Suggested Daytrips out of Tokyo:
Besides the more popular locations like Hakone and Kawaguchi-ko, here are some suggestions on where else you can consider visiting for a short daytrip out of Tokyo.
Kamakura + Yokohama
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| Kamakura |
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| Yokohama's Chinatown |
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2166.html
More info on Yokohama:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2156.html
& http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/travel/
Suggested itinerary:
0730-0830 Take train to Kamakura
0830-1200 Visit Kamakura (maybe Kenchoji Temple, Hachimangu Shrine, and Great Buddha)
1230-1400 Lunch at Yokohama's Chinatown
1430-1600 Visit Nissin Cup Noodle museum and try customizing your own cup noodle.
1630 onwards, shop at 1 of the shopping malls in Minato Mirai area.
Return back to Tokyo after shopping is done.
How to go Kamakura from Tokyo station?
Tokyo station to Kamakura station via JR Yokosuka line (56mins, 890yen)
How to go Yokohama from Kamakura station?
Kamakura station to Yokohama station via JR Yokosuka line or JR Shonan-Shinjuku line (25mins, 330yen)
How to go Yokohama's Chinatown from Kamakura station?
Kamakura station to Yokohama station via JR Yokosuka line or JR Shonan-Shinjuku line (25mins)
Yokohama station to Ishikawacho station via JR Keihin-Tohoku line (8mins)
Total fare from Kamakura to Ishikawacho is 380yen.
Chinatown is about 7mins walk from Ishikawacho station.
How to go Nissin Cup Noodle museum from Chinatown?
Motomachi-Chukagai station near Chinatown (about 8mins walk from Chinatown) to MinatoMirai station via the Minatomirai line (4mins, 180yen)
Minatomirai line is a non-JR line.
From MinatoMirai station, it's about 10mins walk to reach Nissin Cup Noodle Museum.
How to return to Tokyo from MinatoMirai?
MinatoMirai station to Yokohama station via Minatomirai line (3mins, 180yen).
Yokohama station to Tokyo station via JR Tokaido line (30mins, 450yen).
Minatomirai line is a non-JR line.
Kawasaki
(My visit to Kawasaki here)
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| The street leading up to Kawasaki Daishi |
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| 1 of the shopping area that's about 7mins walk from Kawasaki station |
More info on Kawasaki:
- http://fujiko-museum.com/ (Fujiko F. Fujio Museum, aka Doraemon museum)
- http://www.nihonminkaen.jp/ (Nihon Minhaen Open-Air Museum)
- http://www.kawasakidaishi.com/ (Kawasaki Daishi)
How to go Kawasaki from Tokyo:
Tokyo station to Kawasaki station via either JR Tokaido Line (towards Odawara direction) or JR Keihin-Tohoku line (towards Ofuna direction). *JR Tokaido line's travelling time is slightly shorter.
Both lines take about 16-23mins travelling time, and costs 310yen, and have frequent train departure timings)
How to go Yokohama from Kawasaki:
Since Kawasaki is not far from Yokohama, you could probably pair up a visit to Kawasaki + Yokohama within 1 day. In the day time, visit 1 of these Kawasaki attractions (Fujiko museum OR Kawasaki Daishi OR Nihon Minhaen), and then afternoon onwards visit Yokohama for some shopping and food.
Kawasaki station to Yokohama station via JR Tokaido line (towards Odawara) or JR Keihin-Tohoku line (8-13mins, 220yen). *JR Tokaido line's travelling time is slightly shorter.
Kawagoe + Omiya
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| Kawagoe's warehouse district. |
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| Train museum |
More info on Kawagoe:
More info on the train museum at Omiya:
Suggested itinerary:
0900-1130 Visit Kawagoe's warehouse district(Either have early lunch at Kawagoe, or at the train museum at Omiya)
1130-1230 Travel to Omiya
1230-1500 Visit Train museum near Omiya station.
1530 onwards, return to Tokyo.
How to go Kawagoe from Tokyo?
Tokyo station to Ikebukuro station via Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line (17mins, 190yen).
Ikebukuro station to Kawagoe station via Tobu Tojo Line Exp/Semi Exp (33mins for Exp or 43mins for Semi Exp, 450yen) or the JR Saikyo line Rapid (50mins, 650yen).
From Kawagoe station, it's just a short 15mins bus ride to the Warehouse district.
How to go to the train museum at Omiya from Kawagoe?
Kawagoe station to Omiya station via JR Saikyo line Rapid (25mins, 320yen)
Omiya station to Tetsudohakubutsukan station via New Shuttle line (2mins, 180yen)
The railway museum is just next to Tetsudohakubutsukan station.
How to return to Tokyo from the train museum?
Tetsudohakubutsukan station to Omiya station via New Shuttle line (2mins, 180yen).
Omiya station to Tokyo station via JR Keihin-Tohoku line (45mins, 540yen).
