Kawagoe Historic Trail

Kawagoe Historical Trail
Introduction
Kawagoe City
Kawagoe City, or “Koedo” (“Small Edo”) offers traditional styled buildings, including some
historical sites, such as a preserved warehouse formerly used to store tobacco, a bell
tower, temples, shrines, and some of the original structures of Kawagoe Castle, an
important base of operations for the Hōjō clan, and, later, the birthplace of Iemitsu
Tokugawa, the third Tokugawa Shogun. Kawagoe City also has the famous “Kashiya
Yokocho,” or “Candy Store Side Street,” where many traditional Japanese candy stores sell
a multitude of interesting sweets and snacks.
Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes, and at many places in the city, products
made from sweet potatoes are sold, such as sweet potato chips, sweet potato
coffee, and even sweet potato beer.
It will be handy to carry a compass, as there will be references to general directions
throughout this guide.
Getting There
This trail starts at Hon Kawagoe Station (本川越駅), on the Seibu Shinjuku Line (西
武新宿線) which is accessible from Seibu Shinjuku Station (西武新宿駅) and
Takadanobaba Station (高田馬場駅) on the JR Yamanote Line.
It is also possible to start this trail from Kawagoe-shi Station (川越市駅) on the Tōbu
Tōjō Line (東武東上線), accessible from Ikebukuro Station (池袋駅). Kawagoe-shi
Station is approximately a 10 minute walk from Hon Kawagoe Station.
Time Required
This trail is approximately 4.5 kilometers long and, depending upon time spent at
each site, can be planned a half-day or full-day excursion including lunch.
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Temples, Shrines, Castles
Nakain (中院)
The Nakain (full name Tendai shu Bekkaku Motoyamanaka In, or “Extraordinary Tendai
Buddhist Temple in Motoyama”) used to be known as “Muryoukotobukiji, the Mawashino
Mountain Buddhist Site” (星野山無量寿寺仏地院), and until Tenkai became the head
priest of the Kitain, was the main religious center of the area. The mother of Toson
Shimazaki, a famous author, is buried here. The Nakain is also famous for its sakura
blossoms and its leaves. Sayama Tea Leaves were originally from the Nakain grounds, but
were only grown here until about thirty years ago.
Toshogu Shrine (東照宮)
The Toshogu in Kawagoe is not the main branch. The main Toshogu is located in Nikko.
Hidetada and Iemitsu Tokugawa, Ieyasu's son and grandson, respectively, built the Toshogu
Shrine to enshrine their ancestor. The various branches of the Toshogu Shrine were built so
that many people would be able to visit, instead of having to make their way to Nikko.
This particular Toshogu Shrine, officially called Senba Toshogu (仙波東照宮), was built in
the tenth year of the Kanei period (1633). Five years later, it burned down in the “Great
Kanei Fire,” but was rebuilt and finished in the seventeenth year of the Kanei Period
(1640). All the torii gates are considered historical sites of great importance.
From Toshogu Shrine, continue south and you will see the Nakain (中院), which was one
of the inner buildings of Kawagoe Castle, where members of the ruling family other than
the Daimyo himself lived.
Kitain (喜多院)
Built by Jikaku, a high priest, in the seventh year of the Tencho Period (830), Kitain is a
famous temple of the Tendai school of Buddhism. The full name is Hoshinosan Muryo Ji
(星野山無量寿寺喜多院). During the beginning of the Edo Period, the high priest Tenkai
was the head priest of Kitain, which also had on its premises buildings built for the
caretakers of Iemitsu Tokugawa when he was young. Kitain has many historically
significant artifacts, which not only represent the history and culture of Kawagoe, but of
Saitama Prefecture as well.
Tenkai was a consultant to the first three Tokugawa Shogun, and the twenty-seventh head
priest of Kitain. In the fourteenth year of the Kanei Period (1638) Kitain burned down, and
as the relationship between Tenkai and the Tokugawa Shogunate was very good, a canal
was built to send replacement buildings from Edo Castle itself. Among these buildings
were the Kyaku Den (客殿), in which Iemitsu Tokugawa was born, and the Sho In (書院), in
which the caretakers for the young Iemitsu Tokugawa prepared their makeup.
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Due to the Tokugawa family’s strong connections with the Kitain, many of the buildings
are considered heritage sites. One more interesting thing to note is that throughout the
site, there are 540 stone statues that capture various human emotions.
Honmaru Goten (本丸御殿)
Built in the first year of the Kaei Period (1848) by the Matsudaira Family in a
Samurai Class style. The Matsudaira Family, earning seventeen thousand koku (koku
is a measurement of cost based on the amount of rice an average family could
survive one year on, with one being equal to 180 liters) per year, spent some of
their money to build Kawagoe Castle, which was a relatively large castle for the
time. The Honmaru Goten itself is one of two remaining large buildings of the
original palace.
