5 Best Sights in Kawagoe, Tokyo

Northeast of Kawagoe’s central sightseeing area, this shrine, purportedly founded more than 1,500 years ago, is where people come to pray for love and marital success. If you would like to do so, write a wish on an ema (small wooden votive plaque), and hang it in the outdoor tunnel nearly completely covered in ema. There are also two 600-year-old zelkova trees on the grounds, wedded together by an ornately wound rope. It’s said that walking around these giant trees in a figure-eight pattern grants good fortune.

The most famous of Kawagoe’s old streetscapes, Ichibangai (First Street) is lined with historic, black-and-white-plastered warehouses and dark wooden merchant residences with all sorts of places to shop or stop for a snack. Souvenir options include incense, jewelry, glass beads, and fashion accessories, and street snack choices range from sweet potato brûlée and honey-infused drinks to wagashi (traditional sweets meant to be enjoyed with green tea). The street can be crowded, and the shops don't stay open late, but the atmosphere is convivial.

Another of Kawagoe’s historic enclaves, this cobblestone side street, which translates as “candy store alley,” had upwards of 70 different confectioners during the Showa era (1912–26). Although the number of shops has dwindled to about 20, it's still a great place to find colorful hard candies and honeycomb toffee, as well as dango (rice dumplings), karintou (fried, sugar-covered cookies), senbei (savory rice crackers), and other traditional treats.

Established around AD 830, Kita-in has long been an important temple in what was once known as the Kawagoe Domain. Not only is its graveyard the resting place of feudal lords, but it has also accumulated a number of notable features. Several buildings were moved here from Edo Castle in the 1600s, as were 500 rakan (a Buddhist term referring to one who has attained enlightenment) statues, which were carved between the 1780s and 1820s and which display a range of emotions—from suffering to sheer delight. There's also a 17th-century shrine, as well as several gardens planted with azaleas, hydrangeas, and plum, cherry, and maple trees that all contribute to the seasonal beauty of the grounds.

The symbol of old Kawagoe is a 17.5-mete (57-foot) bell tower that's the perfect photo-op. Originally built in the 1600s, the current structure dates to 1893, when it was rebuilt following a fire that destroyed much of the city. It’s just north of the Ichibangai shopping street. Although the bell is now automated, it does still ring four times a day.