Nagatoro, Japan has an unassuming little art gallery that presented us with perhaps the most fun art exhibit we’ve ever attended. And our visit to it was just part of a day filled with other memorable activities. And a bit of nostalgia, since Nagatoro (designated a national park), a tourist village on the Arakawa River, was one of the places we’d visited in Japan on our first trip nearly 17 years earlier.

Since Nagatoro is a considerable distance from where we were staying with our hosts, we started driving at 9:30 a.m. in order to be there in time for lunch. Well, we ourselves didn’t start driving; our gracious hostess Yukari did, and we tagged along, with her daughter Ayaka also keeping us company. (Since Yukari did so much chauffeuring while we were visiting her, we resolved to obtain international driver’s permits before our next trip to Japan.)

Umedaya – a Vegetarian Tofu Restaurant in Nagatoro

Arriving before the restaurant opened, we first took a stroll around the neighborhood, getting a glimpse of the Japanese being Japanese. Yukari had picked out a restaurant that she knew we would like, a place with traditional design and decor, but an extensive vegetarian menu. And everything was quite scrumptious — including the cheesecake and pudding we couldn’t resist for dessert.

Getting Into Trick Art

Then it was on to the museum, which was what you might call a gallery of “trick art” — because all the exhibits seemed designed to fool your eyes. You could also call it immersive, interactive, and 3-D, because it was all of those things. Each work of art would incorporate an actual 3-D object (a barrel, a table, an opening in the wall, etc.), and the painting constructed around it would appear very convincingly 3-D itself. As a result, you could place yourself in the scene, and appear to be climbing a wall, fighting another figure, falling from a rooftop, etc. An extremely well done and unforgettable installation.

An Instagrammer’s Dream.

Tram to the Top – Hodosan Ropeway Sanroku

Next was a ride on a nearby tramway, called the Hodosan Ropeway, to the top of the nearby mountain, — or near the top; we had to do a bit of hiking to go the rest of the way. The summit offers some superb views of the mountains, the village and the river. And at the summit is a little Shinto shrine, at the front of which is a rack of little wooden tablets called ema containing prayers and wishes that visitors can hang up.

Celebrating the Summit

There was also a little booth where you could stamp your “passports” to prove you’ve been to the place, so naturally all of us overgrown kids had to do that. After we collected all of our stamps we redeemed our prize – a roll of tape decorated with trains.

Collecting our Passport Stamps

Back down the mountain, we made our way to the Arakawa River (an English translation that’s redundant, since “Ara” means “river”). This was the area we especially recalled coming to before, with narrow pedestrian streets lined with shops selling food, gifts, and other goods Our previous trip was in the summer, so the water level was higher. So was the attendance, with a great many more people, some of them playing in the water. We recall one gentleman diving off the cliff on the other side. There was also a boat ride which we partook of.

Revisiting Arakawa River

But even in winter the river was quite scenic. The gorge you walk down into has riverbanks layered with rock to form natural steps. This famous formation, which geologists among others are fond of, is known as Nagatoro Iwadatami. The latter word means something like “rock tatami”, because the slabs look like… well, tatami. If you squint.

After savoring the beauty of the gorge, we made our way back up to the train station, a historic landmark that is a century old. Here we waited for the next bus that would take us back to our parking spot — we’d hiked quite a distance from it, and didn’t want to retrace all of our steps.

So now we’ve visited Nagatoro in summer and in winter. Only two more seasons to go. And we hope the next one won’t be 17 years from now.

2/28/2023

Must-See Attractions:

• Nagatoro Trick Art Museum: Immerse yourself in a world of optical illusions and interactive art.
  • Address: 1-10-1 Nagatoro, Nagatoro-machi, Chichibu-gun, Saitama 369-1303, Japan
• Hodosan Ropeway: Take a scenic cable car ride to the top of Mount Hodo for panoramic views.
  • Address: 1-10-1 Nagatoro, Nagatoro-machi, Chichibu-gun, Saitama 369-1303, Japan
• Arakawa River: Explore the stunning Iwadatami rock formations and enjoy a relaxing boat ride.

Vegetarian Food Recommendations:

• Umedaya A tofu restaurant with a traditional Japanese setting and extensive vegetarian options
• 268 Nagatoro, Chichibu District, Saitama 369-1305, Japan

Tips for Your Visit:

• Transportation: Consider renting a car or using public transportation, such as the Chichibu Railway.
• Best Time to Visit: While the winter offers a unique charm, spring and autumn are popular for their beautiful foliage.