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Japan Spring 2024 - Part 11 Kawagoe

Sakura in Kawagoe



 Kawagoe is an excellent day trip destination from Tokyo. Itā€™s not too far, easy access, and there is a pass you can get that covers round trip train rides from Tokyo and bus rides in Kawagoe. The discount passes can be purchased online, or you can get physical tickets at Ikebukuro Station. When got our passes, they also gave us a map of Kawagoe to navigate the points of interest. 



Upon arrival in Kawagoe, we alighted from the train and lined up for the bus. Since it was sakura season, we decided to check out their sakura street hoping that they were blooming. And they were! It was the perfect time that we were there and it turned out to be our favorite sakura viewing spot with a canal in between two rows of sakura trees. It was breathtaking. 









After weā€™ve had our fill of sakura vibes, we moved on to a nearby temple. It was busy, and it seemed like there was some sort of event going on there. At this temple you can pay to ā€˜fishā€™ your fortune, buy omamori (amulets) and charms. There were several weeping sakuras at the temple also blooming, which was nice to see for comparison.

Fish of fortune

Weeping cherry blossom


From the temple we continued walking in the direction of the train station. The next stop was Kashiya Yokocho, a little alley that sold a variety of food, a lot of them were local specialties. Kawagoe is known for their sweet potato varieties, so of course we had to try the sweet potato soft serve! They also had sweet potato chips that looked really appetizing but for our Indonesian tastebuds they were a bit bland.

Taiyaki

Glazed strawberry stick

Sweet potato soft serve

Sweet potato chips

Sweet potato cake
Across from the potato chip store, there was a little shop that sold second hand kimonos. I went to check it out and found pretty silk haoris for sale for super cheap. Of course, I had to get myself at least one! I had been wanting a kimono but a haori is much more practical. Cause where am I going to wear a kimono in Jakarta, right?

After Kashiya Yokocho, we walked further and strolled along the Kurazukuri street, also known as the Warehouse District. On this strip you will find cute Edo-style buildings. They used to be warehouses and shops in the old days, but now they are souvenir shops and food stalls. If you are a fan of Miffy, you will find an official Miffy store here. 

Kurazukuri Street


Just a few blocks over, you can find Koinobori Street, festively decorated with Koinobori, the fish-shaped windsock. It was almost sunset when we got there so the pictures were a bit dark. 

Koinobori Street

We continued walking back towards the station and passed by the Kumano Shrine, known for their stepping health road. Itā€™s a. Path made from pebbles where people can walk barefooted and stimulate the acupuncture points for health benefits. Their logo is a three-legged crow.





Closer to the station you will pass a shopping street, where I found a sakura jelly. Of course I had to buy it for Miss Kiki. Her mission this trip was to try all things sakura afterall.



The Kimono Shop across from sweet potato chips stall

My new haoris!

So that was our day in Kawagoe, we took the train back to Tokyo and had Ikinari Steak for dinnerā€¦ again. Speaking of Ikinari Steak, one just opened in Jakarta a few months ago. DH and I went to try it but it was not nearly as good. Oh well, I guess weā€™ll just eat it when weā€™re in Japan.

Up next is our visit to the bakery that sells Totoro cream puffs, please look forward to it!



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Location: Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan

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