Sightseeing Spots

The "Little Edo Kawagoe Spring Sailing" is a Japanese cherry blossom viewing event held at the end of April, where visitors sail down the Shigashi River behind Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine to view 500 meters of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Sail along in a small Japanese-style boat enjoying the fully blooming sakura overhead with a flowing river of pink petals beneath you. It's a must-see for fans of the Japanese cherry blossom!

Kita-in Temple thrived after the appointment of Sōjō Tenkai, entrusted by Ieyasu Tokugawa, in 1612. Most of the temple burnt down in Kawagoe's great fire in 1638, but was renovated during the Edo period by the third generation shogun Iemitsu, who transferred the "Iemitsu Birth Room" and "Kasuga Bunkachi Makeup Room" to the temple from the Edo castle. In addition, the entire area was designated as an important cultural property. One of Japan’s three major arhat, “Gohyakurakan”, can be seen here.

"Rakan," or "Arhat" is a Buddhist term signifying a spiritual practitioner, or high priest, who has attained enlightenment. The 500 Rakan of the Kita-in Temple are one of Japan's three great Rakan and took 50 years to complete. The 538 stone statues are famous for expressing a wide range of human emotions and each having a unique action. According to legend, if you visit at night and touch the heads of the statues, only one will be warm, and it is said that this statue's face resembles the sculptor's deceased parent.

A townscape of “kurazukuri" traditional warehouses still remains in Kawagoe. The kurazukuri 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.

The history of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine goes back a long way and is said to have started with the separation of worship practices by the Ōmiya Hikawa Shrine, a part of Musashi Ichinomiya, under the reign of Emperor Kinmei in the 6th century, when the cultural practice of building burial mounds was passed on to them. Thereafter, whenever Ōta Dōkan built a castle, it was revered as a Sōja, a shrine enshrining several gods, of this location, and is familiarly called “Ohikawa-sama.”

Matsumoto Soy Sauce Factory has been making soy sauce in Kawagoe for around 250 years. The brewery, established in 1764, still carries out production with traditional methods using 40 cedar vats that have been in use since the Edo period. At a tour of this soy sauce brewery, designated an important part of Kawagoe's city landscape, you can experience firsthand the tradition of soy sauce production.

Situated at the Nakacho intersection, the entrance to the Kurazukuri district, the Kawagoe City Nakacho Information Center is filled with useful information and housed in a traditional warehouse! You can also connect to their free Wi-Fi and use their baggage storage service (for a fee).

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).

The Renkei Daishi was founded in 1549 by Ren Kaoru, the mother of Kawagoe Castle Lord Masashige Daidoji. Later during the Tokugawa period, it was officially recognized as a temple and made into a school for Buddhist monks, and many Buddhist monks were educated there. In addition, the temple enshrines Fukurokuju, one of the 7 lucky gods of Kawagoe. Events are held at the temple on a regular basis.

We offer tourism information and brochures for sightseeing on the first floor of Pepe Honkawagoe Station of Seibu Shinjuku Line. This is the closest visitor information center to Koedo Kawagoe and the Kurazukuri townscape. In addition, we offer wheelchair rental and baggage storage services (payment required).

The only sake brewery at Kura no Machi, Kawagoe. Though the sake brewery cannot be toured, the adjoining Matsumoto Shōyu, established 200 years ago, can be toured free of charge. Please stop by for a visit! The sake brewery is only 1 minute by foot from the Toki no Kane, the center of Kawagoe’s tourist destination.

The Kawagoe Castle was built in the first year of Chōroku Era (1457) under the command of the vassals, Ōta Dōshin and Dōkan (father and son), for Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Mochitomo to compete against Koga Ashikaga Shigeuji. In the Edo period, it was of utmost importance to protect the north side of Edo, which is why the top vassal traditionally become the lord of the castle. The current building was constructed in the first year of Kaei era (1848). It is open to the public after a two and a half year restoration.

※The museum has been undergoing earthquake-proofing renovation since 2017, and is currently closed to the public. The Kawagoe Kurazukuri Museum was built by tobacco wholesaler Koyama Bunzō after the great fire in 1893 and designed referencing the few houses of Kurazukuri which survived the fire and merchant houses of the Tokyo Nihonbashi area. Visitors can tour the inside of the Kurazukuri houses of Kawagoe, where the atmosphere of the Meiji era can be felt to this day in the buildings' structure and design.

The entrance of the Kawagoe Kashiya Yokochō candy store is marked with a large purple noren (shop curtain with emblem and name). A wide variety of sweets are produced and sold here, including kura manjū (Japanese-style bun stuffed with sweetened bean paste), sweet potato yōkan (sweetened bean jelly), potato sweets, and rice crackers. We can assist you in basic English.

Koedo Kurari is an improved facility of what used to be the building Kyūkagamiyama brewery established in 1875, with the atmosphere of the original brewery remaining to this day. The brewery, built through the Meiji, Taisho, and Shōwa period, has been remodeled and designated as one of Japan's registered tangible cultural properties along with the three warehouses: souvenir shop (Meijigura), Restaurant (Taishōgura), Japanese sake shop (Shōwagura), and meeting space (Tenjigura).

The two authentic Dashis (festival cars) pulled at the Kawagoe Festival are on display along with materials related to the Kawagoe Festival. At this exhibition hall, the powerful atmosphere of the Kawagoe Festival can be experienced all year round. There is also a regular demonstration of musical accompaniment (about 20 minutes).

We offer tourism information and brochures for sightseeing. We are also conveniently located inside Kawagoe Station and can be used as a base for strolling around Kawagoe, with the Edo-style Kurazukuri Warehouse Street just a 15 minute walk away. Rental services for wheelchairs and baggage storage are also available (payment required).

The Old Yamazaki Family Villa was built as a retreat for Kashichi Yamazaki, the 5th generation of Kameya, a long-established confectionery store of Kawagoe. The building and other components have been recognized as having national cultural significance; the main house, tearoom, and the benches of the waiting room were designated as tangible cultural properties of the city in 2000, a portion of the building was donated to the city in 2006, the garden was registered as the national monument (place of scenic beauty) in 2011, and the main building was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 2019. The garden of the former Yamazaki family's villa is also recognized as a valuable example of a Japanese-style garden, including a tea ceremony room designed by Katsuya Hoka along with Japanese and Western-style buildings, and is highly regarded as “a contribution to the development of landscape gardening culture."