Unbelievably beautiful in autumn and easy to visit from Tokyo. The precincts are huge and it can easily take 3 or so hours if you’re into photography. You can walk through the forest at the back and even sit at various spots on benches to take in the beautiful sights. Probably lovely in summer too, might be too cold for winter.

自然が多く、新緑や紅葉の時期は最高です。三脚は使用不可となりますので、注意です。やはり平日に来た方が空いていてゆっくり出来ます。

埼玉県新座市にある平林寺境内に広がる広大な林。武蔵野の雑木林を今に伝える貴重な自然として国の天然記念物に指定されています。 驚くべきはその広さ。これだけの自然が手付かずで残されているだけでも十分貴重で、鳥類も60種が確認されているそうです。 私が訪れた5月は新緑の時期、緑がとても美しいです。モミジも多いので紅葉の時期も素晴らしいんでしょうね、その時期も行ってみたいものです。

境内林の面積約56ha アカマツとコアラやクヌギが大半を占めるが、エゴノキ、イシナデ、クリの高木も見られる。 その他、カケスやアカハラ、アカゲラ、ルリビタキ等の鳥類も観察でき、クツワムシ等の昆虫類も豊富である場所として国指定天然記念物となっている。 武蔵野の雑木林の典型的な例として貴重というのが指定された理由だが、防火防風林としての役割のみならず、薪や炭の材料を採取し、堆肥となる落ち葉を集め…と人工的な農用林の歴史的価値も保存の対象としている点でも貴重なものである。 今では、森林と人との関わりや動植物の生態を学ぶ絶好の場として、秋にはカエデなどの紅葉が色づく紅葉スポットとなっている。

The forest is gorgeous!! It’s amazing in autumn but it’s a lovely place to take a walk under the shade and do some “forest-bathing” at other times if the year, too!

20231209 Afternoon visit. The autumn leaves seem to be a little past their peak. There was also a cemetery for the Matsudaira Nobutsuna family within the park.

"I think calling it a natural monument is an exaggeration, but it wasn't that bad." I don't know the conditions for it to be designated as a natural monument, but it didn't look like there were any valuable buildings or landscapes, and it looked like the grounds of a common temple (I don't know about it, but it's actually half-sized). Things like the monk's temple Kannoden might be extremely valuable...) Being a Zen temple, you can hear the occasional sutra chanting and the chirping of wild birds. Although it was a weekday, there were no foreign tourists, and there were many elderly people.

this place is a must visit recommended to those who lives near Saitama as well as tokyo. very beautiful and peaceful place . Mostly during the autumn time... it has a maple forest too.

When I showed my daughter the photo, she said, “Kyoto!”

It is a quite and peaceful place. It is located in the middle of city near by wako city. The place is quite huge and well maintained. Lots of trees are chaging color in Nov and Dec, you can enjoy autumn leaves.

Visited on 2023-12-1. Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy, but the autumn leaves were beautiful and well worth the 500 yen entrance fee. Besides the autumn leaves, the forest within the grounds was also beautiful.

It's about a 40-minute walk from the nearest JR Niiza Station, but it had a very nice atmosphere, feeling like you were in the woods of Musashino. I visited on the 18th in mid-December, and even though it was past the peak viewing period, I was still able to see the bright autumn leaves at the back of the shrine grounds. While nature is being utilized as a natural monument, the well-maintained garden trees are also truly wonderful. It was a perfect walking path for admiring the autumn leaves.

Absolutely worth the 500 en. Quiet and peaceful walk through a lovely forest. Incredibly peaceful koi pond.

Beautiful Buddhist temple with big adjacent woodlands and koi pond. This place is super popular at the time of the autumn colours, however at other times mostly those seem to come here who are visiting the graves of relatives. This means that with a bit of luck, you can be virtually alone, enjoying the quiet and nature. There is a 500 yen entry fee for adults and 200 yen for school age children.

peacefull

I never expected it to be this great. Unfortunately, some places were closed.

Please go and try it once.

「三脚、一脚の使用」「モデル撮影」「コスプレ撮影」は禁止の注意書きが目立ちますが、確かに撮影したくなるもの分かるような紅葉の美しさです。 〈2022年11月27日訪問〉 見頃ですが、まだ青々としたモミジも多く、色付きにかなりムラがあります。まだ歴代塔所周辺の散策路一体が歩行禁止で、紅葉の見どころが激減していますのでご注意ください。 〈2019年12月14日訪問〉 入山受付付近の紅葉は散ってしまいましたが、野火止塚から先の紅葉がピークで素晴しかったです。時間が許せば歴代塔所までぐるっと一周することをオススメします。朝9時台にお邪魔しましたが、朝の作務時間だったこともあり落ち葉の掃除中で、とてつもない量で驚きました。