Kawagoe · Around the Kura-zukuri Street and Bell of Time
Kurazukuri Townscape (Ichibangai)
How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24
Photo: Aimaimyi・CC BY-SA 3.0
A street of black-plastered storehouse-style merchant houses with big roof-end tiles, about 30 of which still stand. It is Kawagoe's classic sight.
- Nearest station
- Tobu Bus to 'Ichibangai' stop from Kawagoe or Hon-Kawagoe
- Hours
- No hours listed for the street (each shop sets its own)
- Admission
- No admission charge listed (the tourist association page is marked 'free')
What to see
- Osawa House: built in 1792, the oldest shop on the street and a national Important Cultural Property. It survived the 1893 fire.
- Storehouse-style shops: look for the big roof-end tiles, black plaster walls and thick double doors. Each building is a little different.
- Former Saitama Resona Bank Kawagoe branch: an old Western-style building from 1918.
- Preservation district: designated a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1999.
History
The street was laid out by the domain lord Matsudaira Nobutsuna in the Edo period. Most of the fire-resistant storehouse-style shops were built after the great fire of 1893.
Getting there
Take a Tobu Bus from Kawagoe or Hon-Kawagoe Station to the 'Ichibangai' stop. No official walking time from the stations was listed.
Address：Saiwai-cho, Kawagoe, Saitama
Before you go
The city-run Kurazukuri Museum on the street is closed for earthquake-proofing work.
Map of sights in Kawagoe
Tap a red pin to open that sight's page.
Nearby sights
← Kawagoe guide: trains from Tokyo
Sources
Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.
- 川越市（蔵造りの町並み）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 小江戸川越観光協会（一番街）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 川越市蔵造り資料館（利用・交通のご案内）（checked 2026-10-24）
Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors