Sayama Hills, Rolling country in Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo, Japan
Sayama Hills is a rolling country area covering about 3,500 hectares across the border between Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, featuring dense forests, traditional farmlands, and two lakes. The terrain shows a mix of wooded slopes, open cultivation areas, and smaller bodies of water that create a varied natural landscape.
Local communities have maintained this land for generations, developing farming methods that created a balance between forests and agricultural fields. The repeated use of the land through farming shaped the landscape structure we see today.
The landscape here inspired the forest scenes in the 1988 animated film My Neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli. Visitors can still recognize the same tree groupings and pathways shown in that film.
Multiple hiking trails are accessible from Seibu-Kyujo-mae station, with clear signs marking the way to various observation points and traditional wooden structures. The paths are well-maintained and suitable for both short walks and longer hikes through the area.
A foundation named after Totoro actively purchases forest sections to prevent development, protecting more than 1,600 plant and animal species in their natural habitat. This conservation work has enabled large areas to remain free from human construction over the long term.
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