Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県) lies south of Tokyo Metropolis and offers many good day trips for visitors to the…

Chiba

Chiba Prefecture (千葉県) lies to the east of Tokyo Metropolis. Much of the area of the Chiba is…

Winter Wonder Festival

Semi-annual exhibition of “garage kits” or resin models of anime, manga, and video game characters. The models—some made…

Summer Wonder Festival

Semi-annual exhibition of “garage kits” or resin models of anime, manga, and video game characters. The models—some made…

Nogi Shrine

Small shrine established in 1923 made famous by the suicide of General Nogi Maresuke and his wife Nogi Shizuko in 1912.

Kitain Temple

Temple rebuilt from the only surviving remains of Edo Castle famous also for its 538 statues of the Rakan, disciples of the Buddha.

Honmaru Goten of Kawagoe Castle

The only surviving structure of Kawagoe Castle, once a key strategic defense points for Edo.

Kashiya Yokocho

“Penny Candy Alley” is a street lined with about 20 shops selling traditional Japanese sweets and candy. Kawagoe is known for its sweet potatoes which are cut into sticks, fried, and salted.

Kawagoe Kurazukuri Museum

Housed in one of the warehouses, this small museum displays the tools used by the merchants and provides a glimpse into life in Kawagoe during the Edo period. Limited amount to see inside, but worth stopping in at as you wander down the street.

Toki no Kane Bell Tower

Toki no Kane Bell Tower is one of the most prominent structures in the warehouse district. It rings four times a day at 6am, noon, 3pm, and 6pm.

Owakudani

Crater formed about 3,000 years ago from a volcanic explosion famous for its bubbling pools and steam vents. Kuro-tamago (“black eggs”), which are boiled in the volcanic pools and sold to tourists, are said to increase life-expectancy by seven years.

Hakone Sekisho

Key checkpoint during the Edo Period on the Tokaido—the main route which connected Edo and Kyoto.