旅Around Tokyo

Historic Towns

Kawagoe 川越

'Little Edo' with clay warehouses and a bell tower

Prefecture
Saitama
From Tokyo
About 30–60 minutes
Best time
Year-round; October for the Kawagoe Festival

Kawagoe prospered as a trading town supplying Edo (old Tokyo). Its street of black-walled kurazukuri merchant warehouses gives a rare glimpse of an Edo-period townscape.

Highlights

Kurazukuri Street

Fire-resistant clay-walled warehouses, now shops and cafés.

Toki no Kane

The wooden bell tower that has rung the hours for centuries.

Kashiya Yokocho

Penny-candy alley full of traditional sweets.

Kita-in

A temple with rooms moved from Edo Castle and 540 Rakan statues.

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

A matchmaking shrine famous for its summer wind-chime festival.

Getting there

  • Tobu Tojo Line from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe (about 30 minutes).
  • Seibu Shinjuku Line from Seibu-Shinjuku to Hon-Kawagoe (about 1 hour).
  • Coedo Loop Bus links the stations to the old town.

Tips

  • Weekends are crowded — visit on a weekday morning if you can.
  • Many shops close by 5–6 pm.

What to eat