Musashi Hills Forest Park

The National Musashi Hills Forest Park is a vast park where visitors can enjoy the scenery and plants of the four seasons. The park boasts an area approximately 65 times the size of Tokyo Dome, and has 24 athletic facilities, a giant air trampoline, a seasonal water playground, and many other playground equipment that allow visitors to exercise their bodies to the fullest. A dog run is also very popular, where you and your pooch can have fun together. To get around the park, we recommend using the 17-km-long forest bike path or the park bus. Bicycle rental service is also available (400 yen for 3 hours for adults, 250 yen for 3 hours for children).

National Musashi Hills Forest Park was developed as part of the Meiji Centennial Commemorative Project and is located on a vast, hilly area of 304 ha in Namegawa-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture and Yangai, Kumagaya City. The park features a diverse natural environment, including wooded areas, ponds, marshes, wetlands, and grasslands, and is known as a habitat for a variety of valuable plants and animals. The park is used by people in the Tokyo metropolitan area as a familiar and familiar natural place.

The National Musashi Hills Forest Park offers a variety of facilities and events that allow visitors to learn about and deepen their interest in nature while having fun. There are playgrounds such as the athletic “Adventure Course” and “Musashi Kids Dome,” where visitors can exercise their bodies to the fullest in nature. Particularly popular is the “air trampoline,” which has the largest single mountain in Japan. Try it and see how high you can jump!

Main Events

At the National Musashi Hills Forest Park, events are held each season to enjoy the beautification of flowers and traditional events.

Spring

Cherry Blossom Viewing Festa
Wakaba Festa

Summer

Ryoufu Festival
Summer Fureai Aquarium

Autumn

Minori Festa
Numa Festival (traditional event of Namekawa Town)
Chrysanthemum Exhibition
Halloween Night in the Forest
Autumn Leaf Viewing Night (maple tree lighting up)

Winter

Finish Marathon
Starlight Illumination and Christmas Concert

Facilities

The National Musashi Hills Forest Park has the following facilities

Pompoko Mountain: The largest air trampoline in Japan at approximately 1,000 m2
Musashi Kids Dome: Multiple types of athletic playground equipment
Adventure Course: 24 different athletic courses
Water playground: 10,000 m2 in area, 5-30 cm deep
Stream Plaza: 200 m long man-made stream
Athletic field: 64,400 m2 of lawn
Dog run: approx. 6,000 m2 free area and small dog area
Sculpture Plaza
Maple garden: “Autumn Foliage Viewing Night” event is held in the fall and the garden is illuminated.
Cycling course: 17 km long
Marathon course: 2 courses of 5 km and 10 km
Buses within the park (fee required): There are 8 bus stops within the park, connecting each gate in 20 minutes. 1 or 2 buses are available, and one-day passes are available except on busy days. Smaller buses will also be operated.

Adventure Course

This is an athletic course in a wooded area that takes about one hour to complete a circuit (about a three-minute walk from the west gate). The entrance is the ship-shaped “Genki Morimori No.”. There are 24 types of wooden playground equipment for both children and adults to enjoy, so please try it out with your family.

Musashi Kids Dome

With approximately 50 types of colorful playground equipment, this is a safe and fun place for even the youngest children to play. You can play inside the white-roofed dome even on rainy days, and there are a variety of playground complexes around the dome (a short walk from the West Gate).

Water playground

This is a huge jabu-jabu pond with an area of approximately 1,300 m2. The water depth is shallow, ranging from 5 to 30 cm, making it an oasis in the park where small children can enjoy playing. Surrounded by trees, parents can relax in the shade while their children play.

West Exit BBQ ~GARDEN MAGIC

The West Exit Plaza (near the Kids Dome), about a 5-minute walk from the West Exit, is the venue for barbecues. All necessary equipment is provided, so you can start barbecuing right away. During the flower season, you can also enjoy the view of the flower garden. An athletic course, water playground, and cycling center are also nearby, offering many physical activities.

West Exit Plaza

This approximately 16,000 m2 grass plaza offers visitors the freedom to relax, lie down, and play catch in the Musashi Kids’ Bullpen. There is also a flower garden within the plaza, and in spring, nemophilas are in full bloom all over the plaza.

Mountain Stream Plaza

This plaza with a 270-meter-long artificial stream and grassy slope represents the life of a river. It is a perfect spot to take a break during cycling.

West Cycling Center

Cycling centers are located near the south, central, and west entrances of the park, and bicycles are available for rent. Convenient for getting around the park, the 17-km-long bicycle path has moderate ups and downs and is fully enjoyable. Enjoy cycling in the sunshine through the trees.

Pompoko Mountain is Japan’s largest air trampoline, a fun spot to jump in the air with friends. Trampolines for small children are also available for the whole family to enjoy. It can be accessed from the South or Central Exit in about 20 minutes on foot, but we recommend approaching from the South Exit, where there are fewer hills.

The Sports Plaza is the largest grass field in the park (64,400 m2) and is also home to the popular Pompoko Mountain. It is also used for marathons and group recreation.

