Kawagoe WIth Kids

Kawagoe with Kids 2025

Kawagoe is a timeslip tourist town best known for its Edo period buildings, but there are also buildings from the Meiji through Showa periods. The tourist area of Kawagoe attracts thousands of visitors annually thanks to the preserved chronicles of time and its convenient location just 30 minutes from Tokyo. The main tourist area comprises Kurazukuri street, Kanetsuki (the landmark Bell Tower) Street and the Penny Candy Alley. A lot of tourists spend their time ambling around the area taking in the scenery, but there is a lot more to the city than the historical buildings. The choice of things to do and see is virtually endless. Here is a selection of ten things you can enjoy in Kawagoe with kids.

1. Visit the Penny Candy Alley

amezaiku blow your own candy when visiting Kawagoe with kids

In the Penny Candy Alley there are several treats, literally and figuratively, awaiting you. I will be the first to confess the alley has lost a bit of its charm for children as it becomes more and more trendy. But there is still plenty for children to enjoy. For example, a huge selection of traditional sweets as well as more contemporary type desserts. There is also an old fashioned store that sells masks and toys. Moreover, kids can try their hand at toasting their own sembei crackers or balloon art. Younger kids may be drawn to the colorful cotton candy with animal faces on the corner of Penny Candy Alley! In addition, since February 2025 there is also a hugely popular Chiikawa character shop. For children who have grown up in Japan, Chiikawa needs no introduction. But even for visitors, they are bound to find the shop adorably cute!

2. Interact with animals

A kinkajou that you can interact with at Bamboo Palm in Kawagoe City
A Kinkajou that you hold and feed at Bamboo Palm.

Did you know that Kawagoe has a zoo? Bamboo Palm is a privately run small zoo with about 30 different species of animals. You can pay additional to hold or feed the animals, and its totally worth it. Apart from this zoo there are several animal cafes in Kawagoe, including two cat cafes close together in Crea Mall. Our favorite is the cat protection cafe Neko Katsu, which is quite famous in Saitama due to the stellar work they do. If you are on a budget or don’t have the time to spend at an animal cafe or zoo, you can always just watch the turtles at Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin Hongyoin.

Until 2023 the Kendama Cafe was no.2, but unfortunately it closed at the end of 2022.

3. Enjoy nature

Even within the tourist district you can find nature spots dotted around the town. But a side trip to the outskirts and you can find lots of natural beauty as well as activities that children will enjoy. Just one example; Kawagoe Park, which is near Bamboo Palm zoo introduced above. At Kawagoe Park you can swim outdoors in the large aqua park in summer. In the main park, you can take a swan boat out on the lake or ride battery cars that operate for ￥100. And, although growing in recognition, Kawagoe Park is an off the beaten path place to enjoy red spider lilies and cherry blossoms. Particularly late blooming cherry blossoms called yaezakura.

You will also find “agritourism” attractions in the outskirts of Kawagoe too, such as the hands on experience of picking Kawagoe’s famed sweet potatoes. Just some places to enjoy nature in Kawagoe:

4. Treasure hunt!

Kawagoe styrofoam art

Did you know that Kawagoe has dozens of Styrofoam art displays? You can challenge the kids to see how many animal Styrofoam statues they can find around the old town. There are various other types of scavenger / treasure hunts or quests you can enjoy in Kawagoe. For example, on the grounds of Kitain Temple there is a garden of “500 Rakan Statues”. There are actually 538 of them. It sounds a lot, but it doesn’t feel that many when you are there. No two are the same. Within the 538 there are 12 statues of men with chinese zodiac animals. My kids really enjoyed searching for their zodiac animal. The staff at the gate have a map with the answers so you can get a bit of help if needed. There are other animals too, if you want to extend the fun.

**Kawagoe with kids 2021 ~ 2022**

5. Visit a child friendly shrine

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is my children’s favorite shrine in Kawagoe. Namely, because they have fortune fishing! Children can fish for their own fortune and take home the fish amulet in which the fortune is encased. But they also have children’s paper fortunes too. Kawagoe Hikawa jinja have a really great line up of annual events. With kids, the annual tanabata and wind chimes event is particularly charming. (You can also make Tanabata wishes on Taisho Roman Yume Street).

Check out the latest Kawagoe posts

6. Refresh at a bath house

Centrally located near Hon Kawagoe station in the shopping district of Crea Mall, Kawagoe Yuyu Land is as popular with tourists as it is locals. Apart from offering a variety of baths, they put on shows regularly in the rest area and sometimes even in one of the bathrooms! They have a small play area for kids as well as a game center. The building is quite pretty too. And you can stay there too for a modest price, but the rooms are quite small and dated. You will find in the next year or two even more options for bathing and / or staying in Kawagoe with kids. There has been a lot of new building projects and renovations of older buildings going on during the pandemic. One of those projects is almost finished: Koedo Onsen Kashiba, which will open October 2021 in the Isanuma area.

