Not far from Tokyo is a location that retains its Edo style. From the various shops and buildings, and even the local Starbucks, Kawagoe is known for it and is called “Little Edo”. And the fact that people don’t have to travel hours away to Kyoto to see these style of buildings is a major plus.
But the location has been a huge destination for foreign tourists.
According to an article from Sankei, “The number of foreign tourists visiting Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, which retains the atmosphere of Edo and is called Little Edo, is rapidly increasing”.
The article goes on to say, “According to the city’s estimates, the estimated value for 2025 is approximately 6.2 times that of the previous year. According to national statistics, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2015 was more than six times that of the previous year , but the number of foreign tourists visiting the city was almost double the record number, which was an unusual growth. The city says the reason for this sudden increase is ‘not clear'”.
Kawagoe City had a noticeable number of foreign tourists in late January. Kawagoe has an old townscape and a traditional Japanese atmosphere, and the “Toki no Kane” is especially popular in Indonesia.
One woman, who lives in Tokyo and works as a tourist guide said she doesn’t know why Toki no Kane has become so popular, she says, “Many people who come to Japan spend half their time shopping and the other half sightseeing. There are a lot of them”, she explained.
The city government explains the reason for the sudden increase in numbers by saying, “Kawagoe is easy to get to, about 30 minutes from Tokyo by train”.
The city has not commissioned any PR activities such as having foreign influencers introduce tourism in recent years, nor has it developed the city as a tourist destination, so the exact reason for the increase is unknown .
Although an increase in the number of tourists will lead to regional economic revitalization, there are also concerns that problems may arise due to overtourism.
While there are concerns that it could grow to the point of tourism like in Kyoto, for the most part, having traveled there to Kawagoe, it is quite comfortable and affordable to travel to Kawagoe from Tokyo. With JR Passes going up in price, people are now having to decide on whether or not its economical for them to purchase one. With Kawagoe being so close to Tokyo, it doesn’t cost that much at all.
But I also feel that there are a huge number of coffee fans who travel there to see a Starbucks in a different style of what they are used to seeing in their own country. Starbucks in Kawagoe gets a lot of people posing in front of their shop. It’s common to see, because like the Kyoto Starbucks, the Kawagoe Starbucks is a major attraction for its building aesthetic.
But the whole overall area of Kawagoe is fun to visit and to try the delicacies around the area and experience something not far from Tokyo is quite convenient. Kawagoe is definitely worth visiting!
