Asia >> East Asia >> Japan >> Honshu >> Kanto >> Saitama >> Kawaguchi

Kawaguchi is a city in Saitama prefecture.

Culture and History

The first stop into Saitama prefecture travelling north from Tokyo on the JR Keihin-Tohoku line. As Kawaguchi lies over the Arakawa (River Ara) and outside the boundaries of Tokyo city it was the site of much industrial development before, and especially after, the Second World War. A great many smelting and die-casting foundries were set up and the city gained a reputation for small scale steel and precision instrument production (it was apparently the place in Japan for the production of athletic shot-puts).

However as the urban sprawl spread across the Kanto plain the need for living space grew so in the last five years most of the factories and plants in Kawaguchi have been demolished to make way for apartment blocks and high rise condominiums. The station area has been extensively redeveloped with a great many new shops and shopping centers opening up. These two developments have changed the face of Kawaguchi from an aging and declining industrial town into a thriving commuter town with an expanding number of young families.

Its location means that it's great for getting into central Tokyo (Tokyo station 23 minutes, Shinjuku 21 minutes, Ebisu 28 minutes, Roppongi 41 minutes) but because it's in Saitama the rents and costs are proportionally lower.

Lastly as Kawaguchi is on the River Ara ("Kawaguchi" means river mouth) it means that unlike many towns there is a lot of greenery to be found. Along the river bank, between the river and the raised flood banks, the city government has put football (soccer), rugby and baseball pitches, a couple of golf course, picnic areas and just open space for all to use. It makes a big difference to have somewhere green and quiet to head after a week working in the concrete jungle.

Travel to Kawaguchi - Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Kawaguchi

Get to Narita or Haneda airports then take the train into central Tokyo and pick up the JR Keihin-Tohoku line.

By train

JR Keihin-Tohoku line from Tokyo and Kanagawa prefecture

JR Musashino line from Nishi Funabashi in Chiba prefecture

Namboku/Saitama railway - extension of the Namboku subway line goes to Kawaguchi Motogo station rather than the regular JR station.

By car

Buses to Kawaguchi

By boat

Tours and Getting around Kawaguchi

Kawaguchi tourist attractions and sightseeing

Kawaguchi city tours

Learn

Work

Kawaguchi souvenirs and shopping

Kawaguchi Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Kawaguchi nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Kawaguchi cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Contact

Stay safe

Cope

Get out

This page was last edited by Wikitravel user Tokyobogue. Based on work by Evan Prodromou. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

Didn't find what you were looking for?
Submit your question to the Kawaguchi travel forum
Subject
Question / Comment
Note: HTML tags will be removed.
Your Name (required)
Your Email (will not be published) (required)
Website (Optional)

Note: Hitting submit you grant Traveltips24 the right to edit, display and store the content you provide.