Experiences in Kawagoe

Often called Little Edo, Kawagoe is a preserved Edo-period merchant town in Saitama, an hour north of central Tokyo. The Kura-zukuri warehouse street, Kashiya Yokocho candy alley, and seasonal kimono walks make it a popular day trip — pair with a glassblowing or kimono rental session for a half-day plan.

Kawagoe is the closest place to central Tokyo where the Edo period still feels intact at street level. The Kura-zukuri district along Ichibangai is lined with black-walled merchant warehouses, and dressing in kimono for a stroll through Kashiya Yokocho candy alley and the Toki no Kane bell tower is a standard half-day plan. For something more hands-on, glassblowing studios in the area let you shape a glass from molten material in about an hour. From Ikebukuro, the Tobu Tojo Line reaches Kawagoe in 30 minutes; from Shinjuku, the JR Saikyo / Kawagoe Line is a comfortable 50 minutes.