Iruma Among Tea Fields and Culture

Sayama tea plays an important role in Iruma City’s municipal offerings: you can experience it on a tea terrace, at the annual New Tea Festival, and in the permanent exhibitions at the ALIT Museum. Other highlights include a sweeping view over the Kantō Plain, the Kaji Hills as a satoyama landscape, and a historic building from the silk-spinning industry. These offer different points of focus for planning your trip—from tea and scenery to architectural history.

Experience Sayama Tea in Different Ways

Tea Field Terrace Chanowa (茶畑テラス「茶の輪」) is a tourist experience in Iruma City where you can enjoy Sayama tea with all five senses. The paid terrace is set amid expansive tea fields and can be rented exclusively; advance reservations are required. Private use lasts 90 minutes, and tea and tea sweets are included. A selection of plans is tailored to the distinctive features of the tea houses and the season. As reservation terms and offerings may change, check the provider’s current arrangements.

Another opportunity is the Hachijuhachiya New Tea Festival (八十八夜新茶まつり), held every year in the tea field at Iruma City Hall. Renting the terrace privately and attending the annual festival are different ways to explore tea culture. For planning, it is a good idea to check the specific event dates.

Tea, Nature, and Everyday History at the ALIT Museum

The ALIT Museum’s permanent exhibition has a section devoted to tea, “茶の世界” (“The World of Tea”). It introduces the spread of tea around the world, covering local Sayama tea, tea from Japan, and varieties from other parts of the world. This brings the local tea tradition together with a broader perspective on tea.

Other parts of the permanent exhibition explore the natural environment and geology. These include a diorama of the Kaji Hills forest and fossilized footprints of an Akebono elephant discovered in the Iruma River. Homes from different periods are also brought to life: full-scale reconstructions show parts of a farmhouse from the early Shōwa period and a home from a housing development built around 1965. The two reconstructions represent different historical periods, without reproducing either house in its entirety.

At the Science Bar, members of the museum’s volunteer team give demonstrations and lead craft activities on almost every first Saturday of the month. If you would like to include this in your plans, check the current schedule. The museum grounds also have a restaurant serving tea dishes.

Panoramic Views and the Kaji Hills Landscape

The Sakurayama Observation Deck offers a 360-degree panorama of the Kanekodai tea fields, the Chichibu and Tama mountain ranges, Mount Fuji, and the Kantō Plain. This sweeping view brings together tea fields and well-known landscapes.

The Kaji Hills (加治丘陵) are a natural area home to many wild animals and plants. As a satoyama landscape, they have long been closely connected to people’s lives. The hills are also a symbol for residents and a familiar image of the city’s original landscape. Their significance therefore encompasses both nature and the relationship between landscape and human life.

A Building from the History of the Silk-Spinning Industry

The Old Ishikawa Silk Mill Western House is a Western-style wooden building constructed around 100 years ago by the Ishikawa Silk Mill as a reception building for foreign merchants. From the Meiji period to the early Shōwa period, the silk mill was nationally significant. Its architectural style and original function give the site a historical focus distinct from the everyday living spaces and exhibition themes at the ALIT Museum.

Discover more destinations: Toda, Ranzan, Yoshimi, Yashio, Wakō, Fukaya, Saitama, Furusato

For the broader travel guide: Saitama Prefecture.