[Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Travel Guide] Feel the Charm of Japan at a Famous Matchmaking Shrine

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is said to have been founded in 541.
After Kawagoe Castle was built in 1457, it was revered by successive castle lords as the guardian deity of the castle town and the main tutelary shrine (protective deity) of the domain, and even in the Edo period (1603–1868), it was respected by successive lords of Kawagoe.
People in the castle town affectionately called it “Ohikawa-sama.”

At Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, there is a legend that if you take home and treasure a small stone from the grounds, you will be blessed with a good match.
Enmusubi-dama is a charm based on this legend: shrine maidens carefully collect small stones one by one from in front of the main hall, wrap them in a hemp net, and then every morning Shinto priests perform a purification ritual to make them into charms.
They are handed out for free, limited to 20 per day, and numbered tickets are distributed on the grounds from 6:00am, so wake up early and do your best.
Matchmaking charms are said to be best carried in a place that isn’t easily seen by others.
Keep your Enmusubi-dama safely in your wallet or pouch.

When it comes to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine’s omikuji, it’s the tai (sea bream)-shaped “Tai Omikuji.”
Instead of drawing it by hand, you fish it up using a special rod.
There are two colors of tai, red and pink, and each color offers a different kind of fortune.
The red tai is called “Ichinen Antai Omikuji,” a play on words meaning “a safe year,” and it tells your overall luck.
The pink tai is called “Ai Tai Omikuji,” a play on words meaning “I want to see you,” and it tells your love fortune.
Limited-edition colors are added by season, so if you spot a color other than red or pink, why not try fishing up the limited one?
It’s said that if you take the Tai Omikuji home and keep it like a charm, you’ll be blessed with a wonderful connection.

The Ema Tunnel, where ema are dedicated in a tunnel-like formation, is a can’t-miss spot if you visit Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.
Ema are wooden plaques, often with illustrations, that people dedicate at shrines when making a wish or giving thanks after a wish comes true.
The Ema Tunnel was created to make the gathering of prayers visible.
This tunnel is next to the main hall, and the number of dedicated ema is Approx. 30,000.
Inside, light filters through gaps between countless ema, creating a mystical atmosphere, and when the wind blows, the hanging ema make a gentle sound.

The “Otorii” at the entrance to the grounds is one of Japan’s largest wooden torii gates, standing an impressive 15m tall.
Built in 1990, its plaque inscription (the sign placed high on gates and torii) was handwritten by Katsu Kaishu.

At the “Purification Stream” on the grounds, you can do “Hitogata Nagashi,” a ritual in which you float a washi paper doll called a hitogata down the stream to cleanse spiritual and physical impurities.
To do Hitogata Nagashi, offer a hatsuho-ryo fee, breathe onto the hitogata three times, then rub it over your body to transfer impurities.
After that, chant “Harai tamae, kiyome tamae,” and float the hitogata on the stream.
This Hitogata Nagashi is said to remove sins committed unconsciously, as well as spiritual and physical impurities.

Kawagoe is only Approx. 1 hour from central Tokyo, yet you can enjoy its charming streetscapes. One of the city’s 대표 sightseeing landmarks is Toki no Kane (Bell of Time).
Along a street lined with traditional kura-style storehouses, it stands out as an iconic landmark.
This three-tier wooden tower is Approx. 16 meters tall. The bell rings four times a day, at 6:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm, and 6:00pm, to tell the time.

Kawagoe Matsuri Kaikan is a facility that shares the history and appeal of the “Kawagoe Festival,” one of Saitama’s three major festivals held every October.
The building has two floors, and on the first floor you can see how the festival is prepared and learn about the feelings of the people involved.
Here, musical performances (ohayashi) are held on Sundays and national holidays.
They take place twice a day at 1:30pm and 2:30pm, so if the timing works out, be sure to enjoy the festival’s unique rhythms and sounds. On the second floor, the history of the festival and ohayashi is introduced.
You can view valuable videos and materials.

A renowned Tendai Buddhist temple founded in 830 by Jikaku Daishi.
It’s also known as the temple where the eminent monk Tenkai served as head priest in the early Edo period (1603–around 1700).
It houses many cultural assets, including buildings connected to the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and Kasuga no Tsubone that were relocated from Edo Castle.
The Sanmon gate, the bell tower gate, and Jigen-do Hall standing in the spacious precincts are also designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and still strongly retain the atmosphere of the time.

Kawagoe prospered as an important hub for transporting food such as rice and vegetables by using the Shingashi River, which flows to Edo.
Even today, atmospheric kura-style buildings line the area, and spots that strongly retain the atmosphere of those times are scattered throughout, which is why it’s affectionately known as modern-day “Little Edo.”
Koedo Kawagoe Ichibangai Shopping Street, Kawagoe’s main street, is lined with over 100 distinctive shops, from long-established businesses to the newest stores.
From sweet treats made with Kawagoe’s signature sweet potatoes and eel restaurants to craft beer bars and variety shops, it offers a wide range of attractions. There are also plenty of sweets and eats perfect for takeout.

A narrow alley paved with stone slabs, stretching Approx. 80 meters. Traditional confectionery shops line both sides, making it a popular sightseeing spot in Kawagoe.
The alley’s atmosphere and the simple, sweet scent of candy were selected by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment as one of the “100 Scented Landscapes of Japan.”
The local history of making sweets dates back to the Meiji era. To replace candy shops in Tokyo that were damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake, production and supply increased significantly, and by the early Showa period there were around 70 candy shops. Today, around 30 shops are still in business, and the street is always bustling with visitors.

Koedo Kawagoe is known for its kura-style streetscapes that feel steeped in history.
Located along a stone-paved lane where the city’s symbol, Toki no Kane (Bell of Time), rises above, “Starbucks Kawagoe Kanetsuki-dori Store” is one of Starbucks’ “Regional Landmark Stores,” which share the culture and charm of different regions of Japan with the world.
The first thing you’ll notice is its exterior, distinct from typical Starbucks with the familiar green logo.
Designed to respect the historic townscape and blend into the area, the store has a Japanese look, featuring a tiled roof and lattices made with Saitama cedar.

A bakery near the entrance to Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley), a popular sightseeing spot in Koedo Kawagoe.
It sells a wide variety of distinctive breads made with carefully selected ingredients, mainly domestic, in a shop with an exterior reminiscent of a traditional Kawagoe machiya townhouse.
All breads use wheat from Hokkaido.
All breads use wheat from Hokkaido. Among them, the premium shokupan (Japanese milk bread) made for eating fresh, using Hokkaido flour mainly with “Kitanokaori” and slowly fermented for 18 hours with house-made yeast, is a popular item that sells out every day.

A renowned restaurant dedicated to eel since its founding in 1807 (Bunka 4), in the late Edo period.
Even today, after six eras—Edo, Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa—it’s still known for its exceptional eel, carefully grilled piece by piece just as it always has been.
The unaju (eel over rice in a lacquered box), made with a secret sauce passed down through generations since the restaurant’s founding, is a perfect match of fragrant, plump grilled eel and rice soaked with the sauce.