For visitors to Japan who are looking for less-touristy cultural experiences without traveling too far from central Tokyo, the city of Fuchu is the perfect place to stay and sample life on the edge of suburbia. Hotel Continental Fuchu can offer advice on where to go and what to do in the area, based on the interests of each guest.
Okunitama Shrine has a history dating back more than 1,900 years. It worships Okunitama no Okami, the same god as the Okuninushi no Okami enshrined at Izumo Grand Shrine in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture.
“Okunitama Shrine is also known for the Kurayami Matsuri, a festival held from April 30 to May 6. People carrying mikoshi (intricately decorated portable shrines) throughout the town and the thundering sound of giant wadaiko (drums) are the signature traits of the event,” General Manager Yu Osumi said.
On May 26, the Japanese Derby will be held at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. Established in 1933, the racecourse has hosted numerous historic horse races along the Tama River and remains one of Japan’s most renowned betting venues, holding major races throughout the year.
For art lovers, Fuchu is home to the Fuchu-no-Mori Geijutsu Gekijo for performing arts, as well as the Fuchu Art Museum. Fuchu-no-Mori Park, where the performing arts theater is situated, offers the seasonal beauty of nature with its trees, grassy fields and Japanese gardens.
In addition, there are about a dozen shopping streets in the city, some new and vibrant, others old and nostalgic.
“Fuchu boasts convenient access to Shinjuku and other major stations, as well as popular sightseeing spots such as Mount Takao,” Osumi said, referring to the popular Keio Line.
To encourage more people to base their travels in Fuchu, the hotel is continuing its effort to provide the best gastronomic experiences for its guests by sourcing its produce from the Tohoku Bokujo Ranch in Aomori Prefecture, which supplies 100% organically grown vegetables and fruits, as well as eggs from Asunaro chickens bred with chemical-free feed made from natural ingredients, including dent corn produced at the ranch.
“We are trying to expand our ranch to make room for more dent corn and vegetables so that we can stabilize the vegetable supply to the hotel and increase egg production,” Kazuki Kashiwazaki, head of the ranch, said.
To entertain the palates of guests with things that are hard to find in urban areas, the farm and the hotel offer high-quality ingredients that they use in various creative ways, such as persimmon jam with no added sugar, horse chestnut tiramisu, butterbur sprouts and miso chocolate cake — all part of the seasonal afternoon tea set available at the hotel’s restaurant.
Most travelers seldom contemplate hotel stays outside the neon and glitter of central Tokyo, but what sets the hospitality of the Hotel Continental Fuchu apart from the others is the uniqueness and authenticity of the collaboration between Fuchu and Aomori.