Julian Ryall steps away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and finds Tokorozawa, the most underrated Japanese city just one hour from the capital
The spirit lurking in the doorway is unmistakable. As tall as an adult with a round body and pointed grey ears, Totoro is waiting to greet me.
Arguably one of the greatest anime characters of all time and the star of the multiple award-winning 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro, I find him staring out from the traditional wooden farmhouse as the rain falls gently on the surrounding forest.
A life-sized mannequin, Totoro is nevertheless the target of younger visitors’ affections and they nudge each other aside to get the chance to throw their arms around his considerable girth.
Totoro holds his gaze at Kurosuke’s House, a registered national tangible cultural property in the Saitama Prefecture town of Tokorozawa, less than an hour west of Tokyo by train - but a world away from the glass, concrete, and bustle of the Japanese capital.
Waho-an has recently undergone a major internal renovation at the same time as preserving its historic exterior. Photo / Julian Ryall
The Totoro Foundation was set up to protect the shrinking natural environment of this part of Saitama and has gradually purchased pockets of land that were once “satoyama,” or managed woodland, to protect this natural asset.
Slowly, these small patches of woodland, stands of bamboo and brushland have been combined to form Totoro’s Forest, a sprawling area that now encompasses forests, ponds and wetlands that are teeming with wildlife and are all connected by walking trails.
Kurosuke’s House is the hub of the idea and was originally built in 1902. Typical of farmhouses of the time, it has tatami mat rooms downstairs, separated by sliding paper doors.
An open hearth with a kettle above is in the entranceway and a wide veranda runs the length of one side to catch the cool summer breezes. Upstairs is a single room with high beams where the work of the organisation that is expanding Totoro’s Forest is showcased.
Directly adjacent to the parkland is Waho-an, another traditionally designed building that dates 65 years but has recently been extensively modernised inside to make it into a “minpaku” private lodging that sleeps up to 10 and is available through Airbnb.
Visitors to Kurosuke's House are greeted in the "genkan" entranceway by a miniature Totoro presiding over the home's traditional hearth. Photo / Julian Ryall
The unique appeal of Waho-an is that it has been in the family of green tea farmer Ryoichi Wada for many generations, is surrounded by fields growing the local Sayama tea and Wada-san provides guests with tailored tea experiences.
Sayama tea plants have slightly thicker leaves than those that are cultivated in more southerly parts of Japan, but are considered to have a flavour that is distinctly sweeter and richer than elsewhere.
Wada-san farms around 12,000 sq m of tea plants and his brews have been judged the best in the Kanto region of Japan on three occasions and he has been crowned national champion once.
Wada-san leads visitors out into the tea plantation, with the tops of the bushes around shoulder height. He demonstrates how pickers need to grasp the top two leaves of the plant between thumb and forefinger and, with a pinching motion, crisply detach the leaves. It does not take long before the bowl hung around my neck is full and Wada-san leads us back to Waho-an to continue the traditional method of preparation.
A purpose-made table with a sunken middle section is in the spacious entranceway and he demonstrates how to gently roll the green leaves – a process that traditionally takes hours - before they are stored to dry. Inevitably, he will then invite participants to sample some of his award-winning tea beneath a waxed parasol in the garden.
The traditionally designed Waho-an lodging is surrounded by tea plantations growing award-winning brews. Photo / Julian Ryall
Waho-an is just one of a number of older, quirky properties that have recently been repurposed to offer accommodation in a city that has until now been lacking in places to stay.
Nana Endo has transformed a simple apartment above a shopping complex into Engawa, a cosy space for up to three to stay, while Jus Jus is a stylish auberge-inspired hotel with seven guest rooms and a restaurant serving French cuisine on the ground floor.
The outdoor deck is alongside Lake Sayama – the road looping around its shores is perfect for cycling - and the owners have big plans to expand to the rear of the property with a glamping area and, ultimately, a boutique vineyard.
Tokorozawa is also home to one of the most famous carvers specialising in crafting the intricate masks used in Noh theatre. Gensei Fukuyama can frequently be found working on a mask used in this classical form of dance theatre at Nomen Art Museum.
Exquisite carving is also on display at Konjo-in Temple, close to Totoro’s Forest, where the main hall was most recently rebuilt in 1763 and houses dozens of far older “kannon” statues associated with the Buddhist deity for mercy and compassion. A painting of a fire-breathing dragon prowls across the ceiling of the main hall.
One of Tokorozawa’s more modern claims to fame is in the Namiki district of the city, which in 1911 became the site of the first airfield in Japan. The aviation museum houses a small but interesting selection of small planes and helicopters and details Japan’s earliest efforts to get airborne. The original grass runway is still visible and the surrounding parkland is dotted with statues and memorials to early flying pioneers.
The airfield played an important role in training fliers before and during World War II but was taken over by the Allied Occupation forces immediately after Japan’s surrender in 1945. It was returned to the local authority in the 1970s and turned into a park.
Part of the area has also been turned over, appropriately, to a large tea house set in formal gardens that include a pond with carp, a small waterfall and a hexagonal pergola where visitors can enjoy the cherry blossoms in the spring and the gold and russet leaves as autumn comes.
The Saishotei tea house serves a variety of local teas served with beautifully prepared cakes and also hosts formal tea ceremony events.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of local teas in the gardens of the Saishotei tea house. Photo / Julian Ryall
Too often, Saitama gets a bad rap and is too often seen as merely a prefecture made up of dormitory towns for workers who travel into Tokyo every day. In truth, the area around Tokorozawa has stunning pockets of history, culture and green spaces, as well as a rich and proud history of tea.
Some years ago, the best the prefecture’s tourism authority could come up with as a logo for its annual promotional campaign was “Saitama – Really close to Tokyo!” Perhaps it is about time they stood that slogan on its head.
