Located on the outskirts of Tokyo, Kawagoe is a quiet city in Saitama Prefecture. It is often called Little Edo, due to its traditional wooden houses. To be honest, I had never heard about Kawagoe. It wasn’t in any travel guide I had, and even while researching day trips, I never came across it. But one of my friends stayed in Tokyo for a few years, and she highly recommended it. She explained that Kawagoe would feel more like a “real” Japanese way of living. So now that I am back, let me share with you this Kawagoe Day Trip Itinerary !
- How to Get to Kawagoe ?
- How to Get around ?
- Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine
- Kita-In
- Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
- Kurazukuri Street
- Toki No Kane
- Vanitoy Bagel Kawagoe
How to Get to Kawagoe ? 🚇
Even if Kawagoe is not a large city, it still has three train stations : Kawagoe, Honkawagoe Station and Kawagoeshi. Depending on where your hotel is located in Tokyo, the station will vary.
Kawagoe Station
From Tokyo city centre, you can catch the Kawagoe Line and the Tobu-Tojo Line to reach Kawagoe Station. The Kawagoe Line is cheaper but is slower, so depending on your location, it might not be the most efficient. The Tobu-Tojo Line is a bit more expensive, but it is more convenient as you have several speed options: express, rapid, ….
Honkawagoe Station
If your hotel is near Shinjuku, Honkawagoe will be easier to reach. There is a direct Line (Shinjuku Line) taking you directly there. The station is a bit further up north, so it reduces the amount of walking you will have to do once you arrive.
Kawagoeshi Station
If near your hotel, you only have the Tobu-Tojo Line, you can also choose to stop at Kawagoeshi Station instead of Kawagoe Station. It can also reduce the walking time if you only plan on doing Kurazukuri Street, but for the temples it might be less convenient.
How to Get Around 🚌
Unfortunately, Kawagoe is not the easiest to get around with public transport. The city has very few bus options, so you will have to walk for most of the day. This might not be a problem for many people, but I still feel like it is worth noting. We only took one bus, but the time slots were very limited, so be sure to check the timetables on Google Maps beforehand. A lot of locals cycle around the city, but I didn’t see any bike rentals so we couldn’t do the same.
Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine ⛩️
To start this Kawagoe Day Trip, we will head only a few minutes away from Kawagoe station to Hachimangu Shrine. Hidden away from the street, you have to cross the welcoming grey door and follow a small path to the entrance. Compared to many other temples, this one is really small ! Still, every element is there : the fountain to wash your hands, the small wooden wish plates and the main hall. Behind the hall, a tiny garden with a red gate, an ideal spot if you want to take some pictures !
Good news, even if the temple is small, you can still get your goshuin stamp!
Kita-In Temple ⛩️
After your first visit, head up north to visit Kawagoe’s main temple, Kita-In Temple. It’s a Buddhist temple with a history of more than 1200years! As I first entered the premises, I was surprised by the size of the complex. For a town as small as Kawagoe, I wasn’t expecting several shrines and such large buildings. The visit starts on the right side of the main hall, with small rooms displaying old furniture. As you walk around, you have several doors opening onto the garden so that you can admire it from above. The view feels so relaxing that I could see myself sitting there, just reading a book for hours.
Then, you cross a small wooden bridge to head to the main hall room. This is where you can find the main statue and an impressive gold chandelier.
As you finish the tour, you can head to the 500 statues of Rakan. This site is an important part of the Temple and represents the disciples of Buddha. Each statue is crafted to show a different facial expression, so you can have a look at every one of them !
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine ⛩️
Hikawa Shrine is a 1500 years old shrine, popular for providing good fortune to couples ! This shrine is quite small, and only one major building is used to hold rituals. The rest is focused on small activities that the visitors can do. Buying a talisman, fishing for a prediction in a paper red snapper or writing a wish on a small tablet. The whole atmosphere feels inviting and cozy, I loved taking pictures and looking around this temple !
Kurazukuri Street 🍠
Next step in this Kawagoe day trip is Kawagoe’s main attraction : Kurazukuri Street. As you arrive there, you will immediately understand why. On both sides, traditional wooden houses face each other, transporting you back in time. This is where you will find most of the shops for souvenirs and snacks !
Kawagoe’s most famous snack is the sweet potato, and this trend didn’t start yesterday. Kawagoe has been renowned for its sweet potatoes since the Edo period ! Now, shops try to offer a large range of products to fit everyone’s tastes ! So you can try the sweet potato chips but also a sweet potato kind of crême brulée, as you walk from one shop to another ! We stopped at Imoya Shodai Shinjiro Kawagoe Motomachi Store, and the soy chips were amazing !
Another treat you can find as you head back to the station is Kawagoe Pudding ! As we passed by, the shop was almost closing, but we stopped because I had been wanting to try Japanese pudding for days ! And it was totally worth it ! The puddings are served in very cute glass containers (which I even brought home after the trip), and the taste was heavenly, soft and sweet, the perfect combination !
Toki No Kane 🔔
As you go down Kurazukuri Street, you will cross Kanetsuki Street, which is where Toki No Kane is located. This bell Tower is an emblem of Kawagoe and illustrates perfectly the little Edo comparison with its wood structure. The bell rings 4-times a day, so you can have the opportunity to catch one ! I felt like the tower really solidified the village atmosphere you can sense in Kawagoe. Most things are centred around one main road, and the bell tower rules the day with its sound.
Vanitoy Bagel Kawagoe 🥯
I was not sure that I wanted to add this spot to my article. Not because it was not good but because it was not the most convenient place to have lunch. As we were walking to Hachimangu Shrine from the train station, we came across this tiny Bagel shop. I don’t eat bagels very often but I immediately felt drawn to it. The bagels were already pre-packaged, but they looked so fresh ! I ordered a spinach and cheese one, and it was delicious. Chewy, tasty, and still a bit warm from the oven, I loved it ! I could really taste that these were made with fresh ingredients. So in case you are passing by, you should definitely stop by !
Did you like this Kawagoe Day Trip ? Are you planning on visiting Kawagoe now ? Let me know if there are any other spots that I missed ! And check out my other Japan posts here :
