Kawagoe (Little Edo)

About 30 minutes from Ikebukuro, Kawagoe earned the name Little Edo by supplying goods to the capital during the Edo period, and the wealth that trade generated paid for fire-resistant kurazukuri warehouses that still line Ichibangai Street today. Around 30 of these clay-walled, heavy-doored buildings survive as shops selling crafts and sweets. The Toki no Kane bell tower, rebuilt in 1893, still rings four times a day. Candy Alley, a narrow lane of about 20 shops, sells traditional dagashi snacks in an atmosphere that feels genuinely old. Sweet potatoes are the local specialty, appearing in chips, ice cream, and even beer. Kita-in Temple holds structures moved from Edo Castle itself in 1638.