Nagatoro is a small town in the hills of western Saitama where the Arakawa river squeezes through a gorge of layered grey-green rock, and that rock is the reason the place is famous. Along the riverbank lies the Iwadatami, a broad flat terrace of crystalline schist, worn smooth by the water and split into slabs like stepping stones, and it is a national natural monument. Japanese geologists have studied it since the late nineteenth century, and Nagatoro calls itself the birthplace of Japanese geology, with the Saitama Museum of Natural History right in town.
The river is the show. Flat-bottomed wooden boats, steered by boatmen with long poles, carry visitors down the rapids between the rock walls, and in summer there is rafting and canoeing. The water is clear and green, and on hot days families sit on the rocks with their feet in it. In autumn, the maples along the gorge turn red, and in spring cherry blossoms line the river and the road. Above the town, a ropeway climbs Mount Hodo, where wintersweet flowers bloom in January and February, and the Hodosan shrine sits among old trees at its foot.
As a food stop, Nagatoro and the Chichibu area have their own specialities. Kakigori, shaved ice, is a summer ritual here, made from natural ice harvested in winter from ponds in the mountains, light and fluffy and topped with syrups. Chichibu is also known for miso potatoes, fried and coated in sweet miso sauce, and for waraji katsu, huge breaded pork cutlets shaped like straw sandals. Soba noodles made from local buckwheat are another good choice, cold on a hot day or hot in winter.
The riding to and from Nagatoro is a pleasure. Route 140 follows the Arakawa valley from Yorii, with gentle bends, good surfaces and views of the river, and the roads up into the Chichibu mountains climb through forests to passes and lookout points, with tight corners and very little traffic on weekdays. Chichibu Muse Park, on a ridge above the city of Chichibu, has wide views over the basin and the mountains. On weekends, the main roads can be busy with day-trippers from Tokyo.
Nagatoro has fuel, convenience stores and many small restaurants and cafés along the main street near the station. Arrive early, before the tour buses, and watch the boats glide through the gorge in the morning light.