Are you looking for more things to do when you visit Tokyo? Take a day trip to Kawagoe, Japan—a city known as “Little Edo” because of its scenic townscape that will transport you back to feudal Japan.
Kawagoe is located less than an hour away from Tokyo via Express Train. This city is a perfect addition to your Japan travel itinerary if you want to experience historical Japan and escape Tokyo’s busy, modern city.
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1-Day Kawagoe Travel Itinerary
📍Kanetsuki Dori Street
One of the first landmarks you’ll notice when you get to the Warehouse District is the bell tower, Toki no Kane. This old clock tower was constructed in the early 1600s and is one of the symbols of Kawagoe.
Next door, you’ll find a picturesque Starbucks that mixes modern and traditional Kawagoe influences. It also has a beautiful patio in the back to relax and soak in the atmosphere.
I didn’t get a chance to film it but if you visit… fun fact: the fabric used on the benches is Kawagoe tōzan fabric, a cotton fabric that the region has been known for since the Edo period.
I love wandering the streets of Kawagoe because you get to snack, sightsee, and enjoy the atmosphere of historical Japan. The vibe hits differently.
Tips for Visiting
The area does get busy on the weekends and afternoons. I recommend stopping by during the week and in the mornings if you’re looking for less crowds. My biggest tip is to leisurely stroll through and really take in all the small, unique and charming details that make the area so special.
Places Visited
- 📍Kanetsuki Dori Street
- 📍Kawagoe Station
- 📍Toki no Kane
- 📍Starbucks Kanetsuki Dori Street
📍Kawagoe Candy Alley
You’ll find all kinds of snacks all around Kawagoe, especially on Candy Alley, a nostalgic street selling traditional sweets located less than a minute from the warehouse district.
But one of the things you must try is the Kawagoe Imo (or Japanese sweet potato). Kawagoe is known for their sweet potatoes, which btw, Japanese sweet potatoes have a much sweeter taste than ordinary sweet potato varieties found in the US.
Kawagoe began cultivating sweet potatoes in 1751. They were grown in the area as an experiment to prevent famine. Because when all other crops could not be grown for consecutive years, the sweet potatoes flourished in the area!
Today, you’ll still find shops selling a variety of sweet potato items like, potato chips, ice cream, coffee, and even sweet potato beer, which is brewed at the local Coedo Brewery.
You can even dig for your own sweet potatoes if you visit in Autumn.
Places Visited
- 📍Kasho Umon (imo koi)
- 📍Kamadashi Mitsuimo Hoku Hoku (sweet potato pie)
- 📍Koshiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)
📍Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine (Matchmaking)
One of the more popular shrines in the area is an over 1500-year-old matchmaking shrine– the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.
It’s known as the matchmaking shrine because some of the deities are married couples.
Here, you’ll find matchmaking charms and areas that grant wishes and luck to matters of the heart.
You can also fish for a red snapper omikuji (fortune slip), which is a fun take-home lucky charm.
There are lots of opportunities to get blessings and feel uplifted spiritually.
I loved walking through the Ema Tunnel, an open-air tunnel where thousands of wishes and words of gratitude surround you.
You can even write your own ema and add it if you feel called to do so.
At the back of the property, you’ll find two massive 600-year-old Zelkova trees that you can walk around in a figure eight to gain spiritual insight.
The Hikawa Shrine is a little bit of a walk from the Warehouse District, but I thought it was well worth it.
Beer Break & Lunch
As we head down towards the central district, we stumbled upon a small liquor store slash coffee shop and decided to grab a midday beer–Coedo, of course, because when in Kawagoe, you have to!
By this time, we were ready for some real food. There are so many little shops, restaurants and shrines all over the area. We ended up in a small soba shop where I ordered Oroshi soba–my favorite soba with a lot of daikon!
Places Visited
- 📍Yanagiya Liquor Store
- 📍Yu Yu An (soba restaurant)
📍Little Edo Warehouse District
I read somewhere that the Warehouse District was the “historical heart” of the city, and that could not be a more fitting way to explain the area.
Kawagoe was an essential merchant town from the late Edo period to the Meiji Era.
In the main Warehouse District, the street is filled with locations in the Kura style, which are warehouses built from clay to protect the goods stored inside.
These types of warehouses were expensive to build, however, the successful merchants in Kawagoe could afford such a build, and even leveled up designs with embellishments and flair to show off their status.
Today, you’ll get to see many of the old warehouses still lining the streets.
Conclusion
I recommend Kawagoe to all my friends who are planning to stay in Tokyo. It’s such an easy day trip and will give you a nice break from urban city life.
If you’d like to experience historical Japan, this is a place you should add to your Japan bucket list.
I hope you found this article helpful!
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