Kawagoe day trip from Tokyo: Little Edo streets and two rail passes

Learn how to reach Kawagoe from Ikebukuro, explore its warehouse streets and bell tower, and compare Seibu and Tobu passes while retaining conflicting official height figures.

Last checked:

  • Saitama
  • Tokyo
  • Day trips
  • Transport

Kawagoe () is one of the easier day trips near Tokyo from Ikebukuro. This article uses official information (checked on 2026-10-28) to cover transport, historic streets and two passes. The official pages disagree on the height of the bell tower, so both figures are presented without choosing one. For trips from Tokyo, see the Tokyo day trips guide.

Key points

  • Tobu’s official page: approximately 30 minutes from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe on the Tobu Tojo Line
  • SEIBU KAWAGOE PASS: 1,000 yen, only for holders of non-Japanese passports; one return journey
  • Tobu KAWAGOE DISCOUNT PASS Premium: adults 1,200 and children 600 (the official page gives numbers without specifying a currency); includes Tobu Bus
  • Height of Toki no Kane: two Kawagoe City official pages state approximately 16 metres and approximately 17.5 metres respectively

Toki no Kane and the warehouse district

Item Official information
Warehouse-style streets () Kawagoe’s preserved fire-resistant warehouse architecture; selected as a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in December 1999; selected among the “100 Beautiful Historical Landscapes of Japan” in January 2007
Osawa Family Residence Built in 1792 as a warehouse for a kimono and fabric merchant; survived the great fire of 1893
Kurazukuri Museum City-designated Cultural Property
Other sites in the area Toki no Kane, former Yamazaki Family Residence, Koedo Kurari, Kashiya Yokocho, Renkeiji Temple, Taisho Roman Yume-dori, Kawagoe Kumano Shrine and Kawagoe Festival Museum
Toki no Kane () Bells ring automatically every day at 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00; about 15 minutes’ walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line; 3 levels
Height (tourism page) Approximately 16 metres
Height (cultural property page) Total height approximately 17.5 metres; rebuilt in 1894 after the 1893 fire, with 3 tiers and 4 levels
  • The warehouse district page does not give the nearest station or walking time, so neither is included
  • The height differs between Kawagoe City’s official tourism and cultural property pages; both figures are shown

Transport and stations

Stations listed in official information:

Operator Station Information
Tobu Railway Ikebukuro Station to Kawagoe Station About 30 minutes; the official page does not specify the train type or fare
Seibu Railway Hon-Kawagoe Station The pass’s Tokyo departure points for return travel are Ikebukuro, Seibu-Shinjuku and Takadanobaba

Tobu’s Premium pass page mentions both Kawagoe Station and Kawagoeshi Station; it does not explain the walk from either station to the old streets, so this is not included.

Comparing two passes

Item SEIBU KAWAGOE PASS KAWAGOE DISCOUNT PASS Premium
Price 1,000 yen (adult) Adult 1,200; child 600
Eligibility Holders of non-Japanese passports; show passports or residence cards for all group members when buying No restriction listed on the official page
Rail travel One return trip between Hon-Kawagoe and Ikebukuro, Seibu-Shinjuku or Takadanobaba; return can end at any of the three Tokyo stations; no intermediate stopovers Discounted Tojo Line return rail tickets between Ikebukuro and Kawagoe or Kawagoeshi Station (discounted fare not listed on the official page); unlimited journeys between Kawagoe and Kawagoeshi stations
Buses Not listed on the official page Unlimited Tobu Bus rides for one day in designated sections, including Koedo Loop Bus
Limited express Separate limited express ticket required Not explained on the official page
Validity Only on the travel date; online purchases are valid for two weeks after collection Not stated on the official page
Purchase Limited express ticket counters at Seibu Ikebukuro, Seibu-Shinjuku and Takadanobaba; online via EMot or Klook (credit card or PayPay, not transport IC card), on sale from one month before the travel date Tobu online tickets or paper tickets from Tobu ticket offices
  • The official Premium pass page does not clearly say “return fare included” or “discount on return rail tickets”; it describes a discount, and this article keeps that wording
  • To assess whether a pass is worth buying, first check your departure station and single fares; these are not listed on the official page, so no calculation is made here

How to choose

  1. If you stay near Ikebukuro, Takadanobaba or Seibu-Shinjuku and hold a non-Japanese passport: consider the Seibu pass
  2. If you want to use Tobu Bus (Koedo Loop Bus): consider Premium
  3. If departing from elsewhere in Tokyo: check single fares first rather than buying a pass immediately

Further reading: Tokyo transport introduction.

Sources