Places in Japan: Hadano Tokawa Park

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: Hadano Tokawa Park
• Where: Hadano, Japan
• Hours: Alway open; visitor center 0900AM – 0430PM
• Cost: Free
• More Information: Official website

Directions

Hadano Tokawa Park is accessed by train by taking the Odakyu Odawara Line to Shibusawa Station.  At this station take the North Exit to Bus Stop #2.  The Bus Line “Shibu02” is the route to Okura Station where the park is located at.  If traveling by car, accessing the park takes about an hour when driving from Tokyo on the ETC freeway:

Parking

Parking is open from 0800AM – 0900PM.  There are many pay parking areas located around the Hadano Tokawa Park to accommodate its many visitors.

Narrative

After finishing my hike up the Okura Ridge Trail into Japan’s Tanzawa Mountains, I decided to spend some time at the trailhead where the Hadano Tokawa Park is located.  The most noticeable feature of this park is the large suspension bridge that extends across the Mizunashi River:

Here is the view from the bridge looking down into the river back towards the Tanzawa Mountains where small cabins and a waterfall could be seen:

Here is a closer look at the waterfall:

Here is the view looking down the Mizunashi River where people could be seen playing in its cool waters:

Here is a closer look at the river:

After checking out the bridge I then walked over to the nearby visitor center:

After being on the trail all day it was nice to go inside and feel some air conditioning.  Entry into the visitor center was free and it actually had a lot of displays to check out.  Most of the displays focused on wildlife that could be seen in the Tanzawa Mountains:

Here is a closer look at the Tanukis I have seen in these mountains before:

They also had a stuffed bear on display.  I have done a lot of hiking in Tanzawa Mountains and despite seeing plenty of bear warning signs, I have never seen any signs of a bear:

Here is a display of the various birds that can be found in the mountains:

Here is another display showing the fish that can be found in the Tanzawa Mountains’ various streams:

What I found most interesting in the visitor center was this 3D depiction of the Tanzawa Mountains:

This display helped me to better visualize the various trails through this beautiful mountain range.  There was a regular flat map on display as well that showed on it the various trails that were closed due to prior typhoon damage that had not been repaired yet:

Conclusion

The Hadano Tokawa Park is a really nice place for families to take their kids to play in the various parks and splash in the cool waters of the Mizunashi River.  The visitor center also proved to be an interesting location for hikers like me to get more information about the various trails and wildlife found in the adjacent Tanzawa Mountains.