Kawagoe sweet potato treats川越のさつまいもグルメ
Kawagoe is known for sweet potatoes, sold as snacks, sweets and soft-serve along the old streets.
Kanto
Saitama Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Tokyo’s northern neighbour, with the old merchant town of Kawagoe, the mountains and festivals of Chichibu, and Nagatoro’s river gorge.
Open Saitama on the map42 places on the map · 12 local favourites
Local tips
- TipChichibu is a comfortable trip from Ikebukuro on the Seibu limited express.
- TipKawagoe’s warehouse street gets packed on weekends; a weekday morning is far calmer.
- Heads upSaitama summers are fiercely hot — Kumagaya is known as one of Japan’s hottest cities — so plan indoor breaks.
- DoSee the pink moss phlox at Hitsujiyama Park in spring, or Chichibu’s night festival with lit floats and fireworks in early December.
- TipHidden gem: the huge underground flood channel in Kasukabe, nicknamed the “underground temple”, offers guided tours by reservation.
What to eat
Waraji katsuわらじかつ
Chichibu’s thin, oversized pork cutlets dipped in sweet sauce, named for their sandal-like shape.
Soka senbei草加せんべい
Crunchy grilled rice crackers brushed with soy sauce, a speciality of Soka city.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Omiya Minami Ginza
大宮南銀座 NightlifeA dense nightlife strip by Omiya Station, packed with izakaya, standing bars and yakitori joints. Loud, cheap and very local.
● Mostly localsSaitama Traditional Crafts Center, Ogawa
埼玉伝統工芸会館 ShoppingExperiencesA crafts centre in Ogawa, whose Hosokawa washi paper is UNESCO-listed. Watch papermaking and try making your own sheet.
● Mostly localsSeiun Shuzo, Ogawa
晴雲酒造 Local FoodA family sake brewery in the washi-paper town of Ogawa, with a shop and tastings in a traditional building.
● Mostly localsChichibu Meisen Museum
ちちぶ銘仙館 ShoppingSights & HistoryAn old textile testing house showing Chichibu's colourful meisen silk, with weaving and dyeing experiences and a shop.
● Mostly localsNakatsukyo Gorge
中津峡 Nature & SceneryA deep, remote gorge in the Chichibu mountains, famous locally for autumn colour on the cliffs.
● Mostly localsTokorozawa Aviation Museum
所沢航空発祥記念館 ExperiencesAn aviation museum on the site of Japan's first airfield, with historic aircraft and flight simulators.
● Mostly localsIwatsuki Ningyo Museum
さいたま市岩槻人形博物館 Sights & HistoryA museum of Japanese dolls in Iwatsuki, a town famous for doll-making, with fine hina and Edo-period dolls.
● Mostly localsTamagawa Onsen, Tokigawa
玉川温泉 Hot SpringsA day-bathing spa in Tokigawa styled like a nostalgic Showa-era town, with retro décor and alkaline baths.
● Mostly localsYoshimi Hyakuana
吉見百穴 Sights & HistoryA hillside honeycombed with ancient tomb caves, next to a wartime underground factory tunnel. A strange, memorable stop.
● Mostly localsOgose Bairin
越生梅林 Nature & SceneryOne of Kanto's classic plum groves, with hundreds of trees along a river in the hills of Ogose.
● Mostly localsJigen Kakigori, Kumagaya
慈げん Local FoodA tiny kakigori shop in Kumagaya, one of Japan's hottest cities, serving mountains of fluffy shaved ice with homemade syrups.
● Mostly localsSakitama Kofun Park
さきたま古墳公園 Sights & HistoryA park of ancient burial mounds in Gyoda, several of which you can climb. An iron sword with gold inscription found here is a National Treasure.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Kawagoe Warehouse District
川越 蔵造りの町並み Sights & HistoryKawagoe's street of heavy black clay-walled merchant warehouses, nicknamed Little Edo, with the wooden Toki no Kane bell tower just off it.
Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja
川越氷川神社 Temples & GoshuinchoA Kawagoe shrine popular for love charms and its tunnel of wind chimes in summer.
Hitsujiyama Park
Nature & SceneryHitsujiyama Park in Chichibu, Saitama is famous for its sweeping fields of shibazakura (moss phlox), which bloom in vivid pink and white carpets each spring, making it…
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
Temples & GoshuinchoA beloved Shinto shrine in Kawagoe known for its romantic atmosphere and beautifully decorated wind chime festivals. It is a highlight of any Kawagoe day trip and a…
Kinchakuda Manjushage Park
Nature & SceneryA beloved park in Saitama Prefecture famous for its stunning seasonal blooms of red spider lilies (manjushage/higanbana), drawing huge crowds each autumn. It is…
Hodosan Shrine
Temples & GoshuinchoNature & SceneryA well-known Shinto shrine located in the western area of Saitama, often celebrated for its beautiful seasonal flowers and scenic surroundings. It is considered a…
Mitsumine Jinja
三峯神社 Temples & GoshuinchoA mountain shrine deep in the Chichibu forests with a rare three-part torii and wolf guardian statues. A famous power spot.
Kashiya Yokocho, Kawagoe
菓子屋横丁 Local FoodA short lane of old-style candy shops in Kawagoe selling sweet-potato treats, hard candy and dagashi snacks.
Souvenirs to bring home
Soka senbei, Kawagoe sweet-potato sweets and Sayama green tea are classic souvenirs.
When to go
Spring and autumn are most comfortable, and early December brings the Chichibu Night Festival; avoid midsummer heat for walking tours.