Tama Hills

I was watching NHK World's Tokyo Eye this morning and they had a segment about the Tama Hills which are located just outside of Tokyo; about thirty minutes away headed southwest. The main geographical features of this area are its hills and mountains, but also its flat grass lands. Landscapes like this are known as 里山 (satoyama) in Japanese; farmlands within forests. Local schools and universities take advantage of their location by introducing farming into their curriculum, educating youths about nature which gives them a better appreciation for it. And on a good note, once the produce have grown, students can take home the harvest!

Other reasons to visit the Tama Hills:

• Wonderful place to visit to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday city life
• Nature walks/hiking (with guided tour), fresh air, beautiful scenery, peaceful, etc.
• Machida Squirrel Garden: you can feed and pet the squirrels, along with the rabbits and guinea pigs!
• Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center: they have a free ninety minute stone carving class! (reservation required)
• Kodomo no Kuni (Kid's Land): great place to take the kids! :3

For more information about this episode and the Tama Hills, click here.