Located right between Yokohama and Tokyo, Kawasaki is a coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is one of the biggest cities in the Greater Tokyo Area and among the top ten most populated cities in Japan. Stretching along the Tama River, with its industrialised coastlines in Tokyo Bay and the quiet and green areas further inland, Kawasaki fascinates with its versatility.
Although not a popular tourist destination, Kawasaki offers quite a few surprises for its visitors. Shrines and parks delight tourists both in festival seasons and otherwise. The city centre is home to the main temple Kawasaki Daishi, with Nakamise-dori Street, a lane of stores and shops selling souvenirs, cake, candy, and dolls, running from the main gate or Daisan-mon to the temple’s entrance.
Kawasaki is about a 20-minute train ride from the nearest airport, Haneda, but can easily be reached from Narita Airport on the express train in something over an hour. There are trains going to Kawasaki from all major cities in the region.
Kawasaki also prides itself on a few outstanding museums. The Nihon Minkaen open-air museum offers a glimpse of minkas, or farm houses, across different regions in Japan, while manga fans will rejoice in the Doraemon Museum officially known as Fujiko F Fujio Museum, and the Bus and Train Museum should make the attractions list for transportation enthusiasts.