Kawagoe, Saitama · Things to do
Things to Do in Kawagoe: 10 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
10 things to do · checked October 23, 2026
10 things to do in Kawagoe, from the warehouse street outward
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 23, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Kurazukuri Warehouse Street (Ichibangai)蔵造りの町並み（一番街）
Historic merchant street · Old town (Ichibangai)
A street of clay-walled kurazukuri merchant houses with heavy tiled roofs, more than 30 of which remain; most were built after the great fire of 1893. The oldest, the Osawa House of 1792, is a National Important Cultural Property, and the area was selected as a national preservation district for groups of historic buildings in December 1999.
- Access
- Tobu bus via Kura-no-machi from Kawagoe Station to the Ichibangai stop. The Koedo loop bus (Kura-no-machi and Hikawa Shrine route) also serves the street.
- Price
- Free to walk
2Toki no Kane (Bell of Time)時の鐘
Historic bell tower · Old town (Ichibangai)
A wooden three-storey bell tower about 16 m high. The present tower, the fourth, was rebuilt straight after the 1893 fire; an automatic striker rings the bell four times a day, and its sound was chosen in 1996 as one of Japan's 100 soundscapes to preserve.
- Access
- About 15 minutes on foot from Hon-Kawagoe Station (Seibu Shinjuku Line). From Kawagoe Station (JR and Tobu), the Kura-no-machi bus to the Ichibangai stop, then 2 minutes on foot.
- Hours
- The bell rings at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00
- Price
- Free (viewed from the street)
3Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)菓子屋横丁
Old-style sweets lane · Old town (Motomachi)
A stone-paved lane of 30-odd sweet and snack shops selling candy, dagashi and dango made in old ways. Sweets have been made here since early Meiji, about 70 makers stood here in early Showa, and in 2001 the Ministry of the Environment chose its smell among Japan's 100 fragrance landscapes.
- Access
- Koedo loop bus, Kitain and Kashiya Yokocho route, from Kawagoe Station west exit (bay 2) via Hon-Kawagoe Station.
- Price
- Free to walk
4Kawagoe Festival Museum川越まつり会館
Festival museum · Old town (Motomachi)
A museum where two real festival floats are on show, changed from time to time, with film of the festival day on a large screen every 20 minutes.
- Access
- Motomachi 2-chome, in the warehouse-street and Toki no Kane area of the old town.
- Hours
- April–September 9:30–18:30 (last entry 18:00); October–March 9:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
- Closed on
- 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month (next day if a holiday); 29 December–1 January
- Price
- Adults ¥300; elementary and junior high ¥100
5Kitain Temple喜多院
Buddhist temple · Kosenba (Kitain)
A Tendai temple founded in 830. Its guest hall and study were moved here from Edo Castle and hold the room where the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu was born and the room used by Kasuga no Tsubone; the 538 stone Gohyaku Rakan statues stand by the gate. The Sanmon gate is under repair until about September 2027.
- Access
- About 15 minutes on foot from Hon-Kawagoe Station, about 18 minutes from Kawagoe-shi Station, about 20 minutes from Kawagoe Station.
- Hours
- 1 March–23 November: weekdays 9:00–16:30, Sundays and holidays 9:00–16:50. 24 November–end of February: weekdays 9:00–16:00, Sundays and holidays 9:00–16:20. Entry ends 30 minutes before closing.
- Closed on
- 25 December–8 January; 2 February (afternoon) and 3 February; 2–4 April; other temple event days
- Price
- Adults ¥400; elementary and junior high ¥200
6Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten川越城本丸御殿
Castle palace building · Kuruwamachi
The main palace of Kawagoe Castle, built in 1848 by the domain lord Matsudaira Naritsune. The surviving entrance and great hall are open, with the chief retainers' office rebuilt beside them.
