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Kawagoe near Tokyo Japan by Kanchi1979 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

 

About

Kawagoe is a very interesting city to visit near Tokyo and is only about 30 min. by train from the main city of Ikebukuro in Tokyo. It's nickname is "Little Edo" because of the historic Edo Era (1603-1867) buildings that line the streets. Kowagoe was the headquarters of the Kawagoe Domain during the Tokugawa shogunate and prospered as a supplier of commodities to Tokyo. It was an important city to Edo for trade and strategic purposes so the shogun installed some of their most loyal men as lords of Kawagoe Castle. After the Meiji restoration, it briefly became capital of Kawagoe Prefecture (1871) then Iruma Prefecture (1871–1873), before becoming part of Saitama Prefecture.

Kawagoe city sufferred major damage (virtually destroyed) by fire in 1893. However, it was rebuilt with many structures using construction techniques of traditional kura warehouses and managed to avoid destruction in WW2 with only minor damage. In 1999 the core area of Kawagoe was designated a "Historic Preservation District" and in 2003 Kawagoe was designated a "Core City" with increased local autonomy.

Kawagoe is a "Hot Spot" attraction for foriegn tourist as well as Japanese. Its easy to get to (direct train from Ikebukuro), takes only around 30 min. and is really fun and interesting... the perfect "Day Trip" or even for a "Date Day". If your hungry, Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes and the local "Candy Street". Along the "Candy Street" little shops sells such treats as sweet potato chips, sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer, brewed at the local Koedo Brewery. The little shops on "Candy Street" preserve the old castle town feeling of the Edo period.

How to get to Kawagoe

The "area" / city of Kawagoe is serviced by 3 Railway Companies.

• from Ikebukuro
  Use the "Tobu Tojo Line" to Kawagoe Station or Kawagoe-Shi Station. It takes around 30 min. by express train and costs around 470 yen for a one way ticket. There is a "Kawagoe Discount Pass" for tourists (inquire at the Ikebukuro Tobu Tojo office) that you can get for 700 yen that includes round trip to Kawagoe and discounts at selected establishments in Kawagoe (although, these really aren't that big of a deal).
• from Shinjuku
  Use the "Seibu Shinjuku Line" to Hon-Kawagoe. It takes around an hour and costs around 500 yen for a one way ticket.
• from Omiya (out from Ueno)
  Use the "JR Saikyo Line" to Kawagoe Station. It takes around an hour and costs around 760 yen for a one way ticket. This fair can be covered by a Japan Rail Pass.

Please review the map above to see exactly where the 3 Stations are (Kawagoe Station, Hon-Kawagoe Station and Kawagoe-Shi Station). All 3 stations are relatively close to each other.

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Kawagoe

Tokyo Japan

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Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Kawagoe.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: This is a Area, therefore each establishment has it's own hours but generally shops in Japan generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. while restaurants are generally open until 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m.

Cost: Each establishment's cost is different.

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by contacting the attraction before visiting.