Today you will make a day trip to Kawagoe (40min), a delightful city west of Tokyo, usually called “Little Edo” because it still preserves the atmosphere of the ancient Tokyo (Edo is the old name of the capital).
First you will visit Kita-in temple, among whose halls are the only remaining palace buildings of the former Edo Castle. Another highlight is the Gohyaku Rakan statues, 540 stone statues of the disciples of Buddha, each with its own facial expression.
Afterwards, you will visit to the Kawagoe City Museum. It introduces visitors to the history and culture of Kawagoe. Through excavated relics, preserved artefacts, models and actual-sized replicas, visitors can travel through time and learn about the changes in the city.
After a traditional lunch, head to Kashiya Yokocho (Sweets Alley) for dessert. It is lined by stores selling traditional Japanese sweets and cakes, which gave the alley its name. Finally, wander around the streets in Warehouse District. In the old days, Kawagoe was an important commercial town supplying resources to Edo (present day Tokyo). Thanks to the thriving trade, many merchants grew wealthy enough to build not only their warehouses but also their stores in the traditional, resistant Kurazukuri style, more so than it was usual in other towns. Some of the buildings managed to survive to this day, mostly housing shops and restaurants, that can be found along the main street which stretches a few hundred meters long.
Duration: 8 hours