The Wild Grass Course is a 1-kilometer path through wooded areas and swampy areas. Visitors can enjoy a variety of wildflowers in each season. Katakuri (dogtooth violet), shilights, day lilies, and the seven grasses of autumn can also be seen.

In the plum grove (hanaki-en), visitors can enjoy the fragrance of 500 plum trees of about 120 varieties. Early-blooming red plum trees start blooming in January, and late-blooming varieties can be enjoyed until mid-March. It is a place where you can feel the spring.

In the cherry blossom (hanaki-en) garden, some 500 cherry trees, mostly Someiyoshino, bloom from the end of March, offering a beautiful view that competes with snowy willows, lengyou, rape blossoms, and other flowers.

Visitors can enjoy a meal at the observation restaurant while gazing at the cherry blossoms, zelkova trees, and lush greenery of the observation plaza. It seats 140 people.

The Camellia Garden is a 20,000 m2 camellia garden spreading out under a forest of pine trees, where visitors can admire a variety of camellias.

The South Cycling Center is located near each entrance to the park (South, Central, and West) and offers bicycle rentals. It is convenient for getting around the park, and the 17-km-long bicycle path has ups and downs, making it a pleasant place to enjoy cycling.

At the Urban Botanical Garden, visitors can enjoy a variety of seasonal plants in a vast area that includes the Botanical Garden Exhibition Building, the Herb Garden, and the Border Flowerbeds. The Botanical Shop in the exhibition building sells souvenirs featuring plants and the park’s original coffee.

The herb garden covers an area of approximately 2,500 m2 and is divided into seven areas, including the Rose and Shrub Garden, where roses are harmoniously combined with shrubs and flowers, the Perennial and Herb Garden, where perennial plants and herbs can be enjoyed, and the Day and Night Garden, where copperleaf and golden leaf plants contrast each other. Many colored-leaf varieties are used, and beautiful foliage colors adorn the garden even during the non-flowering season.

The Border Flower Garden is approximately 300 meters long and covers an area of 1,960 m2, and is planted with native grasses and shrubs grown in the region.

The Botanical Garden Exhibition Building provides information on “greenery” and features a variety of seasonal events and a kids’ corner.

In the Park and Garden Arboretum, visitors can admire the trees used in the park and gardens, and in late April, the gently sloping hills are a popular photo spot with fields of lupines and other flowers.

The maple garden has 500 maples of about 20 varieties, which turn bright red and yellow from mid-November to early December, allowing visitors to enjoy the different shapes and colors of the leaves. This is a recommended spot in autumn.

The Lane of the Lily of the Valley has about 10,000 native day lilies, of which about 3,000 bloom in sequence from mid to late July. This is a recommended spot to enjoy the sight of day lilies blooming in clusters.

In the sculpture plaza, nine works by first-class sculptors are placed in a natural setting. Visitors can spread out their lunches and relax while admiring the beautiful sculptures.

The Central Restaurant is a 3-minute walk from the central exit gate, where you can casually enjoy a standard menu of curry and ramen noodles, soft drinks, and draft beer. Please use it for lunch or a break between strolls.

The Central Cycling Center is located near each entrance to the park (South, Central, and West entrances) and offers bicycles for rent. It is convenient for getting around the park, and you can enjoy moderate ups and downs on the approximately 17-km-long bike path. Enjoy cycling in the sunlight filtering through the trees.

Dog Run】 The 4,000 m2 dog run has a free area and an area for small dogs only. If you would like to take your dog off leash and let him or her play to their heart’s content, please use the dog run (free admission). It is located about a 15-minute walk from the North Exit gate and about a 25-minute walk from the Central Exit gate. On weekends and holidays, there are dog run specialist staff (certified dog life counselors), so please feel free to ask them if you have any problems regarding the use of the dog run or your pooch. Please note, however, that staff may not be available due to weather or other circumstances. Please be sure to read the precautions for bringing pets when entering the park with your dog.

The Free Area is open to all dogs. Since medium to large dogs are the main users of this area, please consider crowded conditions and compatibility when using this area with small dogs.

Small Dog Area】 This area is for small dogs only. Medium to large dogs are not allowed to use this area. Dogs with a body height (shoulder height) of 40 cm or less from the ground are eligible.

The “Doggy Passport” can be presented at the entrance to eliminate the need to go through the admission procedures each time your dog enters the park. There is no annual fee and the passport is valid for one year from the date of registration. If you are already a member of the FC (fan club), you can use the passport until the card expires. Please take your own photo for the passport and paste it on the passport. The “Doggy Passport Application Form and User Guide” can be obtained from the Download Various Application Forms page. If you do not have a Doggy Passport, please obtain the “Pledge to Bring Your Pet Along” form from the Application Forms Download page and bring it with you. Please be sure to read the precautions for use.

Bicycle rental station at the North Entrance (North Gate rental)] Bicycles can be rented for convenient transportation within the park. The 17-km-long bike path has moderate ups and downs, allowing visitors to enjoy a fulfilling ride. Please enjoy cycling in the sunshine through the trees.