Kawagoe · Around Kitain Temple

Nakain Temple

How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24

A quiet Tendai temple known for its weeping cherry tree and a tea house linked to the writer Shimazaki Toson. It is also called the birthplace of Sayama tea.

Nearest station: 12 min walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station
Hours: No visiting hours listed
Admission: No charge listed (marked 'free' on the tourist association page)

What to see

Weeping cherry: the spring star, blooming from around the spring equinox, followed by Yoshino cherries in April.
Fusen-tei: a tea house linked to Shimazaki Toson. Usually closed to visitors, but a spring cafe serves matcha and sweets there during the cherry season.
Birthplace of Sayama tea: the priest is said to have brought tea seeds and grown them as medicine. A stone monument stands here.
Giant ginkgo: the big tree behind the main hall turns golden in autumn.

Seasons

Weeping cherry in spring; the ginkgo and autumn leaves are lovely in fall (per the temple).

History

It began in 830 as a temple founded by the priest Jikaku Daishi Ennin. It burned in the great fire of 1638 and moved to its present site the next year.

Getting there

About a 12-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station (Seibu), 18 minutes from Kawagoeshi Station (Tobu), or 20 minutes from Kawagoe Station (JR and Tobu).

Address：5-15-1 Kosenba-cho, Kawagoe, Saitama

Directions in Google Maps →Official website →

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.