2026 Update: Kawagoe Kumano Shrine now offers QR-code multilingual guides at 16 locations throughout the grounds, available in English, Chinese, and Korean. The shrine also accepts cashless payments (PayPay) for omamori and goshuin purchases. Most visitors to Kawagoe head straight…
![Kitain Temple Kawagoe 2026: Edo Castle Rooms & 538 Rakan [With Map]](https://hiddenjapan-gems.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC4602-768x432.webp)
Most visitors to Kawagoe head straight to the warehouse district. Start at Kitain instead — it’s quieter in the morning, and you’ll walk the same route the Tokugawa shoguns once traveled. Kitain Temple (喜多院), also known as Kawagoe Daishi, is…
In the heart of Kawagoe, a town affectionately known as “Little Edo,” lies a Starbucks unlike any other. Steps away from the iconic Toki no Kane (Bell of Time) tower, the Starbucks Coffee Kawagoe Kanetsuki-dori store masterfully blends the world’s…
While Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine is famously known as the grand mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a quieter but equally significant shrine lies hidden in the historic city of Kawagoe. The Senba Toshogu Shrine, counted as one of Japan’s three great Toshogu…
Step back in time in Kawagoe, a city affectionately known as “Little Edo,” and discover one of its most precious historical treasures: the Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten. As the only surviving palace building of its kind in eastern Japan, this…
Just 30 minutes from the bustle of central Tokyo, the city of Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture offers a journey back in time. Known affectionately as “Little Edo” (Koedo), its streets preserve the atmosphere of Japan’s feudal past, alongside architectural treasures…
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