Kawagoe · Around Kawagoe Castle and Hikawa Shrine
Kawagoe Castle Honmaru Goten
How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24
Photo: 吳柏霆・CC BY-SA 4.0
The only building left of Kawagoe Castle. You can see the entrance hall, the great hall and the retainers' room.
- Nearest station
- 10-minute walk from the 'Fudanotsuji' bus stop
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Admission
- Adults ¥100, high school and university students ¥50, junior high and younger free
What to see
- Entrance and carriage porch: a grand entrance fit for a lord's residence.
- Great hall: wooden doors painted with pines remain. The rooms are plainly decorated.
- Retainers' room: a relocated and restored building with figures of the senior retainers.
- Volunteer guides: about 20-minute explanations on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of each month.
History
The castle is said to have been built in 1457 by Ota Dokan and his father. The present building is part of the main-compound residence rebuilt in 1848 by the lord Matsudaira Nariyuki.
Getting there
Take the Tobu Bus (via Kura no Machi) from Kawagoe or Hon-Kawagoe Station to 'Fudanotsuji' and walk 10 minutes. From the 'Hakubutsukan-Bijutsukan-mae' stop of the Koedo loop bus it is 1 minute.
Address：2-13-1 Kuruwa-machi, Kawagoe, Saitama
Before you go
Closed on Mondays (the next day if a holiday), the 4th Friday and Dec 29 – Jan 3. Parking is reduced because of work in Hatsukari Park.
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.
- 川越市立博物館（開館時間・入館料金・休館日）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 川越市立博物館（本丸御殿とは）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 川越市立博物館（ボランティアガイド）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 小江戸川越観光協会（本丸御殿）（checked 2026-10-24）
Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors