Kawagoe is a small city about 20 miles slight north-west of Tokyo. It is best known as "Little Edo," Edo being the pre-1868 name for Tokyo, because it preserves much of the look and feel of old Tokyo lost in the 1923 earthquake, World War II, and modernization.
Kawagoe is well-known for the Kawagoe Matsuri (Festival), held on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday in October with its huge floats(up to 7.5 tonnes) paraded by groups of men straining under their weight, urged on by percussion and woodwind bands that compete with each other in what is called a "hikkawase," attempting to make the other team lose its beat.
There are numerous famous buildings in Kawagoe, most of them religious, including Narita-betsuin Temple, and the nearby Kita-in Temple with its mysterious collection of over 500 stone statues known as Gohyaku Rakan.
The center of the town is 10-15 minutes walk from the station down Crea Mall, where you can see the 16m high Toki-no-kane bell tower, the Kawagoe Festival Museum, the Kashiya Yokocho (Confectioner' Alley), and much more.
Read more here about Kawagoe.
Friday, July 23, 2010
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