Kawagoe — Little Edo
A well-preserved Edo-period merchant town 30km from Tokyo — nicknamed Koedo (Little Edo) for its kura-zukuri (black plastered storehouse) main street and the only surviving Toki no Kane (Time Bell Tower) in the Kanto region. Confectionery Street (Kashiya Yokocho) has sold traditional dagashi (cheap sweets) since the Meiji era.
Half day
Free
Town always accessible; Kurazukuri Street: most shops 9:00–18:00; Toki-no-Kane bell tower always visible
Year-round (October for Kawagoe Festival)
Kawagoe Station on Tobu/JR Saikyo Lines (30 min from Ikebukuro)
Location
Why Visit
- 1
The Toki no Kane bell tower has rung four times daily since the 1600s — the only one left in Kanto
- 2
Kashiya Yokocho (Confectionery Street) has 20 shops selling traditional dagashi sweets since Meiji era
- 3
The kura-zukuri warehouses survived 1893 fire because thick clay walls are fireproof
Local Tips
The bell tower (Toki-no-Kane) still rings four times daily. Sweet potato (imo) products are Kawagoe's culinary identity — imo-yokan, imo-chi, and purple sweet potato soft-serve are everywhere. Come on a weekday; weekend crowds on the main Kurazukuri Street can be intense. The Kitain Temple (30 min walk) has 540 stone disciples with expressive faces.
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