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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Saitama
さいたま
Skip Saitama as a base: use Omiya station for the Railway Museum and bonsai village, or sleep here only if Tokyo beds are full.
Saitama is a commuter city north of Tokyo, formed in 2001 by merging Urawa, Omiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It has no old town and little nightlife, but Omiya is a Shinkansen hub and the city holds two genuinely good sights: the Railway Museum and the Omiya Bonsai Village. Most travellers see it as a half-day from Tokyo, not a stay.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- さいたま
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), New Year (Hikawa Shrine crowds)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or udon) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a konbini | ¥600–800 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥2,000–2,600 |
| Local train Omiya to Tokyo station | ¥540 (check) |
| Museum entry (Bonsai Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art) | ¥200–300 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita
- O N Liner bus to Omiya and Saitama Shintoshin, about 2 h, ¥2,750; a few Narita Express trains run through to Omiya (check times)
- HND · Haneda
- Keikyu to Shinagawa then JR Keihin-Tohoku to Omiya, 80–90 min, about ¥1,020; hourly limousine bus to Omiya, about 90 min
Typical fares
- Omiya → Tokyo station, JR local
- about ¥540, 50 min (check)
- Omiya → Tokyo, Shinkansen non-reserved
- about ¥1,580, 25 min (check)
- Narita → Omiya, O N Liner bus
- about ¥2,750, 2 h (check)
Get around
Sights sit near stations, so rail plus walking covers most of it. The New Shuttle links Omiya to the Railway Museum in one stop. Community buses fill the gaps; taxis queue at Omiya.
See and do
Known for
- Railway Museum
- Omiya Bonsai Village
- Hikawa Shrine
- Saitama Super Arena
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kawagoe | JR Kawagoe Line from Omiya, about 20–25 min | About 45 min |
| Tokyo | JR Keihin-Tohoku from Omiya to Tokyo station, about 50 min, ¥540 | About 1 h |
| Chichibu | Seibu limited express from Ikebukuro, or JR plus Chichibu Railway | 2–2.5 h |
| Kasukabe | Tobu Urban Park Line from Omiya | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Omiya station area
- Shinkansen, JR and Tobu lines plus the New Shuttle; best for one night with bags and for the Railway Museum.
- Urawa
- Quieter, with the art museum and Corso mall; 25–35 min to central Tokyo by JR.
- Saitama Shintoshin
- Super Arena concerts and the pedestrian walkway from the station; thin on food late at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- This is a commuter city: last trains from Tokyo run around midnight and hotels near Omiya fill on concert nights.
- The Railway Museum closes Tuesdays; bonsai nurseries keep their own hours and some ban photography.
- Omiya's east exit has touts and hostess bars: ignore the clipboards and keep walking.
Saitama is a low-crime commuter city and safe at night on lit main streets. The real risks are summer heat, late-night touts around Omiya's east exit, and missing the last train back to Tokyo.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saitama yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Railway Museum
- Omiya Bonsai Village
- Hikawa Shrine
- Saitama Super Arena
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Saitama City official site: www.city.saitama.jp/
- Visit Saitama City: visitsaitamacity.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Saitama, revision 5198334 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5198334
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/saitama). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.