Sagamihara has the third largest population in Kanagawa Prefecture, while retaining its rich natural environment. The area offers great access to central Tokyo and is popular as a commuter town. There are many enticing spots that make the most of their location and sightseeing attractions that allow visitors to freely immerse themselves in the great outdoors. Who knows, you may even rediscover some popular sightseeing attractions and new enticing spots! Here are some recommended sample itineraries to follow when you come to Sagamihara!
Recommended
Sample Itinerary
01
Explore Sagami's traditional
culture to the fullest
｜
12:00
At the Sagami no Odako (Giant Kite) Center, you will be greeted by a kite so large that it can cover the entire ceiling. After learning about the history of giant kites and viewing the exhibits, try your hand at painting a mini kite! You will be taught by a kite artisan and get to actually fly the kite!
Sagami no Odako (Giant Kite) Center
Location: Renge no Sato Araiso, 2268-1 Shindo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Year-end and New Year's holidays
(December 29 through January 3) and certain days in March.
Closure dates vary each year; please contact the center to confirm.
*A separate reservation is required for the mini kite making and flying workshop.
|
12:30
Enjoy the nostalgic taste of sake manju (a steamed bun made with rice wine and filled with sweet azuki bean paste) prepared by the store owner. Each one is made with a lot of time and effort, and even the sakadane (a leavening agent made by fermenting koji) and bean paste are made by the store owner herself. Please take some home as a souvenir of Sagamihara!
Sagami Noyume Kobo Fukkura
Location: 2041 Shindo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed: Monday through Friday
|
14:15
Nigomi udon is a local dish from the Tsukui area of Sagamihara in which udon noodles are simmered directly in a broth containing seasonal vegetables. The name is said to refer to the way in which the broth becomes cloudy (nigoru in Japanese) when simmered, and it may even be a corruption of the words nikomi udon (udon simmered in broth). It is currently served as a winter-only menu item at four restaurants in the city.
Toriibara Fureai no Ie
Location: 1674 Toya, Midori-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
*Last order at 3:30 p.m.
Closed: Tuesday
*Nigomi udon is only available in the winter (around November through March)
|
15:20
Obarajuku Honjin is the only surviving inn in the prefecture where daimyo (feudal lords) stayed during the Edo period (1603-1867). Under a system called sankin-kotai, the daimyo were required to alternate annually between living in their domain and the capital of Edo. It is a majestic building in a purely Japanese style, with a raised threshold at the entrance bearing a family crest. The interior is also worth seeing. Every year on November 3, the Koshu-Kaido Road Obarajuku Honjin Festival is held, which includes a daimyo's procession and a matchlock gun demonstration.
Obarajuku Honjin
Location: 698-1 Obara, Midori-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Last entry at 3:30 p.m.)
Closed: Every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, open on Monday but closed on the following
weekday)
Obara no Sato
Location: 711-2 Obara, Midori-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed: Every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, open on Monday but closed on the following weekday)
|
16:45
Make and taste kankoyaki (stuffed flour dumplings), a local dish that has been passed down in the Sagamihara area since the Edo period (1603-1867). Kankoyaki is a simple dish similar to oyaki dumplings, but there is something special about eating it in the middle of the campground's natural setting.
Aonohara Noro Lodge Campsite
Location: 931-1 Aonohara, Midori-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: Open all year (Phone reception hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Closed: Please check the website for closure dates.
*A separate reservation is required for the kankoyaki-making class.
Recommended
Sample Itinerary
02
Learn about the SDGs
in Sagamihara
— great for kids!
｜
11:30
This is a research facility of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). A part of the facility is open to the general public (including small children) for tours. The campus cafeteria even serves a space shuttle-themed lunch for kids! The shop sells plastic models of satellites and space food that will give you a taste of what life in space is like.
Communication Hall of Space Science and Exploration
Location: 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Last entry at 4:45 p.m.)
Closed: Please check the website for closure dates.
