On the way from Shinjuku to Mizuho Town, you need to transfer at Tachikawa. The area around JR Tachikawa Station is also very lively.

On the first night, I stayed at the Business Hotel Suzukiya Ryokan, which is conveniently located near Hakone Gaozaki Station in Mizuho Town. After soaking in the hot springs and enjoying a restful night's sleep, I started the next day with a hearty breakfast and then embarked on a day of exploring Mizuho by bicycle!

Koshinkan is a wealthy farmer's house from the Edo period, surrounded by a traditional Japanese garden and a Japanese-style building. The interior decoration is a blend of Japanese and Western styles.
In addition to providing catering and tea services, the museum regularly hosts various performances and exhibitions. There are also small specialty items available for purchase. That day, we coincidentally visited the museum during a special exhibition on Tokyo hand-drawn Yuzen dyeing, featuring on-site explanations by craftsmen. Naturally, we couldn't miss the opportunity to learn more!

Mizuho-cho Native Art Museum, located next to Koshinkan, houses a vast collection of natural, historical, cultural, and anthropological materials related to Mizuho Town. It is worth dedicating some time to explore.

Upon entering the Mizuho-cho Handicraft Museum, you'll see a captivating large-scale bird's-eye view image. It's quite intriguing to squat down and identify your exact location!

Initially, I thought the museum, named after local materials, would focus primarily on static historical exhibits. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find it also includes a simulation of the Sayama Hill ecology, which is incredible! It’s so interesting here, and admission is completely free. If you have the chance, you must come and see it!

Since we were quite full from breakfast, we decided to skip lunch and opted for an afternoon tea instead. We visited Tamago Kobo Ueno, a local favorite, where we enjoyed pudding and raw milk cake rolls made from domestic wheat and fresh farm eggs. Tamago Kobo Ueno's exterior is subtle, making it a bit challenging for non-locals to locate. In addition to selling all kinds of cakes, snacks, and drinks, the store also sells various baking ingredients. The fresh eggs from their farm are very popular. People came to buy them from time to time during our meal, and the eggs quickly sold out. It's amazing!

Friends who like Hayao Miyazaki’s animations should be familiar with Sayama Hills~ Because the Totoro Forest in the classic animation "My Neighbor Totoro" was conceived here. The Sayama Hills cover a vast area. Although the Totoro Forest, often associated with it, is located in the Saitama-Korozawa area and quite far from us, it didn't matter. Visiting on this sunny day, absorbing the phytoncides, and enjoying the beautiful scenery was truly delightful. Not bad at all!

After leaving the Sayama Hills, we continued our leisurely tour. On our way back, we passed by a private house that appeared to be producing Tama tumblers, so we decided to take a chance and see if there was an opportunity to buy them directly.We were in luck! It turned out to be a factory specializing in the production of Tama tumblers and selling other specialty products! Of course, the price is also cheaper than those on the market, so my friend and I happily bought a lot before we were willing to leave! Typically, tumblers purchased in Japan have "blank eyes." This is not a defect but rather something that needs to be painted by the buyer. The process of dotting the eyes is not completed in one go. You need to draw one of the eyes while making a wish. After the wish comes true, you can then dot the other eye.

Enomotoya wagashi, a local favorite, served as the perfect conclusion to today's self-guided tour of Mizuho Town~ Autumn is undoubtedly an ideal season for savoring chestnuts. The chestnut dorayaki from Enomotoya Wagashi has a luscious filling. The aroma of the filling is delightful, and it's not overly sweet, making it delicious!