Hikawa Shrine (氷川神社)
Hikawa Shrine’s Torii gate stands 15 meters tall. The writing on the plaque was done by
Kaishuu Katsu (勝海舟), the last naval commander of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hikawa
Shrine itself was built in the thirteenth year of the Tempo Period (1842) by the Matsudaira
family as a branch of the Hikawa Shrine in Oomiya. Due to its historic architecture, it was
chosen as a Saitama Prefecture Heritage Site in the thirty-first year of the Meiji Period
(1896). The Hikawa Shrine puts on the Kawagoe Festival every year.
From Hikawa Shrine, continue east, and turn right at the first corner. After passing one
intersection, the street will end. Turn left, and on your left, there are two museums: the
Kawagoe Shiritsu Bijutsukan (川越市立美術館) and the Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan
(川越市立博物館) which are the Prefectural Art and Historical Museums, respectively. The
Historical Museum was built on the site of the old secondary palace in the image of the
kura warehouses in the second year of the Heisei Period (1990), and the Art Museum was
built on December First, in the 14th year of the Heisei Period (2002), which was the 80th
anniversary of Kawagoe being established as a city. Turn right at the first corner, and on
your left will be the Honmaru Goten (本丸御殿), the primary palace building.
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Kurazukuri Town
Kashiya Yokocho (菓子屋横丁)
Kashiya Yokocho Street is easy to recognize with its tiled street with colored glass
and twenty-two candy shops. The street itself turns to the right halfway down it.
Kashiya Yokocho was started at the beginning of the Meiji period by Tozaemon
Suzuki (鈴木藤左衛門) as a small entrance area to the Youjyuuin (養寿院) Temple.
The area flourished by the beginning of the Showa period (1926 to 1989), having
around 70 stores, because of the destruction of many businesses in Tokyo in the
Great Kanto Earthquake. However, due to the war and the changes it brought, the
number of stores in Kashiya Yokocho decreased significantly. Kashiya Yokocho is in
the Japanese Ministry of the Environment’s top 100 experiences.
Toki no Kane Bell Tower (時の鐘)
Considered the “symbol of Kawagoe,” the Toki no Kane Bell Tower is found right off
Ichiban Gai. Built about 400 years ago, the bell was used to tell the surrounding
town the time. The current tower is the 4th, having been built after the fire in the
26th year of the Meiji Period (1891). It was considered so important, in fact, that
after the fire, merchants of the area paid to have it rebuilt before any of their own
shops. The bell rings four times a day, at 6:00 am, noon, 3:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. The
Toki no Kane Bell Tower is in the Japanese Ministry of the Environment’s top 100
experiences.
Ichiban Gai (一番街)
The black colouring of the walls was a fashionable housing style during the Edo
period. The oldest building in Ichiban Gai is the Oosawa Family House (大沢家住
宅), built in the fourth year of the Kansei Period (1792). During the Edo Period, the
Daimyo Nobutsuna Matsudaira (松平信綱) made this area into a merchant-oriented
street. Due to the high danger of fires at that time, Matsudaira encouraged buildings
with tiled roofs rather than thatched roofs, and warehouses made of mud, rather
than wood. This influence can be seen today in the architecture of the buildings. As
many merchants worked in Kawagoe, trade relations with the capital of Edo were
very strong. Although many of the mud warehouses, called “dozo” (土蔵), in Tokyo
were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, Kawagoe still has
around 30. Kawagoe is called “Ko Edo” (“Little Edo”) because the area still looks
like Tokyo during the Edo period.
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Hikawa Shrine
Kawagoe City
Museum
Kashi-ya Yokocho
Osawa-ke Jutaku
Kawagoe Festival
Museum
Honmaru Goten
Toki no Kane Bell Tower
Kita-in
Naka-in
Hon-Kawagoe Station
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Hon-Kawagoe Station
to
Naka-in / Tosho-gu / Kita-in (1)
Exit from Hon-Kawagoe
Station and turn left (passing
the Pe-Pe department store).
Keep walking to the first
Traffic Light – you’ll pass a
Koban (police box) and a
large map of the city.
Hon-Kawagoe Station
to
Naka-in / Tosho-gu / Kita-in (2)
Along the way, look for the
directional signs in Japanese
and English.
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Hon-Kawagoe Station
to
Naka-in / Tosho-gu / Kita-in (3)
Turn RIGHT at the Traffic
Light in the direction of the
Kita-in (喜多院).
You will pass a MitsubishiTokyo UFJ Bank on the left.
Keep walking past the first
Traffic Light at Torimachi (通
町) (look for the ENEOS gas
station on the left and the
Hon-Kawagoe Station
to
Naka-in / Tosho-gu / Kita-in (4)
Keep walking to the next
Traffic Light (unnamed).
There is a large orange sign
on your left pointing toward
the Kita-in (喜多院).
Turn RIGHT at this
intersection toward the high
school, and walk a block to
the entrance of the Nakain(中院) on your right side.
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Naka-in
to
Tosho-gu (5)
Exit Naka-in (中院) and turn
left, back to the intersection
with the orange sign, keep
walking straight on this street
and very soon you will find
the entrance to Toshogu (東
照宮) on your left.
