Discover Hamura

Hamura offers several distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip: the seasonally used Negaramimae rice field, the historic Tamagawa Josui, the First Water Tower, and the Hamura Folk Museum. Depending on your interests, the area’s landscapes and agriculture, waterworks history, or nature, history, and culture may shape your view of the town. These themes can help you understand Hamura before choosing a hotel.

Seasonal use of the Negaramimae rice field

The Negaramimae rice field is used to grow rice from early summer through autumn and tulips from autumn through spring. During the tulip-growing season, the field is a tourist attraction. The tulip field covers about 59,000 square meters and contains around 350,000 tulip bulbs. The number planted each year may vary. The Tulip Festival is held there every April. These periods of use indicate the seasonal schedule; for a festival visit, the specific event dates are also important. Check these dates separately before your trip. This helps distinguish the seasonal planting schedule from the festival’s fixed association with April.

Tamagawa Josui and flood protection

Tamagawa Josui offers a perspective on the history of waterworks. It was constructed in 1653, running from present-day Hamura to Yotsuya-Ōkido in Shinjuku, and is about 43 kilometers long. The Hamura Intake Weir is its starting point. The weir’s flood-protection system includes a distinctive design feature: during floods, the crosswise timbers, called nagi, can be removed to prevent the weir from being washed away. Tamagawa Josui thus brings both its long course and a specific detail of the protective function at its starting point into focus.

First Water Tower: visits by appointment

The First Water Tower stands on the grounds of the water bureau in Hamura and is about 34 meters tall. It can be visited on the first day of each month, except when that day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. You can enjoy the view from the top. Check the visiting arrangements before your trip before planning the tower as a fixed stop on your itinerary.

Museum and cultural heritage

The Hamura Folk Museum opened in April 1985. It serves as a place of learning that researches Hamura’s nature, landscapes, history, and culture, and shares its findings through exhibitions, study events, and publications. Its subject matter therefore extends beyond the history of a single waterworks structure: nature and landscapes are also included. Hamura Matsuri Bayashi is designated as an intangible folk cultural property and represents a distinct cultural aspect alongside the museum’s research areas.

Different rules apply when choosing dates: the Tulip Festival takes place in April, while the tower can be visited on the first day of the month, provided it is not a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. If both are important to your trip, check their specific dates separately.

Discover more destinations: Machida, Tama, Akishima, Chōfu, Nozawa, Bunkyō, Toshima, Koganei

For the broader travel overview: Tokyo.