About one-third of the entire city of Kawagoe was burned to the ground in the great fire of 1893. The rebuilt houses weren’t only constructed from fireproof material but they all follow Japan’s beautiful “kurazukuri,” or warehouse-style architecture. They’re standing in Kawagoe to this very day, giving the city an intriguingly historic look. It almost feels like stepping back in time as you walk through the scenic streets – a characteristic that draws numerous fascinated Tokyoites and tourists to the town over and over again.

To become make the illusion of time travel perfect, you’ll need the proper attire. Head over to Coedo Vivian, a yukata rental specialty shop! The owner has been a stage actress a long time ago and hence knows everything about yukata and kimono, dressing you in the most professional way. From the yukata itself which is a lighter version of a kimono to the appropriate hairdo and accessories, everything is provided.

First, choose the color and pattern of your yukata. Then, add fitting accessories, such as a bag, shoes, decorations, and more.

Don’t worry about dressing – the skilled staff will do that for you. They’ll also knot the obi, the belt that holds the yukata in place, in a beautiful and unique way.

Various ornaments can be chosen to adorn your geisha-style hairdo and even people who sport short hair don’t have to miss out on that. Coedo Vivian offers wigs along with their rental kimono to make the illusion perfect – but only if you want to! The yukata rental costs 2,160 yen for women and 3,240 yen for men, with couple discounts being available as well! We highly recommend making a prior reservation.

Authentically clad in a yukata, let’s enjoy some traditional snacks while exploring Kawagoe. The city is especially known for sweet potato, called imo in Japanese, so we’ll encounter both sweet and savory snacks that focus on the yummy treat.

An absolute must-try in Kawage are Koedo Osatsuan’s osatsu chips, crunchy sweet potato chips that will leave you craving for more! Just looking at the big yet thin slices will make your mouth water!

And once you’ve taken the first bite, there’s no stopping until everything is gone. They come in various flavors, with the standard one being salt for 350 yen per serving. Every other flavor costs 390 yen.

Few things are better than ice cream, be it summer or winter. Kashou Umon doesn’t just serve any kind of ice cream but, of course, integrates Kawagoe’s famous sweet potato – the purple version!

A lot of people swear that purple sweet potato is even more delicious than the regular one, with a subtle sweetness that is not too overwhelming while still being flavorful. We highly recommend getting a sweet potato-vanilla soft serve mix, for the ultimate combination of flavors!

Being served with a bright smile makes the ice cream so much tastier!

Next to soft serve, Kashou Umon offers all sorts of sweet potato specialties and many of them make excellent souvenirs. One cone of soft serve is available for 300 yen.

Sweet potato rice cakes shaped like Japan’s famous onigiri is one of Kawagoe’s most popular snacks. Suisentei’s owner grows sweet potatoes himself but the problem is that they’re huge and thus hard to eat. So, he had the idea to cut them in the shape of onigiri rice balls! The delicious triangles are served without any added sugar or other flavors, so you get to enjoy the rich taste of sweet potato as authentically as possible.

The sweet potato cakes have a nice, firm texture and are of a gentle sweetness – knowing that the owner of the little shop grew each of them by himself makes them taste twice as good! Enjoy one cake for 180 yen, three for 500 yen, and six for 1,000 yen.

The owner is kind and fun, so if you can speak a little Japanese, don’t hesitate to talk to him!

Walking around in the atmospheric city of Kawagoe is a wonderful experience, but you’ll feel yourself getting tired after a while. The Japanese way to recharge your energies is by eating eel, Kawagoe’s other specialty!

Ogagiku is a long-established eel specialty shop that dates back to 1807! The current owner runs the restaurant in the seventh generation, so you’re in for a very traditional treat here. Equipped with table seats on both floors and even private rooms, kick back and enjoy one of the many classic eel dishes on Ogagiku’s extensive menu.

Our recommendation is the “unaju jo,” grilled eel that is served on rice in a lacquered box. “Jo” describes the size of the meal, large, with regular (“nami”) and extra-large (“toku”) also available. Regular costs 2,850 yen, large costs 3,400 yen, and extra-large costs 4,500 yen.

The restaurant uses only domestic eel of the highest quality – the flaky, juicy treat will melt on your tongue! We highly recommend seasoning the eel with a bit of Japanese pepper. That’ll give the classic meal a wonderful freshness.

Hikawa Shrine is a famous marriage shrine with a stunning scenery. Since ancient times, the shrine has been known to boost fortune in relationships, marriage, and family, as it enshrines not one but two couples of deities. Between July and September every year, Hikawa Shrine holds a beautiful festival in which the entire shrine grounds are decorated with over 2,000 Japanese wind chimes. It doesn’t only look beautiful – the summer soundscape of Hikawa Shrine is just as amazing.

The wind chime festival makes for wonderful photos and memories!

Apart from wind chimes, the shrine offers many charms throughout the year.

Omikuji, fortune-telling papers are available as well. At Hiwaka Shrine, they come in the form of little fish.

Another shrine must-buy is omamori, or lucky charms. Hikawa Shrine has particularly cute designs, so why not enhance your fortune in love and relationships with a little souvenir from Japan?

Off to Kashiya Yokocho! The street with the literal name “Candy Alley” is a nostalgic paradise filled with old-fashioned sweets shops. Not only hard candy and lollipops are available here, however. This scenic shopping street also offers lots of contemporary dessert creations that we urge you to try!

Just walking along the cobblestone road is a fun experience.
But also make sure to try your way through the various Japanese candy varieties!

Ashiyukisa Tsubakiya is a one-of-a-kind café that serves you amazing drink and dessert creations while you can relax your feet in an actual foot bath. Feel the water between your toes, sip on a cup of coffee, and gaze on the beautiful Japanese garden that sprawls out in front!

The café is actually behind a variety goods store called Tsubaki no Kura. Just enter the store regularly and proceed to the back!

With a Japanese yukata in a historic Japanese city, you’ll want to order Japanese sweets! We especially recommend anmitsu for 680 yen (tax excluded), a traditional dessert of sweet bean paste, fruits, and green tea ice cream or agar jelly. If you want to go full-out nostalgic, order a ramune (“lemonade,” 400 yen) along with the dessert and enjoy!

If you feel like venturing a bit further from Tokyo but still don’t want to spend the night, Kawagoe is an excellent place to visit for a day trip! Rich history and a uniquely Japanese atmosphere will make your visit unforgettable. The charm is Kawagoe is very likely to make you come back again! With every visit, there’s some snack you haven’t tried yet, a corner that you haven’t explored – we’ll see you in Kawagoe!