Best Resort in Kanto Region: Take JR from Tokyo to Hakone, Kamakura, Yokohama

Yokohama is the third largest city in Japan, and is one of the most popular attractions near Tokyo. As the earliest city to open its ports, Yokohama has lots of attractions such as the largest Chinatown in Asia, the Yamate Seiyoukan, which is very exotic. It is also famous for its incredible night views.

There are many spots that are worth visiting, including the Sky Garden in the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the Cosmo Clock 21 in Yokohama Cosmo World, and the Osanbashi in the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal. You will never be disappointed after touring these amazing landmarks.

As the neighbor of Tokyo, Hakone is best-known for its hot springs, especially its volcanic ones. Enjoy Mount Fuji while bathing in the hot springs! About 2 hours from Tokyo, it is very suitable for a 1-2 day tour.

The hot springs in Hakone are second to none in Japan, so there is a wide variety of hot spring hotels there. The high-end Japanese courtyard hotels are well worth spending 1-2 nights at.

Although Hakone is not very large, it is full of attractions. For example, Lake Ashi (whose views change according to the four seasons), the misty Oojigoku, the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa Resort (the largest hot spring theme park), and the modern-looking Hakone Open-Air Museum.

Enjoy the ocean view and hot springs by the shore! Atami is the nearest hot spring resort in the Izu Peninsula to Tokyo, and its hot springs are located in the sea. Because of its great popularity, it is a good representation of Japanese hot springs.

Hot springs and seafood are very famous in Atami. Most of the hot spring hotels are located alongside the ocean, so you can enjoy the sea while bathing in an open air hot spring there. In addition, Atami is one of the stations on the Shinkansen line (Tokyo-Kyoto). When traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto, you can bathe in the hot springs and stay in Atami overnight.

Mount Fuji and Sakura cherry blossoms are the first two things we think about when talking about Japan. Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters above sea level. It not only the tallest mountain in Japan, but also the country's symbol.

Recently, climbing Mount Fuji has become one of the most popular traveling trends for summer. Mount Fuji is a holy land in the minds of Japanese people, so they believe that everyone must climb it at least once in their lifetimes. However, the climbing period of Mount Fuji is very short, and the mountain is only available to climb between July 1 and August 31. Normally people start climbing in the afternoon and arrive at the summit just before sunrise.

Besides climbing Mount Fuji, you can also tour the surrounding resorts such as Lake Kawaguchi (where you can take a bath in a hot spring), Oshino Hakkai, and Fuji-Q Highland which is a thrilling theme park. A 2-day tour is recommended, not including the climbing time.

Kamakura, located in Kanagawa Prefecture, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea. It is one of the three ancient capitals of Japan. There are many shrines and temples where the Kamakura Buddha is worshipped. One can feel the mellow and historical culture of Japan very strongly here.

In addition, Kamakura is also a very popular seaside sightseeing place. The blue Shonan Coast is a good place to surf in the summer. Anime fans can also take the archaic Enoshima Electric Railway to revisit their youthful memories of the manga "Slam Dunk".

If you want to go out for one day in Tokyo's suburbs, Enoshima and Kamakura are excellent choices. A one-way trip from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo to Enoshima takes about an hour. The Kamakura and Odakyu Enoshima Rail Pass can satisfy all your traffic demands for the entire day.

Karuizawa is a famous summer resort in Japan, as well as a luxury villa area and a residential area for the upper class in Japan. It is said that Emperor Akihito met the princess in Karuizawa, which suggests that this is a place brimming with romance and legend.

There are not many scenic spots in Karuizawa. The old Karuizawa Ginza is the busiest business district in Karuizawa. There are hot springs and hiking routes in the middle, and many art galleries and museums in the south of Karuizawa. At its south entrance, there is also the large "Prince Shopping Plaza" which is full of shopping outlets. Hundreds of shops are scattered around the waterside lawns. The environment is very elegant and comfortable.

Nikko, located in the northwest of Tochigi Prefecture, about 2 hours' drive from Tokyo, is the gathering place of the Tokugawa family's cultural treasures. Among them, ancient buildings such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Rinnō-ji Temple and Futarasan-jinja have also been registered as World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

In addition to the World Heritage "two shrines and one temple", Nikko also has Kegon Falls, (one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan), Kinugawa Onsen, and the Nikko Edo Wonderland from the Edo era. It is also known as the "hometown of Japanese maple leaves" and is fairly famous for viewing maple trees. You can visit the whole of Nikko in 2-3 days.