Kitain Temple
Kitain Temple (喜多院) is the spiritual heart of Kawagoe and the head temple of the Tendai Sect in the Kanto region. Its historical prestige is unmatched; following a devastating fire in 1638, the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, ordered the relocation of several palatial structures from Edo Castle to Kitain to aid in the rebuilding. Because the original Edo Castle was later obliterated by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the air raids of World War II, Kitain now houses the only surviving original structures of the Shogun’s former residence, including the very room where Iemitsu was born.
Beyond its architectural rarity, the temple is famous for the Gohyaku Rakan—an assembly of 538 stone statues representing the disciples of Buddha. Carved over five decades starting in 1782, no two statues are alike; each possesses a unique, often whimsical facial expression. A popular local legend suggests that if you touch the statues in the dark, the one that feels warm to the touch is the disciple that most closely resembles your own face. This mix of shogunate history and folk charm makes Kitain the most significant cultural stop in “Little Edo.”
| Visitor Information | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-20-1 Kosenbamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0036 (Google Maps) |
| Opening Hours | 8:50 AM – 4:30 PM (Closes at 4:00 PM Nov–Feb) |
| Price | Grounds: Free / Internal Buildings & Rakan: ¥400 |
| Website | Visit Website |
| Access | ||
|---|---|---|
| Station / Stop | Line / Bus | Access Details |
| Hon-Kawagoe Station | Seibu Shinjuku Line | A 15-minute walk to the temple grounds. |
| Kawagoe Station | JR Kawagoe Line / Tobu Tojo Line | A 20-minute walk or a short ride on the Koedo Loop Bus. |
| Kitain-mae | Koedo Loop Bus | The bus stop is located directly outside the temple entrance. |