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Best Side Trips from Tokyo
Escape the fast-paced streets and bustling lifestyle of Tokyo on a day trip to its nearby towns and cities. From the Edo Period streets of Kawagoe
to the museums and hot springs of Kawaguchiko, here are five popular side trips from Tokyo.
Kamakura
Famed for its towering bronze statue of Amida Buddha, Kamakura is an old city on Sagami
Bay in Kanagawa prefecture and located less than one hour south of Tokyo. It’s home
to ancient Shinto shrines and Zen Buddhist temples, including Hōkoku-ji, Kenchō-ji and
Hasadera with its massive wooden statue of Kannon, as well as good surf and swimming
spots at its picturesque white sandy beaches.
Yokohama
One of the first Japanese ports that opened to foreign trade in the mid-19th century,
Yokohama is a vibrant city to the south of Tokyo and home to the country’s largest Chinatown.
Wander the traditional Japanese gardens and architecture of Sankei-en, get up
close to marine life at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise and learn about what goes into making
the perfect bowl of noodles at the Ramen Museum.
Nikko
Nestled in the mountains to the north of Tokyo, Nikko is renowned for its 17th century
Toshogu Shrine which was designed as a lavish mausoleum for the founder of the
Towugawa Shogunate, Ieyasu. With a travel time of less than two hours, you can explore
its scenic hiking trails which lead to graceful family shrines witness its gilded Yomeimon
Gate and visit Nikko’s ancient Buddhist temple complex of Rinnō-ji and the 8th-century Futarasan Shrine.
Kawaguchiko
The most easily accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, a little under two hours by bus, travelling from Shinjuku or Tokyo Station, Kawaguchiko offers
outstanding views of Mount Fuji along its shores and from the Kachi Kachi Ropeway. You can indulge at the hot spring baths of Kaiun no yu and
Tensui Kawaguchiko, explore the gardens and instruments of the Kawaguchiko Music Forest, witness Japanese artworks at the Kawaguchiko
Museum of Art and marvel at the exquisite kimonos of the Kubota Itchiku Museum.
Kawagoe
Affectionately known as “Little Edo” for its atmospheric streets lined with old clay warehouses and kurazukuru merchant homes, Kawagoe is
situated around 30 minutes by train from Tokyo. Wander its Warehouse District and aptly-named Candy Alley, visit the only surviving remains
of the Kawagoe Castle at Honmaru Goten and witness the 540 Gohyaku Rakan statues at Kitain Temple.
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