Kawagoe, Saitama

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**Kawagoe**
**川越市**
Kawagoe's location in Saitama, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama
Physical characteristics
Area	109.16 km² (42.15 sq mi)
Population (as of 2008)
Total	335,638
Density	3,049 /km² (7,897 /sq mi)
Location	35°56′N, 139°29′E
Symbols
Tree	Oak
Flower	Kerria
Bird	Goose
Flag
Kawagoe Government Office
Mayor	Kōichi Funabashi
Phone number	049-224-8811
Official website: City of Kawagoe

Kawagoe's shops, temples and tower retain a feeling of the Edo period

Kawagoe (川越市, Kawagoe-shi^?) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and is about a 30-minute train ride from Ikebukuro in Tokyo.

As of June 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 335,638 (135,621 households). The total area is 109.16 km².

Kawagoe was founded as a town (川越町, Kawagoe-machi^?) on April 1, 1889, and became the first city in the prefecture on December 1, 1922.

1 Geography
2 Transportation
- 2.1 Railways
3 History
4 References
5 External links
6 Gallery

[edit] Geography

As a part of the Greater Tokyo Area this is one of the satellite cities of Tokyo but it is also the governmental, commercial and business centre of the southwestern (geographically it is central, but the administration and the public classify it as southwestern) Saitama Prefecture. It is a core city (中核市) and a business core city (ja:業務核都市) designated by Japanese national government.

Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes, and on the local "Candy Street" one can find such treats as sweet potato chips, sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer, brewed at the local Coedo Brewery.

Some of its streets preserve the old castle town of the Edo period (17c to 19c.) Prominent sites in Kawagoe include the bell tower as seen in the picture to the right. The bell tower serves as the symbol for Koedo and rings three times a day. Other sites include the 500 Rakan statues at Kita-in, a prominent Buddhist temple. It is a popular gathering-spot for New Year celebrations. As midnight approaches on December 31, waits of nearly three hours are commonplace at the temple.

[edit] Transportation

For more details on this topic, see Transportation in Greater Tokyo .

[edit] Railways

Main station: Kawagoe Station

Tōbu Tōjō Main Line:
- Kasumigaseki Station, Kawagoeshi Station, Kawagoe Station, Shingashi Station

JR East Kawagoe Line:
- Kasahata Station, Matoba Station, Nishi-Kawagoe Station, Kawagoe Station, Minami-Furuya Station

Seibu Shinjuku Line:
- Hon-Kawagoe Station, Minami-Otsuka Station

[edit] History

The city is known locally as "Little Edo" (小江戸, Koedo^?) after the old name for Tokyo, "Edo". Kawagoe castle was the headquarters of the Kawagoe Domain and occupied by close aides of the Tokugawa shogunate. Most of the buildings were dismantled in the 1870s but some remained or were relocated. ^[1]

Before it was merged with Saitama Prefecture in 1873, it was the capital of Kawagoe Prefecture (1871) then Iruma Prefecture (1871–1873). ^[2]