Kawagoe Festival
event
Event Dates
Mid-October
Kawagoe Festival conveys the style and elegance of Edo’s “Tenka Matsuri (Festival)” in modern times. It is a valuable festival that has been protected for over 370 years, developing together with the unique characteristics of Kawagoe.
A glorious parade float with elaborate dolls is pulled through town, centering around the street view of warehouses representing Koedokawagoe. Visitors will be overwhelmed by the large number of festival floats facing and passing one another on the roads of Kawagoe.
Basic Information
Email: kanko@city.kawagoe.saitama.jp
Phone: 049-224-5940
【Kawagoe Festival Hall】
Email: matsurikaikan@city.kawagoe.saitama.jp
Phone: 049-225-2727
Get off at Seibu Shinjuku Line’s Kawagoe Station and walk for about 10 minutes
Map
Nearby spots
The two genuine Dashis (festival cars) that has been pulled at the Kawagoe Festival is on display along with materials related to the Kawagoe Festival. The powerful atmosphere of the Kawagoe Festival can be physically felt all year round. In addition, there is a demonstration of musical accompaniment (about 20 minutes) on a regular basis at the exhibition hall.
The Kawagoe Kurazukuri Museum was built by Koyama Bunzō, a tobacco wholesaler, right after the great fire in 1893 with reference to the few houses of Kurazukuri and Tokyo’s Nihonbashi Merchant that were not exposed to the fire. The design, structure, and the inside of the Kurazukuri House of Kawagoe can be toured, and a breath of Meiji’s atmosphere can be felt to this day.
Toki no Kane is said to have been first built in the Castletown Tagachō during the Kan’ei era (1624-1644) by the lord of Kawagoe Castle, Sakai Tadakatsu. The current bell tower was rebuilt the year following Kawagoe’s great fire in 1893, and is a three-story tower with a height of about 16 meters. It is a symbol of Kawagoe and denotes that “time” is indispensable for daily life. As of today, the bell rings four times a day (6 am, noon, 3 pm, and 6 pm).
A townscape of “kura warehouses” still remains in Kawagoe. The kura warehouses were cleverly built with fireproof architecture and developed as housing for the merchants of Edo. The warehouses retain an image of Edo that cannot be seen in modern day Tokyo. They were chosen as national “Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings” in December of 1999 and were selected as one of “Japan’s 100 Beautiful Historical Environments” in January of 2007.
Many small, old-time candy stores line the Kashiya Yokochō (confectionery alley). 70 houses existed in the beginning of the Shōwa era, where they produced a variety of sweets to be sold wholesale. As of now, there are about 20 houses left that still produce and sell cheap sweets, such as mint candy and the Kintaro candy, which are nostalgic for both adults and children alike. Kashiya Yokocho was also selected as one of “The 100 Best Scented Sceneries” by the Ministry of the Environment.