What it is
The area around the west exit of JR Nishi-Kawaguchi Station is said to have a large Chinese resident community, with Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, and salons displaying signs in Chinese. Many shops are said to be run by people from northeastern China (the region once called Manchuria, covering Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang), with a number of restaurants centered on northeastern dishes like dumplings and grilled skewers. Unlike a tourist-oriented Chinatown such as Yokohama's, the shops here are said to lean toward the tastes and stock of the local Chinese community.
Tips for getting around and eating
Some menus are in Chinese only, so it helps to check in advance whether a shop has a photo menu or can communicate in Japanese. Many shops serve lamb skewers, boiled dumplings, and northeastern-style cold dishes, and the seasoning is sometimes said to stay close to how it's made back home, so it can help to ask staff if you're sensitive to spice.
When to visit
Many shops are said to open from evening into the night, with some staying open late. Kawaguchi City is said to be working on multicultural initiatives, but individual shop hours and closing days vary widely, so it's worth checking before you go.
Chinese grocery stores and salons are also said to be scattered through the residential streets a bit further from the station, and some can be hard to spot by signage alone. Some shops are said not to accept credit cards, so it helps to carry cash. Redevelopment around the station is said to have made the streets brighter and better maintained than before, making the area easier to visit with family.