Kurazukuri (Traditional Warehouse) Townscape

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 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 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).

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).

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.