- Access
- Koedo loop bus to Hakubutsukan/Bijutsukan-mae, or the Koedo Meisho Meguri bus to Hakubutsukan-mae, then 1 minute on foot. Tobu bus via Kura-no-machi to Fuda-no-tsuji, then 10 minutes on foot.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Mondays (next day if a holiday); 4th Friday of the month (unless a holiday); 29 December–3 January
- Price
- Adults ¥100; high school and university ¥50; junior high and under free
7Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine川越氷川神社
Shinto shrine · Miyashitamachi
The shrine of the old castle town, said to date from the 6th century and visited as a shrine for good relationships. Its 15 m wooden torii is among the largest in Japan, and in May 2026 the national Council for Cultural Affairs recommended its 1842 main hall for designation as an Important Cultural Property. Its summer wind-chime event ran 27 June–6 September in 2026, with about 2,000 Edo wind chimes.
- Access
- From Kawagoe Station, Tobu bus from bay 7 to the Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja stop, at the shrine. Or the Koedo loop bus to Hikawa Jinja-mae.
- Price
- Free
8Koedo Kurari小江戸蔵里
Former sake brewery with shops and tasting · Hon-Kawagoe Station
The city's industry and tourism hall, opened in 2010 in three storehouses of the former Kagamiyama sake brewery, built in the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras. The Showa storehouse (1931) carries sake from breweries across Saitama, with paid tasting machines.
- Access
- 3 minutes on foot from Hon-Kawagoe Station; 15 minutes from Kawagoe Station. No parking.
- Hours
- Showa storehouse (sake) 11:00–19:00
- Price
- Free to enter; sake tasting is paid
9Kawagoe Festival川越まつり
Float festival (October) · Old town
Floats topped with large figures are pulled through the town, centred on the warehouse streets; where they meet, the crews face off with music, most of all at night. The festival grew from Hikawa Shrine's 14 October grand festival and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2016. The 2026 festival was held 17–18 October; the 2027 dates were not yet on the official site.
October only. The 2026 festival is over (17–18 October); the Festival Museum shows two floats all year.
- Access
- Around the old town and the warehouse streets; the official site asks visitors to come by public transport because of road closures.
10Koedo Kawagoe Fireworks小江戸川越花火大会
Fireworks display (21 November 2026) · Ainashinsui Park (west Kawagoe)
The 32nd display, with about 6,500 shells, is on Saturday 21 November 2026 at Ainashinsui Park, a riverside park in the west of the city, not the old town.
One evening: Saturday 21 November 2026, 18:10–19:10, in the west of the city.
- Access
- About 25 minutes on foot from Kasahata Station (JR Kawagoe Line), about 50 minutes from Kasumigaseki (Tobu Tojo Line) or Minami-Otsuka (Seibu Shinjuku Line). The organisers expect Kasahata to be crowded.
- Hours
- 21 November 2026: fireworks 18:10–19:10
Good to know
The warehouse street, Toki no Kane, Kashiya Yokocho and the Festival Museum are in one part of the old town; Kitain, Honmaru Goten and Hikawa Shrine each sit a little apart. Toki no Kane and Kitain are both about 15 minutes on foot from Hon-Kawagoe Station. From Kawagoe Station most sights are a bus ride.
From Ikebukuro, the Tobu Tojo Line's Kawagoe Tokkyu reaches Kawagoe from 26 minutes. From Shinjuku, a JR Saikyo Line rapid takes about 50 minutes, and Seibu's Limited Express Koedo reaches Hon-Kawagoe from 44 minutes (limited express ticket needed). The Koedo loop bus runs two routes from Kawagoe Station west exit via Hon-Kawagoe; a one-day pass is ¥600.
Dates: the 2026 Kawagoe Festival was 17–18 October, and the Koedo Kawagoe Fireworks are on 21 November 2026. From 24 November Kitain closes earlier (weekdays 16:00), and its Sanmon gate is under repair until about September 2027.
