Fly me to Saitama, to Kawagoe!
The Saitama prefecture is next to Tokyo, but the image of Saitama was so negative because of the word “dasaitama” (uncool=dasai + Saitama) for such a long time. The people in Saitama have been enduring such negative image, but the movie “Tonde Saitama” (Fly me to Saitama) has finally changed everything, now more people visit Saitama.
Especially, Kawagoe, located in the Southwest of Saitama, is a beloved destination and this city is known as a little Edo. There are some traditional warehouses, shrines and temples from the Samurai period.
We’ve already visited Kawagoe a few times, traditional warehouses and some historic buildings were highlights of the sightseeing in Kawagoe.
We could taste many specialties from Kawagoe like dishes made from sweet potato and traditional Japanese sweets.
Are you going to travel with your Japan Rail Pass?
You can find more information and our advices here!
If you visit Kawagoe in October, don't miss the Kawagoe Matsuri!
If you are going to visit Kawagoe in October, we recommend to visit Kawagoe Matsuri (Kawagoe festival) indeed, it was so amazing! Usually, it takes place on the 3rd weekend in the month, in 2019 it is the 19.10. & 20.10.
This festival has been put in the list of the UNESCO intangible culture Heritage since 2016. We admired the beautifully decorated floats and the demonstration!
Some tips for international visitors of the Kawagoe Festival
You can see the schedule of the festival floats here. It would not be easy to reach the event locations on these 2 days because of the crowds. There are some parallel streets next to the main streets, going parallel ways, using them you can maybe reach the event locations more quickly.
If you want to visit in the evening, it will be even more crowded. Keep an eye on your children and valuable things.
You can find more information and our advices here!
How to access Kawagoe
The reason we recommend Kawagoe is that the access from Tokyo is very easy. From Ikebukuro, you can take Tobu-Tojo line, From Shinjuku you can take the Seibu-Shinjuku-line. From other JR Stations, it is also possible to reach Kawagoe. It only takes 30-60 minutes.
When the Kawagoe festival takes place, it would be better using Hon-Kawagoe station (Seibu-Shinjuku line) or Kawagoe-shi station (Tobu-Tojo line). Kawagoe station (JR & Tobu-Tojo line) is the largest station in Kawagoe city, so it would be more crowded. Moreover, the main festival places are closer to Hon-Kawagoe station and Kawagoe-shi station. Don’t waste your time in the wave of people.
Are you going to travel with your Japan Rail Pass?
You can find more information and our advices here!
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