Or if you have the nationwide JR Pass or JR East Pass or JR Kanto Area Pass, you can take the Shinkansen from Omiya station to Tokyo station (25mins).
Karuizawa
(My visit to Karuizawa here)
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| Karuizawa Ginza |
More info on Karuizawa:
Suggested Itinerary:
0830-1000 Travel to Karuizawa
1000-1330 Explore Karuizawa (also go to Kumoba-ike pond if it's autumn season)
1400-1700 Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza
1700-1800 Return back to Tokyo
How to go Karuizawa from Tokyo:
Tokyo station to Karuizawa station via Shinkansen Asama (70mins, 5240yen for unreserved seat, or 5750yen for reserved seat for 1 way journey).
If you have the nationwide JR Pass or JR East Pass, you can use the railpass to take Shinkansen to Karuizawa at no costs.
If you do not have either the nationwide JR Pass nor JR East Pass, then I recommend that you buy the 3 days JR Kanto Area pass for 8000yen. Because considering that 2way journey between Tokyo and Karuizawa would cost 10480yen (unreserved seat), therefore it's cheaper to just get the JR Kanto Area pass for 8000yen and you can use the railpass to cover for the journey between Tokyo station and Karuizawa on Shinkansen. This would save you 2480yen.
Nikko
More info on Nikko:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html
http://www.nikko-japan.org/
http://www.nikko-jp.org/english/
http://www.nikko-japan.org/
http://www.nikko-jp.org/english/
How to go Nikko from Tokyo:
(If you have JR Pass or JR East Pass or JR Kanto Area Pass)
Tokyo station to Utsunomiya station via Shinkansen (55mins)
Utsunomiya station to JR Nikko station via JR Nikko line (45mins)
Note that the train frequency for JR Nikko line is about 1 train departure every hourly.
(If you don't have any railpass)
Tokyo station to Ueno station via JR Yamanote Loop line (7mins)
Ueno station to Utsunomiya station via JR Utsunomiya line (105mins)
Utsunomiya station to JR Nikko station via JR Nikko line (45mins)
Total fare from Tokyo station to JR Nikko station is 2520yen for 1 way.
Note that the train frequency for JR Nikko line is about 1 train departure every hourly.
See Nikko related railpasses here:
Kinugawa Onsen
(my visit to Nikko Edomura and Kinugawa onsen here)
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| Nikko Edomura |
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| Kinugawa onsen station |
More info on Kinugawa onsen:
http://edowonderland.net/ (Nikko Edomura)
http://www.tobuws.co.jp/ (Tobu World Square)
How to go Kinugawa onsen from Nikko:
(See above for directions on how to go Nikko from Tokyo)
Tobu-Nikko station at Nikko to Kinugawa-onsen station via Tobu Nikko-Kinugawa line (40-50mins, 310yen)
*about 2 trains departure every hourly.
**Sometimes you'd get a train that goes direct to Kinugawa-onsen without alighting to transfer to another train at Shimo-Imaichi, sometimes you'd get trains that ends at Shimo-Imaichi station and you'd have to alight and transfer to another train to reach Kinugawa onsen
There are 2 themed attraction parks (Nikko Edomura and Tobu World Square) near Kinugawa-Onsen, so I would recommend staying at least 1 night at Kinugawa onsen if you plan on visiting at least 1 of them.
You could also spend half a day at Nikko too, since Nikko is not too far from Kinugawa onsen.
Lake Kawaguchi (also known as Kawaguchi-ko)
Kawaguchi-ko is a popular place for people who wants to see Mt Fuji. On clear days, you can see a nice view of Mt Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi-ko. There are also quite a number of tourist attractions at the area to spend your time with.
I've visited Kawaguchi-ko many many years ago when I was still a kid (can't find my old photos though), but I don't own any photos of it, so am not linking any photos here. You can easily find photos of Kawaguchi-ko if u just do a search online.
Kawaguchi-ko is a popular place for people who wants to see Mt Fuji. On clear days, you can see a nice view of Mt Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi-ko. There are also quite a number of tourist attractions at the area to spend your time with.
I've visited Kawaguchi-ko many many years ago when I was still a kid (can't find my old photos though), but I don't own any photos of it, so am not linking any photos here. You can easily find photos of Kawaguchi-ko if u just do a search online.
More info on Kawaguchi-ko:
- http://highway-buses.jp/fuji/ (bus from Tokyo's Shinjuku to Kawaguchi-ko)
Although you could take either train or bus to Kawaguchi-ko, but I would probably recommend taking the bus, since you'd require to do a few train transfers if you take train from Tokyo to Kawaguchi-ko. Whereas the bus would be direct.
It's a few hours' journey (whether you took bus or train) from Tokyo to Kawaguchi-ko, so if you are not intending to stay overnight at Kawaguchi-ko, it will probably be evening time by the time you arrive back at Tokyo.
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