What was it that drew me to Kawagoe? Well, it was a short hop and skip on the train: 30 minutes from Yokohama to Shinjuku, and then 60 minutes on the JR Kawagoe line from Shinjuku to Kawagoe. The Japanese train system is a breeze to use.
The tourist literature declares Kawagoe to be a town with a long history, from the Edo period no less. There are many candy shops and sweet shops in the Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Shop Alley) and each shop has a unique method of producing those sweets. My sweet tooth aside, I needed to buy some crackers for a loved one. There is also the Kurazukuri Zone (the old storehouse zone) where the area is lined with buildings of traditional architecture (Kurazukuri) that takes the visitors back in time. Sounds interesting.
On arrival, a very friendly Japanese man (most Japanese in the service industry are noted for their friendliness) at the the Tourist Information Centre at the station explained to me the routes and logistics of getting to the places that I wanted to see, including where to catch the loop bus and the the timetable for the bus. Everywhere I go, the Japanese have made me feel welcome.
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| Entrance to Kita-in Temple, Kawagoe |
First stop was the Kita-in Temple. This temple possesses many cultural assets such as buildings that were relocated from the Edo Castle. More importantly the 27th head priest of the temple was trusted by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the temple became specially protected by the regime. Such was the close tie between religion and power.
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| 500 Buddhas, Kita-in Temple, Kawagoe |
Within the grounds of the Temple are 540 stone Buddhas that display all sorts of human emotions. According to legend, there is a warm body among these stone statues if you go there at night and touch them. How fascinating.
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| Snack shop, Kita-in Temple, Kawagoe |
There were a few snack shops within the Temple ground. Most of them sold the local delicacy of roasted sweet potatoes. On the day I bought a stick of what appeared to be fish balls but they turned out to be some flour-based lumps that tasted of nothing but left a aftertaste of glue in my mouth.
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| Kawagoe Art Museum |
Everywhere I go, I make a point of visiting the local Art Museum. But the Kawagoe Art Museum was a huge disappointment. The permanent exhibition was on one floor, with forgettable exhibits. No wonder the place was empty. I broke my own principle of avoiding places that are empty.
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| A display at the Kawagoe Museum |
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| Kurazukuri Zone, Kawagoe, after most of the tourists were gone |
I had high hopes of the Kurazukuri Zone, but it turned out to be a tourist trap. I was attracted to the architectural detail of the roof with black plaster and learned that these buildings were resistant to fire because roof tiles were used. Only thirty or so of these buildings remain and most of the Kurazukuri were built after the Kawagoe Great Fire in 1893.
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| Candy Shop Alley, Kawagoe |
The Candy Shop Alley was buzzing with tourists, all buying. Here, I encountered a Japanese trait that is unforgettable. I bought a bottle of cold water from a vending machine and forgot to pick up the change. A man ran after me to hand me back the change. This not the first time that things were handed back to me. At Narita airport, a young girl ran after me to return me my black leather jacket that I left behind in a toilet cubicle.
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| Unique selling point, Candy Shop Alley, Kawagoe |
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| A home made refrigerator |
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Kimono-clad visitors, Kawagoe
The women were buying some
rather expensive lacquer hair accessories |
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| A quiet corner, Kawagoe |
All in all, it was a pleasant day out. Would I be taken by tourist literature again? You bet. Would I visit Kawagoe again? No.
