Saitama Prefecture · Japan
Kawagoe travel guide
Kawagoe is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, home to about 355,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- HND50 km · Tokyo Haneda International Airport
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Kawagoe
Kawagoe (川越市, Kawagoe-shi) is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 353,214 in 162,210 households and a population density of 3200 persons per km2.
Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kawagoe
See
Kawagoe is known as "Little Edo" (小江戸 Koedo), after the old name for Tokyo, and its old wooden houses of the Ichiban Gai area, still draw tourists looking for a taste of days gone by. Following an event known as the Kawagoe Great Fire in 1893, wealthy traders supplying the old Edo capital with boats down the Shingashi river, began to reconstruct their warehouse in the Kurazukuri style. While very costly to build, this method of construction - while still looking distinctively Japanese - is made from fire-resistant materials, rather than the clay and wood traditionally used. The buildings are crowned with steep tile roofs featuring immense, fire-deflecting Onigawara (Ogre tiles).
- Toki no Kane
- Hattori Museum of Folklore
- Kawagoe Festival Museum
- Museum of Kurazukuri
- Osawa Residence
- City Museum
- Kawagoe Castle
- Kawagoe History Museum
- Kitain temple
Do
- Chiisanatabi Kawagoe Onsen
- Kasumigaseki Country Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Kawagoe
Kawagoe has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; September is the wettest, with about 222 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Kawagoe: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND), about 50 km from the city centre in a straight line; Narita International Airport (NRT, 83 km) and Ibaraki Airport (IBR, 88 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Kawagoe Station (川越駅) is a stop on the JR Saikyo Line and the private Tobu Tojo line. From Tokyo the fastest route is the Tobu Tojo line from Ikebukuro, which takes 30 min on the express and costs ¥450. From Omiya the Saikyo line takes 17 min and costs ¥320. Hon-Kawagoe Station (本川越駅) is closer to the temple district and is part of the private Seibu-Shinjuku line. Express trains from Shinjuku take 47 min and cost ¥480.
Getting around
While it's perfectly feasible to walk around to the main sights, the city also has a network of buses. The most interesting for visitors are the Koedo Kawagoe loop bus, a regular bus that covers all the main attractions in a 40-minute loop, a one-day pass costs ¥300. And the vintage Co-edo Loop Bus that also loops around the main attractions in about an hour and cost ¥500 for a day pass.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
HND · Tokyo Haneda International Airport
NRT · Narita International Airport
IBR · Ibaraki Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kawagoe
Eat
Kawagoe is known for its violet sweet potato, which can be eaten as imokenpi (fried sticks), imokoi (potato and red bean in glutinous rice), or ice cream.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Kawagoe: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Kawagoe?
Kawagoe has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; September is the wettest, with about 222 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Kawagoe?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND), about 50 km from the city centre in a straight line; Narita International Airport (NRT, 83 km) and Ibaraki Airport (IBR, 88 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Kawagoe?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Kawagoe
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.