Hi fans of Seibu Railway! We’ve been expecting this trip for quite a while and finally we’re here to share with you Kawagoe, a scenic town known as “Little Edo” for its well-preserved historic buildings and nostalgic atmosphere.
Kawagoe is an ideal day trip destination from Tokyo. It takes only about 45 minutes to travel from Seibu Shinjuku Station to Hon-Kawagoe Station on Red Arrow Limited Express. Especially in summer, you would see many people dressed in colorful yukatas walking through the streets of Kawagoe and make the historic town even more attractive.
Until the end of August, a special event featuring LAIMO, a popular comic character from Taiwan, will be welcoming guests in Kawagoe. Apart from checking out the cute LAIMO, don’t forget to take advantage of the handy and money-saving “SEIBU RAIL PASS”. Just show the rail pass at the tourism information center in Hon-Kawagoe Station or in the historic warehouse buildings area and you’ll get a special gift!
Exploring Kawagoe dressed in a colorful yukata is on everyone’s to-do list and we are no exception! There are just so many variations of yukata patterns you can choose from a rental shop so it’s a good idea to simply follow your intuition.
After getting changed we headed straight to Kotobukian, a long established soba noodle restaurant that has three locations within Kawagoe and each has its own character.
In Kotobukian Kuranomachi Restaurant we ordered a set meal complete with five stacks of green tea soba noodles and five different condiments. The variation in taste was amazing and we really liked it. Do ask for the free soba soup after you finished the noodle. You can drink it as served or mix it with the dip sauce. A truly Japanese experience!
Kotobukian Kuranomachi Restaurant
Hours: 11:15-20:00 (L.O. 19:00), closed on Wednesdays
Address: 3-18 Saiwaicho, Kawagoe, Saitama
Website: click here (Japanese only)
Kawagoe used to be a castle town and many historic building are preserved until present day. In Kawagoe you can admire a variety of architecture style from Edo period to Meiji, Taisho, and Showa period.
After finishing lunch, we took a walk from the “Bell of Time”, which is the landmark of Kawagoe, to the historic warehouse buildings and Taisho-Roman retro style buildings and a candy store alley. There were a variety of specialty shops selling Japanese style souvenirs and local gourmet food. The town is never boring.
Since there is always room for dessert, we tried a purple sweet potato soft serve that was really tasty and also visually delightful. For a moment I thought it was made from taro because of its color, but its rich aroma would soon convince me it was authentically made from sweet potato. It was so delicious and memorable — almost as if I can still feel the taste on my tongue.
Among the many shrines in Kawagoe, Kumano Shine is probably the most unique one due to its lively atmosphere brought about by its many special features.
To start with, it has a cobblestone path designed to massage your feet. Walking on it can be very challenging because the stones are supposed to stimulate acupressure points on the soles of your feet. Most people including us could only walk on it a little bit before giving in to the pain.
After getting over with the cobblestone path, you may pray for good luck by tossing rope rings, washing coins, or touching snake figurines. Moreover, the fortune-telling paper strips are available in many languages. A variety of praying events are held in different seasons.
Kawagoe Kumano Shrine
Address: 17-1 Renjakucho, Kawagoe, Saitama
Website: click here (Japanese only)
What do you have in mind when it comes to the sound of summer? In Japan, the typical sound of summer is the melodious ringing of “furin”, or wind bells made of glass. If you wanna experience the sound in Kawagoe, head to Hikawa Shrine.
The historic Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is famous for giving good luck for love and good marriage. Every summer during the period of “Enmusubi Furin Festival”, the shrine will be decorated with hundreds of colorful wind bells ringing to the summer breeze and bring a moment of refreshing coolness.
As the sun goes down, the stream in the shrine is illuminated and the special light and fog effect make the stream look like a milky way. Before you call it a night, don’t forget to fish up a fortune-telling paper strip hidden in fish-shaped containers. Let’s keep the good fortune going and hopefully see you in Kawagoe!
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
Address: 2-11-3 Miyashitamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama
Website: click here (Japanese only)
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