Feel the Edo atmosphere in this historical town only 30 minutes from Tokyo!
Kawagoe is an old town which flourished as a castle town in the Edo Period. Still to this day you can see elaborately designed buildings, ringing bells, elegant back streets and rickshaws passing. The design of the stores and houses on the street mix the features of three different eras - Edo, Meiji, and Taisho. Kawagoe has a Japanese culture and history which we cannot see in other cities. In addition, the access from the center of Tokyo is good (30 minutes). It was selected to host the golf competitions in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
① Meet at Hon-Kawagoe Station (12:00)
② Kita-in Temple (12:20-13:00)
Built in 830 AD, this temple houses the only remaining palace buildings from the Edo Castle. They were moved there from the Imperial Palace site in 1638 in order to help rebuild the temple after a fire. While the main Edo Castle was destroyed in World War 2 and the Great Kanto Earthquake, Kitain survived.
③ Hikawa Shrine (13:15-13:45)
This 1500 year old shrine is known by locals as a place for finding true love or matrimonial happiness. It also contains a 15 metre tall torii gate which is said to be the biggest wooden gate in Japan. Here you can try the "hitogata nagashi" ritual which involves releasing a special paper into a river while chanting to purify yourself and clear your sins. The ema (wooden prayers) tunnel is also worth seeing, it's a long tunnel filled with the wishes of visitors to the shrine.
④ Candy Alley (14:10-14:25)
Visit many shops that have been around since the beginning of the Meiji Era in 1868. You can buy traditional Japanese sweets not found in supermarkets.
⑤ Warehouse District (14:25-15:00)
The Warehouse District is full of old clay-walled warehouses from the Edo Period (1603-1867). Back then, Kawagoe was an important town which suppplied resources to the capital Edo. The merchants grew wealthy and built elaborate houses and warehouses. Stroll the area where they lived and enter shops still operating to this day. View the 350 year old Bell Tower, the symbol of Kawagoe which chimes at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00.
⑥ Matsumoto Craft Soy Sauce (15:00-15:20)
Matsumoto Craft Soy Sauce has passed down the tradition of making soy sauce for over 250 years in Kawagoe. They still use traditional methods to make the soy sauce. You can tour their factory and learn about the process that has been used to may soy sauce for centuries. (Factory sightseeing /Tour only available on Sat. & Sun. & Holidays)
⑦ Koedo Kurari (15:35-15:50)
This store is built in a brewery that has made Japanese sake for nearly 120 years. You can buy souvenirs from the local area here.
⑧ Finish at Hon-Kawagoe (or Kawagoe) station (16:00)
・Explore this historical town which remainded standing during the War and great earthquake that hit Tokyo
・Walk, eat, and shop around the old warehouse town. You can enjoy Kawagoe local beer ‘Coedo’ or very delicious sweets made of sweet potatoes
・Delight your taste buds on Candy Alley
・Visit Hikawa Shrine and the tunnel of wishes
・Visit Kita-in and see the original Edo Tokyo Palace remains
・We will customize the tour plan to best fit the group's desires.
・(Factory sightseeing /Tour only available on Sat. & Sun. & Holidays)
・During the peak travel seasons of March, April, October, and Year-end and New Year holidays (from December 30 to January 3), please be aware that there will be an additional charge of 2,000 yen per person for the tour.
・Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 6,000 yen per person, per hour.
*A timetable of the bus from Haneda airport to Hon-Kawagoe Station is bellow,
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/platform_searches/index/4/176
*A timetable of the bus from Hon-Kawagoe Station to Haneda airport is bellow,
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/platform_searches/index/3/176
*Movies to introduce Kawagoe City:
> Chinese Subtitles: simplified characters
> Chinese Subtitles: traditional characters
> Korean Subtitles
> Thai Subtitles
> French Subtitles
| Price | From ¥13,000 / person ¥13,000 for 2 adults or more |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 hours (approx.) |
| Hours of availability | 12:00-16:00 |
| Inclusions | ・English guide |
| Exclusions | ・Food & drinks |
| Participants | 1-12 people |
グセ ジルビン（USA）★★★★★
A refreshing walking tour of Japan
Thank you very much to Omakase Tour and Takeshi-san for a wonderful time at Kawagoe! I had fun walking around and seeing the old warehouses that was well preserved. Takeshi-san introduced me to the local delicacies like the famous long sweet potato bread, traditional Japanese confectionery, delicious long sausages, COEDO craft beer, and seasonal Sakura ice cream at a local cafe. Takeshi-san was also informative with his historical and cultural knowledge of Kawagoe and Japan. I would gladly recommend Omakase Tours for what I experienced. I recommend visiting during Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season. Contact them for a private walking tour of Kawagoe and you will experience the part of Japan you won't see around Tokyo area and you will learn about the deeper cultural background of Japan.
Daniel（Germany）★★★★★
Die Shopping Meile wahr super interessant
Es wahr ein interessanter Rundgang, Erina Wataya ist auf fragen eingegangen und hat einen sympathischen Eindruck hinterlassen, immer wieder gerne.
Marlene（USA）★★★★★
Very informative and interesting!
It was very informative and interesting and the guide was super nice and helpful. It’s a great tour to do if you want to do something different and learn a lot about shrines, temples and history. We enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to everyone. Super convenient from Tokyo too.
Neal Arita （USA）★★★★★
strongly recommend OMAKASE Tours for your travel guide needs
My wife and I have been visiting Japan almost once a year for the last 10 years. We set up our own itinerary and get around on our own. This year (2025) we decided to book a half-day tour in Kawagoe. It was our first time to Kawagoe. We were able to get OMAKASE Tour for the half-day tour.
We received a message from our tour guide, Ms Kaori a day before our tour.
Plans were made then to have a lunch with Unagi - a Kawagoe specialty.
Kaori was nice enough to send several options and we selected a restaurant called Unagi Kobinata, a quaint but excellent selection.
Once we met Kaori at the train station, we were greeted with sincere care and hospitality. From there we walked to lunch and ventured out to see many Koedo locations (Koedo/Coedo = Smaller Edo). Kaori took time to explain historical buildings including some of the oldest structures in Kawagoe.
We found out that Kaori was raised in Kawagoe; which explained her knowledge and passion for the area.
We learned lots of history, significance of the area, connection to Edo and many other things unique to Kawagoe.
I may not remember the many details in years to come, but I will certainly remember the basic history and hospitality shared from the Kawagoe residents (Kaori especially).
The tours last stop was a renovated Sake factory, now a store that sells Sake products.
We learned that there are many different Sake makers in Kawagoe and were able to taste a few. There is a tasting dispensing machine that charges 500 Yen for 3 samples - you get to choose from about 30 different sake.
We strongly recommend OMAKASE Tours for your travel guide needs.
A special thanks to Kaori for her cheerful friendliness and knowledge of Kawagoe; we truly appreciated spending the half-day tour with her.
Our future travels may now include day-tours. We see the value in it, especially OMAKASE Tours!
