Kawagoe is northwest of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture. It’s from the Edo period (17th century through half of the 19th century) and it is known for its old clay warehouses and merchant homes.
Most of the old town was destroyed by a fire in 1893. A lot of structures were rebuilt in the same style. In 1922, Kawagoe merged with Senba Village and was elevated to city status
The city was largely spared damage from WW2 and is very popular with tourists today wanting to get a glimpse of the past. Lots of Japanese wear traditional dress when visiting. The city has expanded through the years by annexing villages. In 1999 the old area of Kawagoe was designated a Historic Preservation District.
Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes and shops sell sweet potato ice cream, beer, coffee and other snacks. It’s also famous for it’s Time Bell Tower, originally built in the 1600’s. It’s been rebuilt several times.
