Kawagoe: Ultimate Day Trip Guide to the Traditional Town Near Tokyo
Located in peaceful Saitama, Kawagoe is the perfect place to feel like you've stepped back in time to experience ancient Japan. But what exactly awaits you in this traditional town?
Kawagoe overview and history
From Tokyo Station, Kawagoe takes just one hour to get to by train, making it a great day trip from the city center to experience a little slice of traditional Japan.
The former castle town is often referred to as “Little Edo” (ko-edo in Japanese), with good reason. Tokyo was previously called Edo, giving way to the Edo period (1603-1867). During this time, wealthy merchants from Kawagoe were inspired by the Edo-style buildings they came across in the capital and wanted to bring that back to Kawagoe.
One of the characteristic buildings from that period was Kura Zukuri, or “storehouses.” These Kura Zukuri had thick walls of 8-10 inches. In the Kawagoe Great Fire of 1893, many buildings burnt down, but some of the Kura Zukuri survived. Unfortunately, the same could not be s..