Chichibu Whisky & Craft Sake
The Chichibu Distillery is Japan's most celebrated craft whisky producer. Pair a tasting with local Chichibu sake (jizake) for a full mountain-spirits experience.
Kawagoe Sweet Potato Snacks
Kawagoe has been Japan's sweet-potato capital since the Edo era. Try imo-yokan (sweet potato jelly), imo-manju, and crispy chips along Kashiya Yokocho snack alley.
Musashino Udon
Thick, chewy hand-cut noodles served in rich pork-and-vegetable broth โ the quintessential soul food of Saitama, beloved at farmhouse-style restaurants across the Musashino plateau.
Kawagoe Candy Alley (Kashiya Yokocho)
A narrow alley in Kawagoe's Edo-period old town lined with tiny candy shops selling traditional sweets โ dagashi โ using recipes unchanged since the Meiji era. Sample sweet potato candy, kokuto (black sugar), and ramune-flavoured treats while exploring the adjacent Kurazukuri warehouse district whose thick-walled merchant buildings date to the 17th century.
Unaju (Eel over Rice)
The rivers running through Saitama have long supplied the finest freshwater eel for Japan's unaju tradition. Several century-old unagi restaurants remain in the older districts.
Omurice at Urawa Retro Cafes
Urawa's old-town shotengai is dotted with retro Showa-era kissaten (cafes) serving fluffy egg-wrapped omurice โ a nostalgic comfort food popular with Japanese locals.