Kashiya Yokocho Tickets and Tours

From Tokyo: Kawagoe "Little Edo" Heritage Walking Tour

Kawagoe felt like stepping into old Edo

A great half-day escape from Tokyo. The old merchant streets with their black clay-tiled warehouses were beautifully preserved, and the bell tower area had real character, especially with the autumn leaves overhead. Our guide added good historical context along the way without dragging the pace. Streets were walkable and not too crowded, with plenty of spots to grab local snacks. Well worth it if you want a taste of old Japan without a long trip.

Kawagoe Walking: A Living Merchant Town — Streets, Sweets & Faith

Nice experience

We really appreciated Masa’s kind and interesting guidance. Many thanks!

Kawagoe Old Town Walking Tour from Tokyo

Highlight of our visit to Japan

We traveled from Tokyo to Kawagoe to take this tour and were fortunate to have Takao and Shim for our tour guides. We met them at the train station and spent the day in the delightful town of Kawagoe. We started at a Shinto Shrine where Takao explained the correct customs in visiting the shrine, and guided us in honoring them. While we were at the shrine, Shim went ahead to secure a place in line at the restaurant where we were eating lunch. When we got to the restaurant, we only had a short wait. Seeing the length of the line, we knew this would be good. The wagyu lunch did not disappoint. The beef was seasoned perfectly and incredibly tender, unbelievable taste.Takao and Shim guided us through the proper way to eat the meal which enhanced the experience. Great choice for lunch! After lunch we went to the spice shop where we were able to mix our own version of the local spices. I have a spinal cord injury and my right hand doesn’t work well. Takao and Shim stepped in to put my mixture into the take home bag for me. We then proceeded to Candy Alley where the candy is made behind the shops. I purchased many versions of the candy as we made our way out of the alley. I then realized that my husband had mentioned a coffee version, but I forgot to follow up and get some. Shim was gracious enough to go back to the shop and purchase a bag for me. This was above and beyond. We then made our way to the clock tower where Takao explained the history. We passed on the Sake portion of the tour since neither my husband or I drink alcohol. We then went to the shopping street which has shops in traditional old style Japan buildings. Takao and Shim then escorted us back to the train station and made sure that we knew where we needed to go to catch a train back to Tokyo. This was during Golden Week and it was crowded but Takao and Shim did a great job of coordinating our visit and making sure we got to experience everything we wanted. This tour ended up being a highlight of our visit to Japan. Many thanks to Takao and Shim!