Kawagoe

Last Sunday we visited Kawagoe (about 30min north of Tokyo).
The city is also known as "Little Edo" (Koedo) after the old name for Tokyo, "Edo".

The old town is very picturesque with its Kura-style buildings (old storehouses) and impressive windows and roofs.





Along the main street you can find many shops like this one, proposing local sweets or handcrafts.






Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes, and on the local "Candy Street" (actually I'd rather call it candy "corner") one can find such treats as sweet potato chips, sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer.

As you may imagine, "little Edo" has numerous temples and shrines. Here, the beautiful entrance to one of them (unfortunately I don't remember its name).













I do remember the "foot massage shrine" though.
Stones and pebbles of various sizes are arranged along the alley leading to the shrine, and one has to walk on them with bare feet.
Needless to say, I couldn't make it (yes, I'm a sissy, and it hurt).


As for the modern part of Kawagoe, well, it looks like a typical Japanese city. With more lanterns, maybe.

For a web page on Kawagoe, it's here.