Kitain Temple

Kitain Temple (喜多院), located in Kawagoe, is home to the only surviving structures of Edo Castle, relocated here by Tokugawa Iemitsu after a major fire in 1638. These elegant palace buildings endured while the originals in Tokyo were later lost to disasters such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II. One room within the relocated complex is believed to be Iemitsu’s birthplace, adorned with samurai armor and a floral-patterned ceiling.

The temple grounds also feature the Gohyaku Rakan—540 expressive stone statues of Buddha’s disciples—that are both spiritual and photogenic. Kitain has deep ties to the Tokugawa family: Tenkai, a trusted monk of the first three shoguns, once held a memorial here that led to the creation of the Semba Toshogu Shrine. Visitors can also walk just five minutes to Nakain, a surviving part of the original temple trio established in 830 AD. While little remains of Minamiin, its historical presence is still felt throughout the area.