Shop Kita
ショップきた
Tobacconist on the second-floor passage of Atre Kawagoe, by the east exit of Kawagoe Station, Saitama — rolling and pipe tobacco, little cigars, heated tobacco and Kawagoe crafts
Published
Photo: Shop Kita · @shopkita310
Photos provided by the shop owner, or taken from the shop's Instagram with the owner's permission — not Smok's own photography.
Shop Kita (ショップきた; on Instagram, 小江戸川越たばこ屋 ショップきた, “Koedo Kawagoe tobacco shop”) is a tobacconist inside Atre Kawagoe, the station building at the east exit of Kawagoe Station in Saitama Prefecture. The shop describes its spot as the second-floor free passage (自由通路) of Atre and calls itself one minute on foot from the east exit. In a 2020 post it says it opened more than thirty years ago and that it used to stand where its Atre store is now.
Its stock, as the shop shows it in its posts, is wide for a shop of this size: rolling-tobacco shag from Black Spider, COLTS, Pepe and Manitou, papers and trays from RAW, Zig-Zag and OCB, Zippo lighters, pipe tobacco in tins from Mac Baren, W.Ø. Larsen and Blue Note, kiseru tobacco, little cigars, cigarettes such as Natural American Spirit, and heated-tobacco devices such as Ploom Tech. Its profile says it is “striving to stock many kinds”, and it also sells original paper crafts and other local gifts — Japanese small goods, seasonal dolls and zodiac figurines.
The shop’s other half is Coffee Shop Kita, a café in a yellow house by the west exit of the same station, which its profile gives as 11:00–17:00. New arrivals, campaigns and changes of hours are posted on the shop’s Instagram, @shopkita310.
Opening Hours
Hours shown in Japan Standard Time, from Google's listing: until 20:00 on weekdays and 19:00 at weekends. The shop announced in October 2021 that from November it would open 10:00–20:00, although its Instagram profile text still reads 10:00–19:00, so a weekend or evening visit is worth a check. The shop said in 2020 that it is basically open all year; shortened hours and closed days, such as at New Year, are posted on its Instagram.
Good to Know
Where to Find It
Inside Atre Kawagoe, on the second-floor free passage by the east exit of Kawagoe Station. The shop is glass-fronted, with a RAW sign and a green Natural American Spirit stand at the window, as in the first photo above. Smok has not checked the walk from the ticket gates, so follow the signs for the east exit and Atre.
Smoking
Smok has no confirmed smoking spot at the shop or in the passage outside it, so ask at the counter before lighting up — and bear in mind that it is a shop in a station building.
The Sister Café
Coffee Shop Kita, by the west exit, is open 11:00–17:00 per the shop’s profile, with a night café every Friday; its morning service is paused for now. Its older posts carry the tag 全席タバコOK (“smoking OK at every seat”); Smok has not checked whether that still holds, so ask before you sit down.
Payment
PayPay is accepted, according to both the Google listing and a post by the shop itself. Which other cards or e-money work is not stated, so ask at the counter.
What's Sold
What the shop stocks, grouped by kind. Brands are those named in the shop's own Instagram posts or legible on its shelves in the photos above; the photos date from August 2017 to August 2018, so a given make may since have been replaced, and the shop does not publish a full stock list.
Rolling Tobacco, Papers and Lighters — Black Spider, COLTS, Pepe, Manitou, Captain Black, RAW, Zig-Zag, OCB, Zippo
Pipe and Kiseru Tobacco — Mac Baren, W.Ø. Larsen, Blue Note, Holger Danske, Amphora, Orlik, Peterson, 宝船
Cigarettes, Little Cigars and Heated Tobacco — Natural American Spirit, Gudang Garam, Harvest, Ploom Tech, Ploom X
Crafts and Gifts — Original paper crafts and Japanese small goods — Kyoto tenugui hand towels, mountain-grape baskets, netsuke, boxwood hairpins — and, in season, hina and Boy’s Day dolls and the coming year’s zodiac figurines, as the shop shows them in its posts.
Getting There
From Kawagoe Station
The shop calls itself one minute on foot from the east exit (川越駅東口徒歩1分), inside Atre Kawagoe on the second-floor free passage. Smok has not timed the walk.
By Train
Kawagoe Station is on the JR Kawagoe Line and Saikyō Line and the Tōbu Tōjō Line. The shop is by the east exit; its café is by the west exit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Shop Kita sell?
Rolling tobacco, papers, trays and Zippo lighters, pipe and kiseru tobacco, little cigars, cigarettes and heated-tobacco devices such as Ploom Tech, plus original paper crafts and local gifts. The shop does not publish a full stock list, and the photos on this page date from 2017–2018, so check its Instagram, @shopkita310, for what is in now.
Where is Shop Kita?
Inside Atre Kawagoe, on the second-floor free passage by the east exit of Kawagoe Station — 105 Wakitacho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1122. The shop calls itself one minute on foot from the east exit.
How long has Shop Kita been open?
In a 2020 Instagram post the shop says it opened more than thirty years ago and used to stand where its Atre store is now. Smok has no opening year.
Is there anywhere to smoke at Shop Kita?
Smok has no confirmed smoking spot at the shop or in the passage outside. Its sister café by the west exit tagged its older posts 全席タバコOK (“smoking OK at every seat”); check that with the café before you go.
When is Shop Kita open?
From 10:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and to 19:00 at weekends according to Google’s listing. The shop announced 10:00–20:00 from November 2021, although its Instagram profile text still says 10:00–19:00. In 2020 it said it is basically open all year; shortened hours and closed days are posted on Instagram.
Does Shop Kita sell pipe tobacco?
Yes — its posts show pipe tobacco in tins and pouches, including Mac Baren, W.Ø. Larsen, Blue Note, Orlik and Peterson. In 2018 it also stocked a few stand-ins when Dunhill’s pipe tobacco was discontinued, by its own account.
Does Shop Kita sell heated tobacco?
It has sold Ploom Tech, as the photo above shows, and its posts mention Ploom X; ask at the counter which devices and sticks are in stock today.
Can I pay with PayPay at Shop Kita?
Yes — PayPay is accepted, per the Google listing and a post by the shop. Which other cards or e-money work is not stated, so ask at the counter.
How do I find out what is new at Shop Kita?
The shop posts new arrivals and changes of hours on its Instagram, @shopkita310. Smok cannot say what is in stock today, so check the latest posts or phone the shop on 049-226-7050 before a trip.
Map
Address
Atre Kawagoe, 2F, 105 Wakitacho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1122, Japan
〒350-1122 埼玉県川越市脇田町105 アトレ川越 2F