We live in Saitama Prefecture. One of the best ways I can described the
“image” of Saitama is by saying that Saitama is the New Jersey of Japan. As most people from the USA know, New Jersey
is often looked down upon-especially by the neighboring folks in New York City.
Well, Saitama is to Tokyo what New Jersey is to New
York. Why?
I haven’t the foggiest idea.
My Japanese friends say that Saitama has an “uncool”
image. That is about the best
explanation I have been able to find. Which isn’t really an explanation at all.
For myself, I couldn’t care less about Saitama’s alleged
poor image. I love living here. As someone from the vastly huge country of
the USA, living in a small country like Japan has been illuminating. Living in the west of Saitama-considered to
be the “countryside”-is lovely. It only
takes us an hour by train to get from our inaka (countryside) to the
megalopolis of Tokyo. This is by far one
of my favorite things about living where we do.
About half way to Tokyo on our train line, there is a city
called Kawagoe-sometimes called Koedo.
This name refers to Tokyo's former name-Edo. Just north of Tokyo, Kawagoe was called Koedo-little Edo.
Ever since moving to Japan nearly three years ago, day
visits to Kawagoe have been a favorite weekend activity. There are loads of delicious restaurants,
beautiful shrines and temples, and lovely places to shop.
Kawagoe is one of the must see places in the Kanto region of Japan and is famous for its beautifuly preserved Japanese buildings.
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