In depth
Old town, temple and castle, or by the station
How to get there, what it costs to get in, and the latest time to start. Adult prices; children's prices are on each card above.
| Where | Getting there | Entry (adult) | Latest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse street, Toki no Kane, Kashiya Yokocho | Kura-no-machi bus from Kawagoe Station to Ichibangai; Toki no Kane about 15 min on foot from Hon-Kawagoe | Free | Open street; the bell rings at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 |
| Kawagoe Festival Museum | In the warehouse-street area | ¥300 | Last entry 17:00 (Oct–Mar), 18:00 (Apr–Sep) |
| Kitain | About 15 min on foot from Hon-Kawagoe; 20 min from Kawagoe | ¥400 | Weekdays 16:00 until 23 Nov, 15:30 from 24 Nov (entry ends 30 min before closing) |
| Honmaru Goten | Koedo loop bus to Hakubutsukan/Bijutsukan-mae + 1 min | ¥100 | Last entry 16:30; closed Mondays |
| Hikawa Shrine | Tobu bus from Kawagoe Station bay 7 to Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja | Free | — |
| Koedo Kurari | 3 min on foot from Hon-Kawagoe | Free; sake tasting paid | Sake storehouse open until 19:00 |
By kind of trip
First visit, half a day on foot
The warehouse street, Toki no Kane and Kashiya Yokocho are in the same part of the old town, and all three are free. Koedo Kurari is 3 minutes from Hon-Kawagoe Station if you arrive or leave by Seibu.
Kurazukuri Warehouse Street (Ichibangai) · Toki no Kane (Bell of Time) · Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley) · Koedo Kurari
Temple, castle and shrine
Kitain charges ¥400 and Honmaru Goten ¥100; Hikawa Shrine is free. Honmaru Goten is closed on Mondays and the 4th Friday, and Kitain stops taking visitors 30 minutes before it closes.
Kitain Temple · Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten · Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
Rain
These three are indoors. The Festival Museum shows two real floats and festival film every 20 minutes; Koedo Kurari has shops and sake tasting in old brewery storehouses.
Kawagoe Festival Museum · Koedo Kurari · Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten
With children
Honmaru Goten is free for junior high age and under. The Festival Museum is ¥100 and Kitain ¥200 for elementary and junior high children. Kashiya Yokocho costs nothing to walk.
Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley) · Kawagoe Festival Museum · Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten · Kitain Temple
Dates in the year
The Kawagoe Festival is in mid-October (17–18 October in 2026). Hikawa Shrine's wind chimes hung from 27 June to 6 September in 2026. The fireworks are on 21 November 2026.
Kawagoe Festival · Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine · Koedo Kawagoe Fireworks
Questions
How do I get to Kawagoe from Ikebukuro or Shinjuku?
From Ikebukuro, the Tobu Tojo Line's Kawagoe Tokkyu reaches Kawagoe Station from 26 minutes. From Shinjuku, a JR Saikyo Line rapid takes about 50 minutes to Kawagoe Station, and Seibu's Limited Express Koedo runs from Seibu-Shinjuku to Hon-Kawagoe from 44 minutes; it needs a limited express ticket. Seibu plans to replace the Koedo with the new Tokiiro Express in spring 2027.
Kawagoe Station or Hon-Kawagoe Station: which is closer to the old town?
Hon-Kawagoe (Seibu) is closer on foot: about 15 minutes to Toki no Kane and to Kitain, and 3 minutes to Koedo Kurari. Kawagoe Station (JR and Tobu) is about 20 minutes on foot from Kitain; from there the Tobu bus via Kura-no-machi or the Koedo loop bus goes to the old town.
How does the Koedo loop bus work?
It leaves from bay 2 at Kawagoe Station west exit, calls at Hon-Kawagoe Station and returns to both. There are two routes: C01 for Kitain and Kashiya Yokocho, and C02 for the warehouse street and Hikawa Shrine. A one-day pass costs ¥600 (children ¥300), in cash on the bus or at sales points. Buses are limited, and the pass may not be sold during festivals.
When is the Kawagoe Festival?
In mid-October. It grew from Hikawa Shrine's grand festival on 14 October, and the 2026 festival was held on 17–18 October. The 2027 dates were not yet on the official site when this page was checked. The Kawagoe Festival Museum shows two real floats all year.
When are the wind chimes at Hikawa Shrine?
The Enmusubi Furin event is in summer. In 2026 it ran from 27 June to 6 September, with about 2,000 Edo wind chimes hung in the shrine grounds.