Sagamihara (相模原) is a city in Kanagawa.

Understand

There are about 700,000 people in the city. It merged into one from four smaller towns.

Get in

Visitors reach Sagamihara on the JR Yokohama Line at Kobuchi, Fuchinobe, Yabe, or Sagamihara stations.

See

• 1 Fuchinobe Park (淵野辺公園). Contains an indoor pool called the Ginga Arena. The pool is divided into a shallow area and a deeper area. In wintertime the pool becomes a skating rink. The park is also home to the Sagamihara Stadium, in which pro baseball and high school basketball games are played. 

• Garou Museum-Paris (画廊美術館パリ), Kanagawa Sagamihara-shi Sagamihara 4-10-17 (Sagamihara), ☏ +81 42-759-4771. 11 minute walk from the station. Garou means "place where many works of art are kept". This is the only art museum in Sagamihara. 

• Kanuma Park (鹿沼公園). Contains a duck pond also frequented by swans. The park also contains a mock road where children can learn the rules of the road while riding their bicycles or go-carts. The park is a popular spot for picnicking during the cherry blossom season in early April; flower aficionados will also enjoy the park's hydrangea bushes during the rainy season. 

• Myougen-Temple(妙現寺）, Kanagawa Sagamihara Yabe2-14-20 (Yabe), ☏ +81 42-752-3543. 11 minute walk from the station. This temple was built in 1598. 

• Sagami Lake. A popular spot to see summer fireworks. 

• Sagamihara North Park, 2368-1 Shimokuzawa, Sagamihara, Kanagawa.. Displays flowers during all four seasons. 

• Sagamitana Takatabashi (水郷田名高田橋). Sagamihara River is clean and safe enough to play in, and is a popular spot for riverside barbecuing. Some local events are held there, such as the carp-shaped streamer/flag/windsock festival in May. These fish-shaped windsocks are made from cloth. At the height of the festival, and estimated 1,200 carp windsocks swim in the sky above Sagamihara. 

• Tanamukaihara Ruins (田名向原遺跡). Dates back 20,000 years. These are the oldest ruins in Japan. There is an historical museum nearby where you can learn about the area's history and culture. An old residence has been restored in the outdoor exhibition. 

• Tsukui Lake, Tsukuityo. Contains a large lake in which fishing is permitted. There are flower markets, an observatory, and a mountain named Shiroyama. Mount Shiroyama is easily climbed because it's only 375 meters high. In early April, this is a popular spot for cherry blossom festivals and picnics. 

Do

• CHAMP SAP, SAP Sagamihara 2F,7-10-18, ☏ +81 42-786-6370. 10:00-2:00/F-Sa, 10:00-16:00/Su-Th, National holidays. You can play darts and karaoke here. If you don't want to move to there from another place, you can have a party also. You can have dinner there. USD20. 

• Utaundamura (うたうんだ村), Kanagawa Sagamihara-shi Sagamihara Ekimae-biru 3F 4F (Sagamihara), ☏ +66-967-91018. This is karaoke place. It is a 3 minute walk from the station. 

Buy

• iworld, 1-2-1,Chu-o,Sagamihara,Kanagawa, ☏ +81 42-758-1111. 10:00-22:00 Open throughout the year. The ground floor has food shops, game shops, and a food court. IWorld also has pachinko (a type of mechanical gambling machine). The first floor is the "fashion floor" where watches, clothes, and jewelry are sold. There is also a recycle shop (thrift store). There is an Internet cafe on the second floor. 

Eat

• Kuimonya Wan (くいもん屋わん), Kanagawa Sagamihara-shi Sagamihara3-2-4 Ebisubiru 2,3F (5 minute walk from the station), ☏ +81 42-730-2220. ¥3,000-3,500. 

• Prier & Cafe Corretto (3 minutes from Hashimoto Station's south exit). These are two shops combined. Prier is a cake shop; Cafe Corretto is a cafe. They have a take-away cake service. At night, the shops' lighting is considerably reduced, so the shops have distinctly different atmospheres at suppertime compared to daytime. 

• Sumibiyakinikusyuka Gyuukaku (5 minutes from Sagamihara Station's south exit), ☏ +81 42-704-7729. 

Drink

• Amusement Bar Gaps, 2-10-1 Sagamihara, ☏ +81 42-810-0567. 18:00-05:00. USD25. 

• Buzz, Daiichi Okawa building 1F, 4-7-1 Sagamihara, ☏ +81 42-852-3698. Su-Th, 17:30-03:00, F-Sat, 17:30-05:00. Known for its cheese fondue, this restaurant stocks 20 kinds of imported beer and has a big screen for watching sports. USD20-40. 

• Dining Bar Ouvrir, RS Sagamihara B1F,4-5-3 Sagamihara, ☏ +81 42-730-5755. 12:00-14:30/lunch 18:00-24:00/dinner, Tu closed. Contains a large aquarium done up in blue and black. This dining bar has a good selection of wines. USD20. 

• Lovers Rock, SK Building 2F,5-7-9, Sagamihara, ☏ +81 42-750-5080. M-Sa, 18:00-5:00; Su, 18:00-24:00. Bar attendant will show you the performance. USD25-35. 

• Syoya（庄や）, Kanagawa　Sagamihara-shi Sagamihara 3-1-1 (Sagamihara), ☏ +81 42-751-1481. It takes 3 minutes walk from the station. 

Sleep

• Sagamihara Oriental Hotel (相模原オリエンタルホテル), Kanagawa　Sagamihara-shi　4-1-2 (5 minute walk from the station), ☏ +81 42-769-1100.