Kawagoe day trip from Tokyo
A day trip to Kawagoe from Tokyo: the sweet shops of Kashiya Yokocho and the floats of the Kawagoe Festival Museum, the Toki no Kane bell tower and the clay-walled merchant houses of Ichibangai, then the Hikawa Shrine, the palace of Kawagoe Castle and the 500 Rakan statues at Kita-in temple. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Kawagoe in 1 day
Day 1
Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)
Short cobbled lane of old-fashioned sweet and snack shops, selling penny candy, sweet-potato treats and long fu-gashi sticks.
Kawagoe Festival Museum
Museum showing real carved floats of the Kawagoe Festival, with films and displays about the October festival and its history.
Toki no Kane bell tower
Wooden bell tower, rebuilt after a fire in 1893, that has rung the time over the old town for centuries; the symbol of Kawagoe.
Kurazukuri warehouse street (Ichibangai)
Main street of 'Little Edo', lined with black clay-walled merchant houses built to resist fire, now shops and cafés.
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
Old shrine popular with couples, known for its summer wind-chime festival and its fortune slips shaped like sea bream.
Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten
Surviving part of the palace of Kawagoe Castle, one of only two honmaru palaces left in Japan, with tatami rooms and long corridors.
Kita-in temple and the 500 Rakan
Temple with hundreds of stone Buddhist disciples, each face different, and rooms moved here from Edo Castle in the 1600s.
Getting there
From Ikebukuro the Tobu Tojo line reaches Kawagoe and Kawagoeshi stations in about 30-40 minutes; the Seibu Shinjuku line runs from Seibu-Shinjuku to Hon-Kawagoe, and JR trains also serve Kawagoe Station. From the stations, the old warehouse district is a walk of about 20 minutes or a short bus ride.
Staying in Tokyo? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Kawagoe
Spring and autumn are best, with cherry blossom at Kita-in and along the Shingashi river in late March or early April, and maples in mid to late November. The Kawagoe Festival on the third weekend of October is the busiest time. Summers are hot and humid, with the rainy season from June to mid-July.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kawagoe on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kawagoe on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kawagoe on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Japan from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kawagoe
- Kawagoe Castle's Honmaru Goten is closed on Mondays and the fourth Friday of the month: plan the trip for another day.
- Weekends and holidays are crowded on Ichibangai; come on a weekday, or reach the old streets early.
- Kawagoe is known for sweet potatoes: try them baked, as crisps or in sweets and ice cream along the old streets.
- The Toki no Kane bell rings out several times a day; listen for it while you walk the warehouse street.
- The Kawagoe Festival, with its tall floats, is held on the third weekend of October; the town is very busy then.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley): dailytransit, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten: Ocdp, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kawagoe Festival Museum: Abasaa, Public domain
- Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine: 三人日, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kita-in temple and the 500 Rakan: tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kurazukuri warehouse street (Ichibangai): Collin Grady, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Toki no Kane bell tower: user:Fg2, Public domain
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
