Certainly there are plenty of places to be at one with nature, such as the picturesque scenery of Chichibu and Musashino.
And, if you want culture, then there are a large number of temples and shrines to see as well as the Iwatsuki Doll Town.
Not only was Iwatsuki once the well-established centre for high-quality chests of drawers and wooden clogs, it also has gained a reputation for traditional Japanese dolls.
Saitama also has some buzzing towns such as Omiya, Urawa and Yono.
Omiya is the first big town you come to after heading northwards out of Tokyo and has enough shops, bars and restaurants to keep the infrequent visitor distracted.