Great Spots Around Urawa City in Saitama for Bleisure Travel and Workation to Refresh Yourself

Have you ever been to Urawa Station in Saitama Prefecture? Many JR trains such as Keihintohoku and Saikyo, Shonan Shinjuku and Takasaki Line run through, and you can get to Tokyo just by riding a train for one station if catching some of these lines. Therefore, many business people use Urawa city as a base for their business trips. This time, we’re going to introduce recommended spots allowing you to refresh yourself in the middle of your “Bleisure Travel” or “Workcation” at Urawa city.

“The Railway Museum,” one of the largest train museums in Japan, exhibits 41 powerful railcars

Japanese railroad history began 150 years ago. You can learn about the history of railroads here at “The Railway Museum” and also enjoy seeing real trains. The museum exhibits 41 railcars, including the valuable “First Locomotive,” which was ridden in the early days of Japanese railroading. Visitors can see the rolling stocks on display closely. Some railcars are equipped with projection mapping, so you can enjoy the situation as if you are on the train. The museum has many stores and restaurants, so you can buy original goods only available here. Additionally, you can enjoy the “Ekiben” (boxed meal), an essential part of the Japanese food culture in train travel. This is a place where you can have fun without worrying about the weather.

Hours	10:00AM – 5:00PM (Admission until 4:30PM) Closed Tuesdays and New Year’s Holidays10:00～17:00
Admission Fee	Advance Tickets: Adults 1,230 yen, Elementary, Junior High, and High School Students 510 yen, Infants 210 yen Same-day Tickets: Adult 1,330 yen, Elementary, Junior High, and High School Students 610 yen, Infants 310 yen
Address	3-47, Onari-Cho, Omiya-Ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Access	A 5-minute bus ride from Urawa Station
URL	https://www.railway-museum.jp/

“Behshonuma Park,” an urban oasis, an old pond with unique twin fountains surrounded by greenery

Besshonuma Park is a nature-rich park built around Besshonuma Swamp, a historical pond of over the past million years. When you enter the park, you will see a large pond with ducks and twin fountains, providing a peaceful atmosphere. The pond has promenades that are suitable for strolling and jogging. Those promenades have distance markers every 100 meters, making it easy and convenient to know the distance. Since the pond is also surrounded by tall trees, which are rarely seen in the city, you will feel the fresh winds and pleasant summer. Why not take a break from work, and refresh yourself in this urban oasis?

Hours	Open All Year Round
Address	4-12-10 Bessho, Minami-Ku, Saitama-City, Saitama Prefecture
Access	A 5-minute walk from Naka-Urawa Station, which is 2 stops away from Urawa Station on the Takasaki Line or 4 stops from Omiya Station on the Saikyo Line
URL	https://www.stib.jp/info/data/besshopark.html

Founded in 1888, the long-established eel restaurant “Masuya” is popular with customers up until the very last minute before closing

Masuya, serving eel dishes, locates in the center of Urawa City. It is a three-story building on a site of about 200 tsubos (about 661 square meters) and has some private rooms and halls with different concepts to provide various dining occasions. All eels served in the restaurant are produced in Japan and carefully cooked with Kishu-binchotan charcoals and secret sauce. You will be satisfied with the fluffy, juicy eel meats that spread in your mouth and the savory smell of the coals and eel sauce. This restaurant offers many menu choices, including the eel dishes course, Kaiseki courses, and a la carte weekly dishes. Therefore, you will want to come back often there. Please enjoy good meals in a relaxed atmosphere away from the urban bustle.

Hours	Monday through Saturday: 11:00AM – 3:00PM / 5:00PM – 9:00PM Sundays and Holidays: 5:00PM – 8:00PM Closed on Mondays
Address	7-1-3 Kishi-Cho, Urawa-Ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Access	A 6-minute walk from JR Urawa Station
URL	https://urawa-masuya.owst.jp/en/