This nearly 1,500-year-old sanctuary is known for granting wishes related to matters of the heart. There are plenty of matchmaking charms sold here, but the most popular one comes in the shape of a red pencil, symbolising the red string of fate. The shorter the pencil gets, the closer you come to your destined partner.
You’ll also find wooden boxes filled with omikuji fortune slips shaped like little red snapper fish. Grab a small fishing rod and snag one of these adorable lucky charms, which make for a great souvenir as well.
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine offers plenty of Instagram-worthy photo ops, so it’s worth visiting in a kimono or yukata. There’s a picturesque tunnel of ema (small wooden prayer plaques) to walk through, and in summer you can find gates covered in colourful wind chimes, too.
Don’t miss the two ancient sacred zelkova trees in the back of the shrine grounds, and if you walk a little further, you’ll reach a stream that’s lined by cherry blossoms in spring.