Saitama Prefecture is located just to the north of Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō), and is home to great hiking routes and traditional cityscapes that are a stone's throw away from Tokyo. Kawagoe (川越) is one of the most popular cities in Saitama Prefecture, nicknamed Little Edo (江戸), with its beautiful Edo era (1603-1867, 江戸時代, Edo-jidai) machiyas (町家, Traditional wooden townhouse) that line its streets and are also filled with imo (芋, Sweet Potato)-themed snacks that make it a great place to tabe-aruki (食べ歩き, Eating while walking).
Those looking for more of a nature retreat into the mountains can check out Chichibu (秩父), a small city nestled in the mountains, with a popular climbing trail that scales up Mount Mitsumine (三峰山, Mitsumine-yama) to Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社, Mitsumine-jinja) at the top.
