My Favorite Old Town, Kawagoe

By Tomomi Dodd

This time I would like to introduce Kawagoe in Saitama, my favorite old town near my hometown. Kawagoe is located less than 60 minutes from central Tokyo. It used to be the closest city for me as I grew up nearby and I have good memories there. It was never as popular as it is now and it used to be like a hidden gem for locals. Now Kawagoe is booming and there are new shops, cafes, and restaurants. They now have a lot more domestic and international tourists. As the whole area is walkable in a few hours, Kawagoe is recommended as a great day trip destination from Tokyo.

Main street of Kawagoe old town: Kurazukuri zone

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Let’s talk about the history of Kawagoe. Kawagoe is known as “Ko-edo” (little Edo), as the main street preserves old warehouse styled buildings (Kurazukuri) from the Edo period (1603-1867). During the Edo period, Kawagoe developed as a supplier of commodities to Tokyo (then named Edo). As Kawagoe became an important city to the capital for trade and strategic purposes, Kawagoe Castle was also built.

Jinrikisha

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If you catch a Jinrikisha, you can enjoy sightseeing without walking. Tours in English are also available.

VASARA Kimoto Rental: 18-3 Renjakucho, Kawagoe city, Saitama

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At VASARA, they can put Kimono on you and you can rent it for the day. It is such a special experience to walk around Kawagoe in kimono.

Toki no Kane Day Time Version & Toki no Kane NightTime Version

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Toki no Kane (Bell of Time) is another iconic symbol of Kawagoe. It was built around 1630 by the feudal lord of Kawagoe castle, Sakai Tadakatsu. It got burned down numerous times and the current one was rebuilt after the Great Kawagoe Fire in 1893. The bell is rung four times a day by an automatic machine.

Kashiya-Yokocho

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Let me introduce some of my favorite spots in Kawagoe. The first spot is of course the street called Kashiya-Yokocho, meaning "candy lane". It’s a short street with many snack and candy shops. It used to feel like such a big street when I was a child. I remember the artists making beautiful candies with very detailed designs of goldfish, dragons, birds, etc. As a child, it was always too expensive for me.

I was glad to find a shop who still sells candy sculptures. I wish this beautiful culture will continue to be preserved.

Candy Sculptures

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Hikawa Shrine

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My next favorite place is Hikawa Shrine. Every summer the shrine decorates itself with a bunch of beautiful and colorful wind chimes. It is also a special place for me as my close friend had a beautiful wedding there. When I visited this time, it was still packed with people for hatsu-moude (New Year shrine visiting).

Another favorite place is Ichinoya.

This restaurant is very popular for their unagi (eel). It is hard to get reservations with them. There are many restaurants for eel in Kawagoe as it is surrounded by rivers. Ichinoya’s sauce for eel is very mild and you can enjoy the original flavor of eel. I also would like you to try their egg omelet with eel, called umaki.

Ichinoya's Eel & Umaki

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I hope I was able to show a little bit of Kawagoe with this short article. Old towns like Kawagoe are very valuable for Japan as they still preserve a lot of historic charm. Every time I visit, I always discover new things, such as a new shop on a side street. I am looking forward to continue seeing development in Kawagoe with a mixture of old and new.