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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Kawasaki
川崎
Stop for half a day between Tokyo and Yokohama for Kawasaki Daishi and the folk-house museum; 0–1 night, not a base.
Kawasaki sits between Tokyo and Yokohama on the Tokaido corridor, 15–22 minutes from Tokyo Station and 7 minutes from Yokohama. It is an industrial and commuter city with three real draws: Kawasaki Daishi temple, the Kanamara fertility shrine and the Japan Open-air Folk House Museum. Most travellers pass through; a half day or one night is enough, and it works as a cheaper bed for Tokyo or Yokohama.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 川崎
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), New Year (temple crowds)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup or a set lunch | ¥800–1,300 |
| Gyoza dinner (Jackie Gyozarou) | ¥2,000–3,000 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥2,000–2,600 |
| Japan Open-air Folk House Museum entry | ¥550 |
| Kawasaki Racecourse entry | ¥100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HND · Tokyo Haneda
- Keikyu Line express to Keikyu-Kawasaki, about 15–20 min, ¥400
- NRT · Tokyo Narita
- Narita Express to Shinagawa, then Tokaido Line; about 90 min
Typical fares
- Haneda → Keikyu-Kawasaki, Keikyu express
- about ¥400, 15–20 min
- JR Kawasaki → Tokyo Station, Tokaido Line
- about ¥290, 15 min
- JR Kawasaki → Yokohama, Tokaido Line
- about ¥210, 7 min
Get around
Trains do everything. JR Kawasaki is on the Tokaido and Keihin-Tohoku lines; Keikyu-Kawasaki is next door for the Keikyu line and the three-stop Keikyū Daishi Line to Kawasaki Daishi. The Odakyu Line from Shinjuku reaches Mukogaoka-yuen for the folk-house museum. You do not need a car.
See and do
Known for
- Kawasaki Daishi temple
- Kanamara Matsuri (first Sunday in April)
- Japan Open-air Folk House Museum
- Industrial night views on the bay
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yokohama | JR Tokaido Line from Kawasaki, about 7 min | About 20 min |
| Tokyo | JR Tokaido Line from Kawasaki to Tokyo Station, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Kamakura | JR to Yokohama or Ofuna, then the Yokosuka Line | About 1 h |
| Hakone | JR to Odawara, then the Hakone Tozan line or bus | 1.5–2 h |
| Enoshima | JR to Ofuna or Fujisawa, then the Enoden or Odakyu | About 1.25 h |
| Yokosuka | JR Yokosuka Line from Musashi-Kosugi | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Kawasaki Station area
- JR and Keikyu stations, the Azalea underground arcade and most hotels; easiest for Tokyo and Yokohama day trips.
- Musashi-Kosugi
- Tōkyū Tōyoko and Meguro lines plus JR Nambu, Yokosuka and Shonan-Shinjuku lines; more residential, good for Yokohama-side trips.
- Shin-Maruko
- Highway-side motel cluster near the Tama River; only useful if you drive.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Kanamara Matsuri is on the first Sunday in April and draws big crowds; the penis and vagina candy popsicles sell out by midday, so go early.
- The shrine's small sex museum opens erratically; ask the shrine shop attendant.
- Industrial-zone night walks have long dead-ends and few lights: take a map and stay off private land.
- Kawasaki Racecourse and the keirin track hold weekday and night meetings; check the schedule before you go.
One of the safer big cities in the Tokyo–Yokohama corridor. The real risks are summer heat, bicycles on pavements, and the industrial-zone night walk where dead-ends and unlit canals are easy to get lost in.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kawasaki yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kawasaki Daishi temple
- Kanamara Matsuri (first Sunday in April)
- Japan Open-air Folk House Museum
- Industrial night views on the bay
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kawasaki City official site: www.city.kawasaki.jp/
- Japan Open-air Folk House Museum official site: www.nihonminkaen.jp/index_english.html
- Kawasaki Racecourse official site: www.kawasaki-keiba.jp/
- Kawasaki local tourist association guide: www.k-kankou.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Kawasaki, revision 5245271 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5245271
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/kawasaki). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.