Shop: Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cafeteria: Business Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays
|
14:30
At the Sagami no Odako (Giant Kite) Center, you will be greeted by a kite so large that it can cover the entire ceiling. After learning about the history of giant kites and viewing the exhibits, try your hand at painting a mini kite! You will be taught by a kite artisan and get to actually fly the kite!
Sagami no Odako (Giant Kite) Center
Location: Renge no Sato Araiso, 2268-1 Shindo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Year-end and New Year's holidays
(December 29 through January 3) and certain days in March.
Closure dates vary each year; please contact the center to confirm.
*A separate reservation is required for the mini kite making and flying workshop.
|
16:30
Oginopan's famous Tanzawa Anpan is a thin bun pastry jam-packed with sweet red bean paste. Although it looks small, it is very filling. Their agepan (deep-fried bread), which won a gold medal at a prefectural “B-class gourmet” (cheap and delicious food) competition, is also popular. Besides buying their bread, you can also go on a tour of the factory.
Oginopan Main Factory Store
Location: 2841 Nagatake, Midori-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
*April through August: 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed: No closure dates
|
19:00
At the Wild Cooking Garden in PICA Sagamiko, a campground located within the Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest, you can enjoy an authentic barbecue without worrying about the weather or equipment! This economical plan lets you camp overnight and enjoy the amusement park until the following day.
Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest
Location: 1634 Wakayanagi, Midori-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: Varies depending on the time of year
Closed: Please check the website for closure dates.
Recommended
Sample Itinerary
03
Rediscover
Sagamihara's charm!
｜
10:30
This museum collaborates with the adjacent JAXA Sagamihara Campus to promote “space,” and even has a life-sized model of Japanese probe Asteroid Explorer “Hayabusa.” The planetarium is one of the largest in the prefecture, with a dome 23 meters in diameter. Children and adults alike can enjoy looking at a star-filled sky!
Sagamihara City Museum
Location: 3-1-15 Takane, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Every Monday and the weekday following a public holiday
(if Monday is a public holiday, open on Monday but closed on the following weekday),
year-end and New Year's holidays (December 28 through January 3)
|
11:00
At this used tire shop, you will find a row of retro vending machines facing the parking lot. There are all kinds of vending machines, ranging from glass bottle beverages to items that take time to prepare, such as soba/udon noodles and hamburgers. There is a roof overhead, so you will be covered even on rainy days! Go find your favorite vending machine!
Rat Sunrise Sagamihara Used Tire Shop Vending Machine Park
Location: 2661-1 Shimomizo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Business Hours: Open 24 hours
Closed: No closure dates
|
13:00
Kite artisans will teach you how to make a giant kite, a tradition which has been passed down from
generation to generation for ages, from start to finish. This is a rare opportunity to be involved in the
process of making and flying a kite (the kite in the workshop is a sangen kite, measuring in at about 5.4
meters long).
*Held only in November and early December (timing subject to change); there must be at least 20
participants.
Sagami no Odako (Giant Kite) Center
Location: Renge no Sato Araiso, 2268-1 Shindo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Year-end and New Year's holidays
(December 29 through January 3) and certain days in March.
Closure dates vary each year; please contact the center to confirm.
*A separate reservation is required for the mini kite making and flying workshop.
|
14:30
Enjoy a Japanese-style lunch with a variety of small side dishes at Shunko Torii.
Shunko Torii
Location: 1699-1 Tana, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Business Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Closed: Wednesday
|
15:20
You will find a large selection of freshly picked vegetables and charming local products from the Tsukui area! Shop while enjoying the view of Lake Tsukui. You might be able to find some sake manju to take home as a souvenir!
Lake Tsukui Visitor Center
Location: 1274-2 Oi, Midori-ku, Sagamihara
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Year-end and New Year's holidays (December 28 through January 3)
|
17:00
After watching the traditional performing art of ohayashi, you can try playing the instruments together with the performers. Ohayashi is a kind of festival music that men and women of all ages can participate in. It is now so popular that it has become a form of communication that connects different generations!
Shiroyama Community Center Conference Room
Location: 2-26-1 Kubosawa, Midori-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed: Every 4th Monday of the month
*A separate reservation is required for the ohayashi activity.
*The venue is subject to change.
