Cherry blossom viewing in Kawagoe

Kawagoe city is one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Japan. The city is also known as ‘’little edo” as the building facades and local attractions retain their old town ambiance. Kawagoe can be visited as a day trip from Tokyo and if looking for a less crowded place to enjoy sakura Kawagoe is the ideal place to visit.

How to get to Kawagoe from Tokyo

The easiest way to travel to Kawagoe is to take a direct train from Ikebukuro station. The Tobu Tojo line will take you to Kawagoe station and if you take a rapid liner it will take 26 minutes to arrive at Kawagoe station and it costs 850yen one way. There are travel passes you can purchase at Ikebukuro station if you prefer to travel by bus within Kawagoe city.

In my opinion the main attractions are walkable distance and at the same time you can see daily life of the Kawagoe community.

Where to see Sakura in Kawagoe

One of the ideal places to explore the Kawagoe cherry blossom is Shingashi river bank located near Kawagoe Hikawa shrine. It was quite a beautiful spot to enjoy Sakura and less crowded in comparison to Nakameguro. Also wait for the boat to arrive to capture nice photographs.

Also Renkeji temple is also a place to visit for Sakura viewing. The temple ground is surrounded with Sakura trees and it's also an ideal place to visit during cherry blossom season.

What else to do in Kawagoe

There were few places to explore in Kawagoe. I went to Hikawa Shrine after enjoying sakura near the river bank and walked towards candy alley and the warehouse district.

There are many street foods to try in the Kawagoe historical city area and if you are into Japanese confectionery you must try sweet potato confectionery and candies.

My trip to Kawagoe was a very short trip as I was planning to enjoy Sakura mostly. I have noticed many locals visit Kawagoe to spend the day enjoying food and the city. Finally it's a good place to visit as a half day trip and not far from Tokyo.