Repurposed from the former Mitomi Elementary School that was closed down, it serves as an information center for visitors to Nishizawa Valley and Mt.kentoku.
For those who want a brochure or are interested in forest therapy and various activities, please come to the former staff room.
The center features AR content that introduces famous spots within the national park, which you can view by wearing smart glasses. Please experience the AR content, which supports multiple languages.
The Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is characterized by mountains and mountain streams, Mt.KitaokuSenjo-dake with its highest peak, including the Okuchichibu massif with series of 2,000-meter-high peaks such as Mt.Kinpusan, Mt.Kobushigatake, Mt.Kumotoriyama, and surrounded by Daibosatsuryo-ridge, Ryogamisan, Mitake-Shosenkyo valley, and Okutama area. This National Park is about 70 km east to west and 40 km north to south.The Okuchichibu massif is the source of Fuefuki-gawa river and Tama-gawa river and is the watershed of these rivers. The erosion of these rivers has created steep V-shaped valleys and this makes the mountains and valleys sceneries of varieties.This is the closest national park to the Tokyo metropolitan area and its easy access is attracting lots of visitors who enjoy hiking, mountain climbing, camping, fishing, river climbing, and other activities.
Watch the special video
Mt.Kentoku has the summit with 360-degree view, and offers various mountain hiking experiences in forests, meadows, and rocky places. There, you can enjoy the views of many oddly shaped rocks such as Higesoriiwa rock, meaning shaving rock, Tsukimiiwa rock, meaning observing moon rock, as well as traces of mountain worship. It is possible to make a round trip around Mt.Kentoku starting from Kentoku Park. It is said that the famous priest Muso Kokushi, who is the founder of Erin-ji Temple and is highly renowned from the Kamakura through Muromachi periods, practiced asceticism on Mt.Kentoku and attained enlightenment. “Kentoku” means the “virtue indicated by king”, and this temple was named as such.
Watch the special video
Guide pamphlets are now available!
Download the pamphlets(PDF)
Mt.Kentoku, where the founder of Eirin-ji Temple, the Zen master Muso Kokushi, is said to have trained and attained enlightenment. With a guide, you will tour numerous peculiar rocks and traces of mountain worship, such as Higezori Rock, Tsukimi Rock, and Ootori Rock.
Why not go hiking in the valley, attractive for its seasonal expressions, enjoying waterfalls and wildflowers along the way?
The valley, formed by the erosion of giant granite by clear streams, consists of several waterfalls flowing through primeval forests, creating a mysterious atmosphere. It includes the Nanatsukama Five-Stage Waterfall, selected as one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls, along with the Triple Falls, Dragon God Falls, Love Thread Falls, Teizen Falls, and others, offering breathtaking views.
Why not take some time away from your busy daily life to relax and face yourself? Forest therapy offers health maintenance and enhancement, as well as disease prevention, through forest bathing.
How about viewing a slightly different landscape from above? Delivering paragliding experiences from Makioka that will surely make you feel the wind and refresh your mood.
In the Tokawa settlement, where large tiled roofs line the gentle slopes and stone walls support the houses here and there, why not walk with a local guide, contemplating the past and future? The walk includes the Tokawa settlement (Option: Tokawa Valley Hiking).
When do you look up at the starry sky? Let's embark on a journey to explore the universe and yourself with a starry sky guide! Lie down in the playground of the former Mitomi Elementary School and gaze at the stars.
Why not enjoy game cuisine, a gift from the mountains, in the schoolyard surrounded by nature? We can also prepare pet-specific game food, so please inquire.
At the visitor center, multilingual conversations with staff are facilitated using smart glasses, and an interpretation system between the traveler's language and Japanese is provided.
For instance, if a traveler asks a question in English while wearing smart glasses, the question appears in Japanese on the staff's smart glasses, and the accompanying earphones convey the message in Japanese audio.
Conversely, when a staff member responds in Japanese, the reply is displayed as English text on the traveler's smart glasses, and the accompanying earphones convey the message in English audio.
