Maskay guide

Where to try sweet-potato sweets near Kawagoe’s Toki no Kane bell tower

Compare two cafés near Toki no Kane: one for soft serve and anmitsu at a table, another for coffee and roasted sweet potato.

Maskay editorial team Updated

Toki no Kane works as a wayfinding point for a walk along Ichibangai, past the kura warehouses and into Motomachi’s smaller lanes. After the storehouses and Hikawa Shrine, sweet-potato cafés offer two different ways to extend the route. Kawagoe built a reputation for imo during the Edo period; today, local shops turn it into soft serve, roasted potatoes, cakes and drinks, each with a different flavour and format.

Chimoto suits travellers who want a traditional café and a dessert served at a table. House-roasted coffee accompanies sweet-potato soft serve, anmitsu sets, and some combinations with coffee jelly or warabimochi. The shop says certain sweets are weekend offerings and can sell out, so avoid leaving the visit until the end of the walk. Its roomy interior makes a useful pause when the street is crowded or the weather changes.

MINAMIMACHI COFFEE is inside Koedo Yokocho, also close to the bell tower, and centres on yakiimo with drinks. Its operator describes coffee, baked sweet potato and seasonal preparations, including brûlée and sweet-potato latte versions. It is a shorter stop that fits easily into a walk along the main street, although visitor opinions are not uniform about the coffee or drink temperature. The clear advantage is trying the local ingredient in a comfortable indoor space.

The listings checked show Chimoto at 4.5/5 from 111 reviews and MINAMIMACHI COFFEE at 4.0/5 from 62, each for its exact branch. Chimoto often draws comments about its sweet-potato soft serve and seating; MINAMIMACHI about yakiimo and a cool place to rest, alongside some drink criticisms. Both are in Motomachi and can fit into one route, but if you choose only one, decide between a classic café dessert and roasted potato with coffee. Check hours and seasonal menus before setting out.

Profiles of the recommended places: Chimoto Sweet Cafe · MINAMIMACHI COFFEE

Bottom line

Choose Chimoto for a sit-down café dessert and MINAMIMACHI COFFEE for a casual pairing of roasted sweet potato and a drink. Both fit easily into a walk around Toki no Kane; check opening hours and seasonal availability before setting out.

Editorial selection

Cafés to compare

Compare menus, hours and recent reviews before choosing a café.

01
Coffee shop for house-roasted coffee and sweet-potato desserts

Chimoto Sweet Cafe

2-3-12 Motomachi, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0062, Japan

4.5 /5 111 reviews

Chimoto is a coffee house in Motomachi, within Kawagoe’s historic centre, and it offers more than a quick takeaway: its own roasted coffee, a place to sit for tea, and sweets built around local sweet potatoes. The shop presents its sweet-potato soft serve as a first of its kind in the city; the menu

Why it made the selection

Traditional-style café with house-roasted coffee, sweet-potato soft serve, anmitsu and seasonal sweets.

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am–5:30 pm; closed Mondays except public holidays. The official site notes that some sweets sell out. Verified: October 12, 2026
View Maskay profile → Official website ↗
02
Coffee shop and roasted sweet-potato café

MINAMIMACHI COFFEE

2-1-3 Motomachi, Koedo Yokocho 1F, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0062, Japan

4 /5 62 reviews

On Motomachi Street, a short walk from Toki no Kane, MINAMIMACHI COFFEE connects everyday café drinks with one of Kawagoe’s best-known local ingredients. It sits inside Koedo Yokocho and shares its space with Imokawa, the operator’s roasted-sweet-potato speciality. “Minamimachi” refers to an old Edo

Why it made the selection

Café, batatas asadas y bebidas de batata en Koedo Yokocho, cerca del campanario histórico de Kawagoe.

Hours: Daily, 9 am–7 pm according to the operator; hours may change seasonally. Verified: October 12, 2026
View Maskay profile → Official website ↗
Verification

Sources & references

Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.

  1. Official website of Chimoto Sweet Cafe ↗ Primary source Chimoto official website · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  2. Official website of Chimoto Sweet Cafe ↗ Primary source Koedo Kawagoe Tourism Association · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  3. Official website of MINAMIMACHI COFFEE ↗ Primary source Fried Green Tomato Co. official site · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  4. Official website ↗ Primary source Koedo Kawagoe Tourism Association · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  5. Official website ↗ Primary source Koedo Kawagoe Tourism Association · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  6. Official website ↗ Primary source Chimoto official website · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  7. Official website ↗ Primary source Fried Green Tomato Co. official site · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  8. Google review summary ↗ Secondary source Wanderlog, exact Chimoto Sweet Cafe listing · Accessed October 12, 2026

    4.5/5 from 111 Google reviews for 2-3-12 Motomachi.

  9. Google review summary ↗ Secondary source Wanderlog, exact MINAMIMACHI COFFEE listing · Accessed October 12, 2026

    4.0/5 from 62 Google reviews for the Koedo Yokocho branch.

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