We recommend that you come up with an idea on the morning of the day and take a day trip to stretch your legs! Here are some carefully selected sightseeing spots in Kanto where you can enjoy an extraordinary experience within a few hours from Tokyo.
[Tochigi Prefecture] Ashikaga Flower Park
80-meter-long white wisteria tunnel are designated as natural treasures by Tochigi Prefecture. During the month of mid-April to mid-May, when the best viewing time is from mid-April to mid-May, the “Fuji no Hanamonogatari – Daiwata Matsuri (Big Wisteria Festival)” will be held. The “Flower Garden of Light” illumination held from late October has been selected as one of the three best illuminations in Japan by the Night View Convention Bureau.
[Tochigi Prefecture] Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Unsplash
This shrine was dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa Shogun, in 1617. The precincts of the shrine are characterized by the use of paths and stairways that take advantage of the natural terrain, and the well-balanced arrangement of the shrine pavilions, which create a sublime religious space. The extreme colors of the buildings and lacquer, as well as the numerous carved pillars, represent forms of faith, learning, and thought.
[Tochigi Prefecture] Senjogahara
The marshland was once a lake and has been transformed into a marshland, covering a vast area of 400 hectares. The marshland is home to as many as 350 species of plants and is famous for its many species of wild birds, and is registered under the Ramsar Convention as a “wetland of international importance, especially as a habitat for waterfowl. A nature trail has been developed around the marshland, and there is a hiking course that can be completed in about two hours. The name “Akagi” comes from a myth that this area was the site of a battle between the gods of Mount Nantai and Mount Akagi over Lake Chuzenji.
[Chiba Prefecture] Egawa Coast
Chiba Kanko Navi
[Chiba Prefecture] Sawara
Chiba Prefecture Tourism and Products Association “Chiba Kanko Navi” (@marugoto_chiba)” nickname=”Official] Chiba Prefecture Tourism and Products Association “Chiba Kanko Navi” (@marugoto_chiba)” /]
[Kanagawa Prefecture] Monkey Island
[Saitama Prefecture] Kawagoe
Located within a 30-kilometer radius of central Tokyo, Kawagoe is dotted with many sightseeing spots, including the “Kura-zukuri no Machinami” (old warehouses), the symbol of Kawagoe, the “Toki no Kane” (bell of time) that soars high above the warehouse streets, and “Kashiya Yokocho” where sweets stores stand side by side to preserve the simple, nostalgic taste of the old days. In 1999, it was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
[Saitama] Nagatoro
The entire town is designated as Prefectural Nagatoro Tamayodo Nature Park, and both banks of the Arakawa River running through the center of the park are surrounded by beautiful scenery and nature. In addition to the Michelin Green Guide Japon one-star Baotan Shrine, plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, wax gourds, the seven plants temple in autumn, and autumn leaves, the famous river rafting, hiking courses, water sports, and numerous interactive activities can be enjoyed all year round.
[Yamanashi] Kiyosato Terrace
(@sunmeadows3302)” /]
A relaxing space with a spectacular view located at the highest elevation in the Kiyosato area, the Sun Meadows Kiyosato terrace is spread out at the summit area, the highest elevation in the Sun Meadows Kiyosato area. Visitors can enjoy a sense of openness that only a mountain resort can offer, relaxing on the bed sofas scattered about or on the outdoor sofas set up on the observation deck, or strolling among the greenery while gazing at the spectacular view below.
[Yamanashi] Hottarakashi Hot Springs
This natural hot spring bath is popular for its natural location, the view overlooking Fuji and the Kofu Basin, and for its night view, which is said to have a starry sky ceiling. Fuji in front of the bathhouse, the former “Koko no Yu” features a relaxing atmosphere with its wooden and rock open-air baths and wood-scented indoor baths, while the new “Koko no Yu” is twice as large as the former and offers a night view of the Kofu Basin, one of the three major nightscapes of new Japan, as well as the morning sunrise. After taking a bath, we recommend the famous gourmet “Ontama-age” (fried eggs).