Fuchi-no-mori Woods (nearby)
Fuchi-no-mori Woods
淵の森緑地
A small forest along the Yanase River that Hayao Miyazaki helped protect — where old-time nature remains just as it was.
Fuchi-no-mori Woods is a wooded area spanning Higashimurayama (Tokyo) and Tokorozawa (Saitama). We introduce it not as “a forest only within Higashimurayama,” but as a nearby green space along the Yanase River that crosses municipal borders.
highlights
Highlights & things to do
A wooded area of about 7,000 square meters spanning Higashimurayama and Tokorozawa, where old-time nature survives along the Yanase River.
Originally private land at risk of development, in 1996 it was acquired by Higashimurayama and Tokorozawa thanks to donations from citizens including director Hayao Miyazaki, and is now protected as public land.
A biodiverse forest of broadleaf trees such as oak, konara oak and zelkova, where rare creatures like the goshawk, ebony jewelwing damselfly and wild sweetfish can sometimes be seen.
It is also told as one of the places where Hayao Miyazaki drew inspiration for My Neighbor Totoro. Enjoy a quiet riverside stroll (please walk gently and mind your manners, for conservation).
photos
Photo gallery
Just hearing “the forest where Totoro was born” sets my heart racing. I hope you'll savor the small nature Miyazaki protected — quietly and gently. It's one of my favorite places.
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