Koedo-kawagoe

Kawagoe was very prosperous in the Edo period and was called "Little Edo". Because it was not damaged by war, many quaint old buildings and streets were left. Today, it takes less than an hour's drive from the international metropolis of Tokyo to "travel" back to the Edo period 400 years ago and experience the dreamy feeling of stepping back in time. The building complex of "Zangzao" is located on both sides of the main street of Kawagoe, and the buildings called "Zangzao" are row upon row. These ancient houses are built with wood and about 30 cm thick stucco. Fire protection has allowed these buildings to survive to this day. They still retain structures such as animal tile roofs, black lacquered walls, and thick doors facing left and right. From a distance, they seem to be different, but a careful person will find that each building has a different structure. From the window on the second floor of the Kurozoku Museum, you can see the clock tower and the main street of Kawagoe. The clock tower is a landmark of Kawagoe, known as the "clock of time", and you can witness the scene of the chiming stick automatically beating the huge clock. In addition to watching the clock tower and listening to the bell, it is also a pleasure to visit the shops on both sides of the street. Many of Kawagoe's long-established restaurants were founded in the Edo period, including sweet potato shops selling Kawagoe's famous products, eel shops, and Japanese pancake shops. Fruit House Yokocho is located in Kawagoe. Besides Ichiban Street, another interesting place is Fruit House Yokocho. It is located on the west side of First Street, a street with more than 20 traditional Japanese sweets shops. Every holiday season, these candy shops are crowded with tourists picking out candy.