A rice paddy with two growing seasons and a historic waterway give Hamura a distinct seasonal and cultural focus. At the Negaramimae rice paddy, rice and tulips are cultivated at different times of the year; the Tamagawa Josui runs from its starting point at Hamura Intake Weir to Yotsuya-Ōkido in Shinjuku. This gives you two specific questions to consider as you plan: Which season suits the fields, and on what day can you visit the water tower?

Negaramimae Rice Paddy Through the Year

Rice is grown at the Negaramimae rice paddy from early summer through autumn, and tulips from autumn through spring. During these growing seasons, the fields are a tourist attraction. The tulip fields cover about 59,000 square meters and contain around 350,000 tulip bulbs. The number of bulbs may vary from year to year.

The Tulip Festival takes place in April. If you would like to visit, check the exact event dates before you travel. For planning purposes, it helps to distinguish between the festival, which takes place in April, and the longer tulip-growing season from autumn through spring: one is confined to a single month, while the other spans a larger part of the year.

Tamagawa Josui and Hamura Intake Weir

The Tamagawa Josui was built in 1653, running about 43 kilometers from what is now the city of Hamura to Yotsuya-Ōkido in Shinjuku. Hamura Intake Weir is its starting point. These endpoints and the approximate length define a clearly delineated historic route for the waterway.

The weir also illustrates a detail of its flood-control function: the crosswise timbers, called nagi, can be removed during floods to prevent the weir from being washed away. In this way, the structure combines the waterway’s starting point with a specific protective feature of its design.

First Water Tower: Plan Your Visit

The First Water Tower stands on the grounds of the Hamura Waterworks Office. It is about 34 meters tall, and you can enjoy the view from the top. The tower is open to visitors on the first day of each month, except Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Plan around this monthly schedule and confirm that a visit is possible before you travel.

Museum and Cultural Heritage

The Hamura Folk Museum opened in April 1985. As a place of learning, it researches Hamura’s nature, landscape, history, and culture, and shares its findings through exhibitions, study events, and publications. Alongside the waterworks, these subjects offer another perspective on the area’s landscape and history. The different ways the museum presents its work also give you several ways to explore its research topics.

Hamura Matsuri Bayashi is also designated as an intangible folk cultural property. This named cultural asset adds to the themes of landscape, waterworks, and local history. Together, these varied points of interest can help you decide whether to plan your trip around the seasonal changes in the rice paddy or around visiting opportunities and cultural topics.

Discover more destinations: Chōfu, Machida, Fuchū, Taitō, Inagi, Akishima, Nakano, Hachijo

For the broader travel overview: Tokyo.