Key Tour Highlights

Stroll a 500-Year-Old Merchant Street

Journey back to the samurai era when Kawagoe was a vital supplier of goods to old Tokyo (Edo). We will walk past active historic shops built to protect precious trade from frequent great fires.

A Nostalgic Stroll Down Kawagoe Candy Alley

Step into candies paradise. Discover about two dozen retro shops selling traditional Japanese candies, handmade sweets, and giant brown sugar Fugashi snacks.

The Most Photogenic Symbol of Kawagoe

Stand beneath the towering, wooden Toki no Kane (Time Bell Tower). As the famous symbol of “Little Edo,” it is the most beautiful and Instagrammable spot in the old town!

Rub Obinzuru-sama for Healing

Visit peaceful Renkeiji Temple and touch the ancient wooden statue of Buddha’s disciple, said to cure your physical ailments.

Step on the Acupressure Stones

Walk the barefoot “Ashifumi Road” at Kumano Shrine to boost your physical health and show your courage.

Get Guide’s Local Recommendations

During our walk, we will show you the absolute best local craft workshops, hidden cafes, unique souvenir shops, and delicious street food stands to visit later in the day.

Why Choose This Tour?

Feel the Authentic Samurai Era

Experience a living, authentic historic townscape lined with active traditional shops, craft workshops, boutiques, and eateries.

A Journey Into Retro Japan

Experience the nostalgic charm of a neighborhood that has delighted Japanese children and families with traditional candies since the late 1800.

Local Expert Guide

Learn interesting historical facts, local folklore and best local craft workshops, hidden cafes, unique souvenir shops, and delicious street food from a guide who lives right here in the neighborhood.

Perfect for Families

Children under the age of 10 join completely free, and the flat, stroller-friendly route makes for a comfortable walk for all generations.

Itinerary

Renkeiji Temple

Founded way back in 1549 by the local lord Daidanren Renkei, this peaceful Buddhist temple has such a calm, spiritual atmosphere. On the temple porch, we’ll see Obinzuru-sama, a beautiful, hand-carved wooden statue of a disciple of Buddha. Local folklore says if you gently rub a part of Obinzuru-sama’s body and then touch the corresponding spot on your own, your physical ailments will be miraculously healed.

Kumano Shrine

Next, we’ll take a short, pleasant walk to Kumano Shrine, a vibrant Shinto shrine dedicated to warding off evil spirits, bringing happy relationships, and granting prosperity. It is home to the mythical three-legged crow, Yatagarasu, whom we believe offers divine guidance on life’s path. If you are feeling a bit adventurous, you can try walking down the barefoot Ashifumi Road—a unique pathway paved with smooth river stones designed to stimulate your foot acupressure points for a quick health boost!

Historic Old Town & Kurazukuri Street

Now, we step into the true heart of “Little Edo”: the legendary Kurazukuri Street. Walking down this road feels like stepping right into a historic painting! The street is lined with stunning, double-story merchant shops built with thick, fireproof clay walls and beautiful black plaster coatings (Kuro-shikkui).

While sometimes travelers mistake these buildings for simple storage warehouses, they were – and still are – actually highly active, bustling merchant shops! After a devastating fire swept through Kawagoe in 1893, wealthy merchants rebuilt their storefronts in this incredibly expensive, fireproof style to safeguard their active businesses and luxury merchandise. As we wander past these gorgeous structures, we will show you ingenious architectural details—like the massive, 30 centimeter thick fireproof window shutters or rooftop decorations designed to ward of evil spirits—and mainly point many interesting shops, hidden local craft workshops, cafes, and snack stands so you know exactly where to return later.

Time Bell Tower

We will arrive at the famous symbol of Kawagoe: The Time Bell Tower (Toki no Kane). Standing proud at 16 meters / 52 feet tall, this magnificent wooden tower has stood over the historic district since the early 1600. Rebuilt for the fourth time after the Great Fire of 1893, the bell still rings out four times daily, just as it did in the samurai era when local residents relied on its chime to schedule their working days.

This beautiful tower is the perfect photo spot!

Candy Alley (Kashiya Yokocho)

Nostalgic Candy Alley is lined with about two dozen sweet shops, cheap toy stores and eateries. Nearly 100 years ago, following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 that devastated Tokyo’s confectionery shops, this small district stepped up to become the primary supplier of cheap candies (dagashi) and traditional sweets to the capital, boasting over 70 active shops at its peak.

Here, you can discover traditional treats like Fugashi (giant, light-as-air brown sugar stick snacks), sweet potato treats, and many kinds of colorful hard candies. If our timing is just right, we can stop by two of the traditional candy-making shops where you can witness the captivating handmade process of making those small, beautifully designed candies.

OPTIONAL: 

Rice Cracker Baking Experience (20 min) | Admission fee: ¥750 | 1 oven | 3 rice crackers

Kawagoe Festival Museum (15 min) | Admission fee: ¥300 adult, ¥100 child