥShrine name: Shimogumi Inari Shrine ꕥAddress: 1-chome, Shinsakae, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture ꕥAccess 🚉Totsuka-Angyo Station → approx. 33 minutes walk ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ #Sakura2024 #Inari Shrine #Shrine Tour #Shrines and Temples #Shrine Visit #Soka City

Kawado Inari Shrine in Soka, Saitama Prefecture 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍 𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃◌𓈒𓐍𓂃 I was walking along the Den'u River and looking for a nearby shrine when I came across this one. The shrine is located northeast of the river. Go through the residential area and through Shin-Sakae Central Park. It's a small shrine located in a corner of the block. It's small, but the shrine building is more impressive than I expected. It's built in the Nagare-zukuri style. And there are weeping cherry trees planted in the grounds. Next to it is the Shinsaka Town Hall. It's a lion dog, but it's very humorous, and I was really attached to it because it looks like it has gills. ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ ꕥShrine name: Kawado Inari Shrine ꕥAddress: 2-29-1 Shinsakae, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture ꕥAccess 🚉Totsuka-Angyo Station → approx. 26 minutes walk ✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼••┈┈┈┈••✼ #Sakura2024 #Shrines and Temples #Shrines Tour #Shrines Visit #Inari Shrine #Soka City

#Sakura2024 The cherry blossoms🌸 were blooming so beautifully in the morning glow that I stopped my car on my way to work and took a photo. It's a very pleasant morning.

#thingstodo With comparison to hot spring facilities in Tokyo, this facility is really nice. You can use shuttle bus from station. There are variation of stone sauna rooms and relax tatami room when you want to cool yourself. And the ticket is reasonable because there is unlimited time to use. This is a good place for relaxing your body. There are various pools over there. And here is quite cheap.

#visit Tokyo Snow time