Nihon Sun » Kawagoe

Day Trips From Tokyo

Shane Sakata — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:00:15 +0000

I’m off to Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture today – it’s just one of a few great day trips that can be made using Tokyo as a base. Many of these places can be explored in a day but if you have time you may want to consider staying the night at a hotel or ryokan (traditional Japanese accommodations) and exploring at a slower pace over two days.

Kamakura is home to a number of beautiful temples and shrines with histories that date back centuries as well as beautiful beaches and a giant Buddha Statue know as Daibutsu.

Yokohama is also located in Kanagawa Prefecture and is home to one of the world’s largest Chinatown’s and a thoroughly modern port area, Minato Mirai, where you can shop, eat and get a great view of Yokohama Bay from the Ferris wheel or the Landmark Tower.

Nikko is home to one of Japan’s UNESCO World heritage sites and is approximately a two hour train ride from Tokyo in Tochigi Prefecture. See the elaborate carvings on the ancient shrines and escape the heat of a a Tokyo summer in the mountains of this stunning landlocked area.

Kawagoe is located in Saitama Prefecture and is nicknamed “Little Edo”. This town is famous for it’s traditional Japanese warehouses and a quaint old fashioned atmosphere. You will find over 500 statues of Buddha on the grounds of the Kitain Temple and a candy lane where you can peruse and sample all sorts of Japanese candy.

If you want to be further afield be sure to peruse our regional Japan travel series for inspiration. From north to south, Hokkaido to Okinawa, you will find great sights to add to your itinerary and events to plan your trip around – if you sample the foods of each area as you travel about hungry our companion regional foods of Japan will help you do just that!

Image Credit: Flickr, Japan0105.15, Nikko – Toshogu, Mt. Fuji from Yokohama & Kura in Kawagoe

The Kawagoe Candy Maker

Shane Sakata — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:00:00 +0000

This past fall my husband and I made a day trip to Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture, about an hour outside of Tokyo. It was a splendid day and a holiday which lent a festive atmosphere to the streets with crowds and special vendors all about. As we wandered through the quaint town, also known as "Little Edo", we stopped to admire the old Japanese storehouses and lovely shops and we made in a point to see the Gohyaku-Rakan (500 statues of Buddha’s disciples) and Kashi-ya Yokocho or Confectioner’s Alley.

This gentleman above was shaping warm sugar into candy along Kashi-ya Yokocho and we couldn’t help but stop for a moment to see what he was going to create. He started with a blue ball of sugar atop a stick which he kneaded, pulled and then carefully shaped into a swirling s-shaped pattern. We weren’t sure just what the end result would be so we watched with the others who had curiously gathered around his colorful booth.

He kept us in anticipation until he pulled out a small tool and further sculpted the sugar – he had stretched and shaped the sugar into a fantastical blue dragon that was much to stunning to eat!

It was a great day, and I hope to have an excuse to make the trip to Kawagoe again soon.

The image above is a diptych (two images in one) and was inspired by a photography project suggested by Japanorama.

Kawagoe Buddha Statuary

Shane Sakata — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:41 +0000

This past weekend my husband and I made the almost two hour trip from Chiba Prefecture to Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture. Nicknamed “Little Edo” this town is famous for it’s traditional architecture and a quaint old fashioned atmosphere. We spent an enjoyable afternoon wandering about the town and ended up at Kitain Temple where 540 statues representing the disciples of Buddha can be found.

The statues were carved between 1782 and 1825 and no two are alike. Some believe that if you visit the statues in the dark of night you will find only one that is warm to the touch and if you mark it and return the next day you will find the statue that most represents yourself.

My husband claims that this statue bears a resemblance to the Hunchback of Notre Dame – what do you think?

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

Image Credit: Personal Collection