Koedo Kurari is a small shopping area with food and souvenirs housed in three former sake breweries. They host several events and markets throughout the year. At New Year, they generally have a small New Year market on January 3rd as well as live Taiko performances, known as the New YearRead More →
Thank you for 2022, Toshikoshi and Toshikoshi Oharai and Happy New Year – the year of the rabbit. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership and support in 2022. Thanks to you, “In Saitama” had its best year yet, in its 16 year historyRead More →
Hatsu hinode is the wonderful Japanese tradition of watching the first sunrise of the New Year. Only three sleeps to go! Until we embrace the New Year with a crisp start! Because whenever we can, we start our New Year in the freezing cold of dawn to watch the firstRead More →
New in 2022 in Kawagoe: Kawagoe Baum Lab by Fueki Shoyu I’ve been sharing – or rather trying to share – some of the dozens of new eateries that opened in Kawagoe during the pandemic. There’s just not enough hours in the day! Kawagoe Baum Lab actually opened in theRead More →
As a very special treat for the 100 year anniversary of the municipality of Kawagoe, the main hall of the Senba Toshogu is open to the public for the first time in more than 70 years. The shrine is normally only open on Sundays. Moreover, on Sundays while you canRead More →
For the first time in three years – Kawagoe Yabusame. I am no expert on yabusame, by any means. But as far as I am aware the yabusame in Moroyama is the most famous in Saitama Prefecture and this one in Kawagoe is small and lesser known. Even though IRead More →
The remains of Fujimi turret, also known as the Mt. Fuji Viewing Tower, are a historical landmark in Kawagoe. They are located relatively near to Miyoshino Shrine and Honmaru Goten. The very first time I visited Kawagoe, approximately 20 years ago, I traveled from Ibaraki with my then neighbor andRead More →
Dozens of new places have opened up in Kawagoe during the pandemic, but few have created as much as a social media frenzy as the Miffy Storehouse Kitchen and Bakery on Ichibangai. Ichibangai is the main thoroughfare of the tourist area of Kawagoe and the bakery / shop has aRead More →
The advertisement for the 2022 Kawagoe Tojin Soroi festival says ‘for the first time in 3 years’. But the festival was actually on in part in 2021. However, there was no parade and that is typically the main feature of the festival. This year will be more like a usualRead More →
You can find one of the official top 100 Natural Scenic Spots of Saitama, a manjushage* colony, in Kawagoe. It is on the outskirts of Kawagoe in an area called Hiratsuka Shinden. It is located along the Iruma river, between Ochiai bridge on route 254 and Hiratsuka bridge on routeRead More →