7. Make a souvenir of your visit

There are dozens of workshops you an take in Kawagoe. For example, at Glass Art Blue Moon in a quaint Edo period storehouse children over the age of five can make glass art. Another example; in the heart of the tourist area, right at the Ichibangai pedestrian crossing to the Bell Tower, Yamawa offers a very reasonably priced pottery class that is suited to people of all ages. Other crafting options available in the tourist town include (but are not limited to) Turkish lamps, Chalk Board Art, Jewelry and Gel candles. You can also paint your own wind chime in Kawagoe’s newest hotel.

8. Take some memorable photos at the Trick Art Museum

Kawagoe with kids Sayama Municipal Museum

Wherever you go in Kawagoe there will be plenty of opportunity to take memorable photos, but for some really unique and fun photos I recommend Kawagoe’s Trick Art Museum. You can find Trick Art Museums in Japan’s most notable tourist towns. Sometimes you can also find a trick art exhibition at museums. They are reasonably priced and offer a fun activity on a rainy day. I used to recommend combining a visit with Kurodaya across the road, where you could experience being a ninja for half a day, but unfortunately Kurodaya closed down during the pandemic.

More information in English on this blog

9. Get physical!

There are dozens of physical activities for kids in Kawagoe. From adventure playgrounds to zorbing. Even in the tourist area you can find free playgrounds such as at Kitain Temple, Miyoshino shrine and Ukishima Shrine. There is also climbing right by the train station and if you are willing to go the outskirts you’ll find even more bouldering gyms. Also in the outskirts Kawagoe has a relatively new trampoline gym / play land Airjoy. There is also dozens of fishing spots in Kawagoe, you can even fish your own lunch in Crea Mall near Kawagoe station.

10. Try some delicious treats

Throughout the tourist district you will find a range of Japanese treats to indulge in. Kawagoe is one of those rare places where walking and eating is not only accepted, but expected! There are hundreds of options. One of the most popular treats in Kawagoe for kids is the thin sweet potato chips from Osatsuan, a vendor on the Bell Tower Street.

For a sit down option, but take out is also possible, just one example of a favorite among kids is Korekaki. Korekaki serves Kakigori, a flavored shaved ice that is generally sold between the months of April and October. However, in Kawagoe there are at least four specialty shaved ice restaurants that serve snow cones, kakigori in Japanese, all year round including Korekaki.

New since 2022

In 2022, dozens of new eateries opened in Kawagoe. Nothing unusual about that as new places are opening all the time. But of the new eateries in 2022, three of them in particular have shot to fame. And they are ideal spots to bring children for a treat. The three are Mrs Hamburger, Kingyotei and the Miffy Bakery and kitchen, below. In the summer of 2025, a new Snoopy Village store opened, which sells various Snoopy goods as well as delicious Snoopy-yaki. And check out their drinks with marshmallow Snoopy floating on the top!

Cuteness overload at the Miffy Storehouse Kitchen & Bakery
Open now: a Snoopy Village in Kawagoe with Japan exclusive

Kawagoe City is a wonderful place to visit with (or without) kids. However, please note, that the main tourist strip is often crowded. Thankfully some of the places I suggest in this article are away from the main tourist area and thus less crowded. If you plan to walk between locations, comfortable shoes are advised. There is quite a distance between many of these attractions. You can use any of the tourist loop buses, easily recognizable from their retro appearance, to get to most locations. However, anywhere on the outskirts, such as Aina Water Park, Bamboo Palm, Isanuma Park and Kawagoe Park are not serviced by the tourist loop bus. You can get a regular “Tobu” bus from Kawagoe or Hon Kawagoe station.

This post is aimed at day trippers / short term visitors to Kawagoe. If you are moving to or have just moved to Kawagoe, rest assured there are plenty more things to do in Kawagoe with kids. 🙂

7 Comments

  2. Simply, this is the most useful post I have seen. Ever!

    Kawagoe is awesome, there are things here that my (Japanese) wife didn’t even know about. Thanks!

    1. Author

      You are too kind, thank you. Truth is, I had a post before with 28 things to do in Kawagoe with kids, but it didn’t perform very well – it was way too much information! So I cut it down to the ten best imho and this post is doing so much better. Thanks again for your lovely comment.

  3. You’ve been busy re-posting things that have been moved around due to Google being a pain with your calendar plugin. But just a friendly reminder that you are always welcome to post your links on r/saitama.

    That said, shorter lists will always do better. And humans are more comfortable with things in groups of ten as they can easily count that high with their hands. Simple marketing.

    A further tip, you can always make a “Link Back” post where you refer to previous things you’ve already posted. EG Things to do in Japan with Kids, or Things to do in Kawagoe, or Things to do in Japanese Summer. And all three posts link back to this post as it is relevant and related

    1. Author

      Thank you so much. I have been meaning to share some posts on the r/saitama group. I have gotten out of the habit of using Reddit, I must get into it. I used to get quite good traffic from it.

      Ten does seem to be the magic number in round up lists! I must try and use it to my advantage more.

      The link back function on my blog has been “broken” (I probably accidentally turned something off!) for quite a while now. Its on a long list of things to fix / look into.

      Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

  4. Oh no, I don’t mean a function, but a post.

    Where you write about a particular topic and include links to previous posts with descriptions of why you should read them. It is good for new readers as it encourages them to dive into your archives and the search engines love it too.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.