Kawagoe Little Edo: Time Travel One Hour from Tokyo

Kurazukuri Street

Kawagoe’s Kurazukuri warehouse district preserves roughly 30 clay-walled merchant storehouses from the Meiji and Taisho eras, built with thick fire-resistant walls after a devastating fire in 1893 prompted the merchant class to adopt the kura construction style that had protected the few buildings that survived. The Toki no Kane bell tower, originally built in 1624 and reconstructed after the fire, chimes four times daily and has become Kawagoe’s symbol. The street’s dark-walled buildings house shops selling traditional crafts, candy, and Kawagoe’s famous sweet potatoes in every conceivable form.

Candy Alley, or Kashiya Yokocho, runs perpendicular to the main street with roughly 20 shops selling traditional Japanese sweets including dagashi penny candy, long kinako-flavored wheat gluten sticks, and sweet potato chips. The narrow alley retains a nostalgic atmosphere from the early 20th century when it supplied candy to the greater Tokyo region. Kawagoe’s connection to sweet potatoes dates to the Edo period when the tubers were shipped to the capital, and modern shops sell sweet potato chips, tarts, beer, ice cream, and soft-serve throughout the district.

Temples and Shrines

Kitain Temple, founded in 830, houses the only surviving rooms from Edo Castle, relocated here after a 1638 fire destroyed the temple. The Tokugawa family donated rooms from the shogun’s residence including the chamber where the third shogun Iemitsu was born and the dressing room used by his wet nurse Lady Kasuga. The temple grounds contain 540 stone rakan disciple statues, each with a unique expression, and visitors play a game of trying to find the one that most resembles their own face. Admission costs 400 yen.

Hikawa Shrine, one of the oldest in the Kanto region, specializes in marriage blessings and relationship prayers. The tunnel of wooden ema prayer tablets, many inscribed with romantic wishes, creates a colorful corridor. Each morning at 8 AM the shrine distributes 20 free amulet stones on a first-come basis. The Kawagoe Festival in October parades elaborate two-story floats through the warehouse district with mechanical puppet performances on top.

Getting There

Tobu Tojo Line from Ikebukuro reaches Kawagoe in 30 minutes on the express, and Seibu Shinjuku Line takes about 50 minutes from Shinjuku. The warehouse district is a 15-minute walk from Kawagoe Station or a 5-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station on the Seibu line. A full visit covering the warehouse street, Candy Alley, Kitain Temple, and Hikawa Shrine takes about four hours. The town makes an easy half-day trip from Tokyo and pairs well with an afternoon in Ikebukuro’s shopping and entertainment district.

Food Culture

Beyond sweet potatoes, Kawagoe offers distinctive local dining. Unagi eel, prepared in the Kanto style where the eel is steamed before grilling to produce a softer texture, is a traditional Kawagoe specialty served at establishments along the warehouse street. Torokko is a grilled rice ball with miso paste served as street food. The Coedo Brewery produces craft beers using local sweet potatoes and other ingredients, with the Beniaka amber lager using Kawagoe sweet potato starch as a brewing adjunct. Several kimono rental shops along the main street offer two-hour rentals for 3,000 to 5,000 yen, popular with visitors who want to stroll the historical streets in period-appropriate attire.

Kawagoe Food and Events

Beyond sweet potatoes, Kawagoe offers distinctive local dining. Unagi eel, prepared in the Kanto style where the eel is steamed before grilling to produce a softer texture, is a traditional specialty served at establishments along the warehouse street for 2,500 to 4,000 yen. The Coedo Brewery produces craft beers using local ingredients, with the Beniaka amber lager incorporating Kawagoe sweet potato starch. The Kawagoe Festival in October parades elaborate two-story dashi floats through the warehouse district, each carrying mechanical puppet figures that perform movements synced to festival music. When two floats meet at an intersection, they face off in a hikkawase confrontation with competing musical performances and surrounding crowds cheering for their neighborhood’s float. Several kimono rental shops offer two-hour rentals for 3,000 to 5,000 yen, popular with visitors strolling the historical streets in period-appropriate attire.

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