Tosho-gu (6)
Enter through the main gate
to the Tosho-gu (東照宮)
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Tosho-gu (7)
Walk through the torii gate
and up the stairs to visit the
Tosho-gu, one of several
shrines constructed in
memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu,
the first shogun and unifier of
Japan.
Tosho-gu
to
Kita-in (6)
Walk down the stairs toward
the torii gate, and walk
toward the left passing the
gift shop/snack stand. This
path leads to you Kita-in（喜
多院).
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Kita-in (9)
The Kita-in is the main
temple of the Tendai sect in
the Kanto area, founded in
830 A.D. The 27th abbot of
the temple, Tenkai, was an
adviser to the first three
Tokugawa shoguns.
Located on the right side of
the main temple building are
the kyaku-den and sho-in
buildings - the only
remaining original structures
from Edo Castle – including
the room where Tokugawa
Iemitsu, the third shogun,
was born.
Next to the gift shop is a
small area where you’ll find
538 statues of rakan, or
disciples of the Buddha,
expressing a wide range of
emotions and activities.
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Kawagoe City
Museum
Kita-in
to
Honmaru Goten (10)
Exit the Kita-in from the side of
the gift shop and walk straight
(north) for about three blocks
to a Traffic Signal (unnamed).
Honmaru
Goten
Turn RIGHT and walk to the next
Traffic Light, (喜多院入り口) and turn
LEFT.
You should see a diagonal
street on your left leading to an
intersection of about five small
streets. Facing NORTH, you
should see three streets
running north – take the one in
the middle.
After about three blocks, you’ll
come to a T-intersection: turn
RIGHT, then walk to the next
street and turn LEFT.
Walk past two streets and you
should see the entrance to
Hon-maru Goten (Kawagoe
Castle) on your left.
Kita-in
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Honmaru Goten
to
Kawagoe City Museum (10)
Honmaru Goten are the
original structures built in
1848 and the last remaining
of the original 16 buildings
that comprised the Honmaru
complex within Kawagoe
Castle. These buildings are
some of the best-preserved
examples of the Goten-style
of castle architecture in Japan.
As you exit the Honmaru
Goten, turn LEFT and you will
see the Kawagoe City
Museum and the Kawagoe Art
Museum at the end of the
street.
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Kawagoe Museums
to
Hikawa Shrine
Exit the museum, turn RIGHT,
and then turn RIGHT onto the
street next to the Kawagoe Art
Museum.
You’re now walking north
toward the Hikawa Shrine –
you should be able to see a
tall building with a sign (氷川
会館) (Hikawa Kaikan) on top,
which is next to the shrine.
After a few blocks, you’ll
come to a large street – cross
this street and turn LEFT.
You’ll see the 15-meter high
Torii gate of the Hikawa
Shrine on your right side, next
to the tall building (Hikawa
Kaikan).
Note: this is the view of the 15-meter high
Torii gate of the Hikawa Shrine and the
Hikawa Kaikan from inside the shrine grounds
facing East (i.e., the reverse of what you’ll see
as you approach from the East)
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Hikawa Shrine to Ichiban-gai
(Kurazukuri/Kashi-ya Yokocho)
Exit the Hikawa Shrine and turn
RIGHT on the large street.
Walk straight and turn LEFT at the
second Traffic Light.
You’re now on the main street of the
Kurazukuri area of Kawagoe.
Walk straight past the Traffic Light at
Fudano Tsuji (札の辻) and you’ll find
the Osawa-ke Jyutaku on your left
side, about five buildings past the
intersection.
Osawa-ke Jyutaku is the oldest
surviving kurazukuri-style merchant
shop in Kawagoe. For a small
admission fee, you can visit the
second story of the building.
Across the street from the Osawa-ke
Jyutaku is the Kawagoe Matsui
(Festival) Museum.
The Kawagoe Matsuri is held annually
in October and features two-story tall
carts created using traditional shrine
building techniques. Many of the
carts feature a revolving stage for
musicians and costumed dancers.
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Kawagoe Festival Museum
to
Kashiya-yokocho
Exit the Kawagoe Festival
Museum and go toward the
back, passing the museum’s
parking lot and public toilet
to the small street.
Turn LEFT on this street in the
direction of the Kashi-ya
Yokocho (Candy Shop Alley).
At the second corner, turn
RIGHT onto a very small
alley, and you should see a
variety of traditional candy
shops.
Kashi-ya Yokocho
to
Toki-no-Kane Bell Tower
As you exit the Kashi-ya
Yokocho, turn RIGHT, then
take the first LEFT. You should
emerge back on the main
street, Ichiban-gai.
Turn RIGHT on Ichiban-gai,
and keep walking – you’ll see
other kurazukuri-style
building, the Toki-no-Kane
bell tower, and the Kurazukuri
Museum.
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Kawagoe Historical Trail
Ichiban-gai
to
Hon-Kawagoe Station
Keep walking South on Ichiban-gai
and you’ll return to Hon-Kawagoe
Station, where you can catch a train
back to Tokyo.
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