Photos by Edward Marczewski ()
Hadano City is a place in Japan that bottles and sells its own water. Flowing down from the Tanzawa Mountain Range to give it an outstanding flavor that is almost sweet, Hadano Water is available at the main train station in central Hadano and some convenience stores in the city for 100 yen.
But there are locations in the city where you can get the water for free! There are water fountains that pump out the Hadano water, but the best locations to obtain free Hadano water are at the various springs located throughout the area. (To get the exact locations and how to find them, please visit the Hadano Visitor Center as mentioned later in this article.)
There is a farmers field in Hadano where water flows out of an actual faucet/tap. I often wondered about this because it seemed to always be running. I even considered walking into the center of the field and turning it off. I suppose the water in the faucet is like a stream, it is constantly running, never stops. Places in the city have water flowing 24 hours a day. Seeing it reminds us of the beauty of nature.
If you come to Hadano, you can bring your water carrying devices and take as much as you want for free. I have heard that the water quality is closely monitored by Hadano City. Near my house there is a spring where people stop and get spring water. It’s not unusual to seeing people filling numerous bottles of spring water.
Why does it taste so good?
The water in Hadano City ranks on the list of “Top 100 waters in Japan.”
The geography and location is the secret to this delicious Water. Hadano City has the only water basin in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Also, the Tanzawa mountains, played a role in this. When this land formed, sediments washed down by the rivers from the Tanzawa mountains mixed together with the rainwater that had been stored for years and became mineralized, hence these water springs were created.
Places where you can get water
At the north exit of the train station there is a fountain and some statues. This is a public drinking fountain. Sometimes you will see bus drivers on break come and grab a sip of this tasty water. There is another location in front of Hadano Tofu shop. In my opinion this is the best location. It has some chairs and umbrellas where you can sit and enjoy the water. Just come to the Hadano train station and turn left out the gates and you will see the Hadano Visitor Center. They can give you all the information you need.
