Regions & prefectures
JapanRegions & prefectures
Saitama
Tokyo’s northern suburb, seven million people, and a "little Edo" of storehouse streets.
- Capital
- Saitama
- Status
- Prefecture
- Region
- Kantō
- Must-see
- Kawagoe’s storehouse street
- Local specialty
- Sweet potato, sōka rice crackers, sake
The fifth most populous prefecture, Saitama largely runs on the commuter trains that empty it into Tokyo each morning, earning it a dormitory reputation it wears with humour. Kawagoe nevertheless keeps a full street of kurazukuri, nineteenth-century black clay storehouse homes, and Chichibu, in the mountains, holds a night float festival listed by UNESCO.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.