Today, we arrived in Iwatsuki to explore the remarkable Togyoku dolls at the Tougyoku Dolls Museum. The town is renowned for its rich doll-making heritage, boasting over 300 skilled doll-makers. This tradition dates back to the 1700s when the town’s Paulownia trees were discovered to be ideal for woodcarving. Soon the town became a center for the production of hina dolls, and the tradition continues to this day.

While we were in Kanto, I went down to see the Saitama Railway Museum that recounts the history of railway in japan. Operated by the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation, the museum features about 30 railway cars from different years as they have evolved to the enigmatic Shinkansen of today.