Experience More

t Old-fashioned street in Kawagoe, with kura buildings and a wooden clock tower

The city of Narita is worlds away from its nearby bustling airport, with Omotesando Dori looking more like the streets of Kyoto than something from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The town’s main attraction is Narita-san Shinsho-ji, an interesting Esoteric Shingon-sect temple founded in 940 and dedicated to Fudo Myo-o, Deity of Immovable Wisdom. Several times daily, the priests burn wooden sticks to symbolize the extinguishing of earthly passions. The streets are full of traditional shops for the 12 million temple visitors a year. Near Narita are over 1,000 ancient burial mounds (kofun); the best are in the open-air museum, Boso no Mura. One stop from Narita on the Keisei Line express service, the National Museum of Japanese History offers a good survey of Japan.

Boso no Mura

⌂ 1028 Ryukakuji, Sakae, Inba § (0476) 95-3333 # 9am–4:30pm Tue–Sun

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National Museum of Japanese History

⌂ 117 Jonaicho, Sakura § (043) 486-0123 # Mar–Sep: 9:30am–5pm Tue–Sun (Oct–Feb: to 4:30pm)

Nicknamed “Little Edo,” Kawagoe preserves the atmosphere of 19th-century Edo (the original name for Tokyo) because of its kura buildings. These clay-walled structures have double doors, and heavy shutters. About 30 kura remain and are a ten-minute walk north of Hon-Kawagoe station. Nearby, Toki-no-kane wooden bell tower was built in 1624 to tell the time and warn of fires. East of the kura streets is Kita-in, a Tendai-sect temple which includes the only extant rooms from Edo Castle.

At one time, Kawagoe possessed its own castle, which was the dominant structure in the town. Part of that castle remains in the shape of Honmaru Goten, the former residence of the lord, with many commodious rooms.

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Honmaru Goten

⌂ 2-13-1 Kurawa-machi § (049) 224-6015 # 9am–5pm Tue–Sun

t Wandering past steaming sulphur vents in Owakudani valley, Hakone

Hakone is a hilly hot-spring town, with scattered cultural and natural attractions. The Hakone area extends across the collapsed remains of a huge volcano, which was active until 3,000–4,000 years ago, leaving a legacy today of hot springs and steam vents.

Although Hakone can be visited as a long day trip from Tokyo, it is worth an overnight stay. Two- or three-day public-transportation passes are available on the Odakyu line from Shinjuku, Tokyo. A convenient circuit of the main sights starts from the onsen town of Hakone-Yumoto, taking the Tozan switchback train up the hillside to Hakone Open-Air Museum, with its modern sculptures. Continue via funicular to Hakone Museum of Art, which has an excellent Japanese ceramic collection and garden. Via the funicular and then a ropeway over the crest of the hill is the fascinating Owaku-dani (“valley of great boiling”), an area of sulfurous steam vents. This is an active volcanic zone, so sometimes the ropeway or sections of this area are closed to visitors for safety reasons.

The ropeway continues to Lake Ashi, where replicas of historical Western-style boats run to Hakone-machi and Moto-Hakone. In clear weather there are stunning views of Mount Fuji. At Hakone-machi is an interesting reconstruction of the Sekisho Barrier Gate, a checkpoint that used to control passage on the Edo-period Tokaido road between Tokyo and Kyoto.

From Hakone-machi it is a short walk to Moto-Hakone. Located on a hilltop overlooking Lake Ashi, Narukawa Art Museum exhibits 1,500 artworks by modern Japanese masters, and has spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Over a pass beyond Moto-Hakone is the Amazake-chaya teahouse, and Hatajuku village, known for yosegi-zaiku, a form of decorative marquetry.

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Hakone Open-Air Museum

⌂ 1121 Ninotaira # 9am–5pm daily ∑ hakone-oam.or.jp

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Hakone Museum of Art

⌂ 1300 Gora § (0460) 82-2623 # 9am–4:30pm Fri–Wed (Dec–Mar: to 5pm)

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Sekisho Barrier Gate

# 9am–5pm daily (Dec–Feb: to 4:30pm) ∑ hakonesekisyo.jp

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Narukawa Art Museum

⌂ 570 Motohakone # 9am–5pm daily ∑ narukawamuseum.co.jp

EXPERIENCE Beyond Tokyo

t Sunset over the harbor at Shimoda, on the Izu Peninsula

A hilly peninsula with a benign climate, Izu is popular for its many hot springs. A place of exile during the Middle Ages, in the early 1600s it was home to shipwrecked sailor William Adams, the Englishman whose story was the basis of the James Clavell novel Shogun (1975).

Izu’s east coast is quite developed, but the west has charming coves and fishing villages, such as Toi and Heda, offering delicious long-legged crabs and other seafood. The center is also relatively unspoiled, with wooded mountains and rustic hot springs. The whole region has become a popular area for cycling holidays, with its dynamic landscapes, and the many onsens (hot springs) making a great way to relax at the end of a day of cycling.

Settlement in this area dates back to 200 AD. Once a stop on the old Tokaido road (an important travel route in Edo-era Japan), and the retirement home of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shizuoka is today a sprawling urban center, the city in Japan at greatest risk of a major earthquake – and probably the only place that is fully prepared. The Toro ruins near the port have reconstructions of ancient buildings and an excellent museum. The view from Nihondaira plateau, in the east of the city, to Mount Fuji and Izu is superb. Nearby, the Oigawa steam railroad takes you right into the untamed Minami Alps mountain range.

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Toro ruins

⌂ 5-10-5 Toro § (054) 285-0476 # 9am–4:30pm Tue–Sun

The town of Katsunuma may only be a 90-minute train ride away from Tokyo, but with its lush green hills and towering mountains, it feels a million miles away from the bustle of the city.

Grape-growing here dates back to the 17th century and the area is now the heart of Japan’s wine industry, its surrounding hills striped with rows of grapevines and dotted with wineries. Home to the country’s unique koshu grape, Katsunuma boasts 31 wineries. Here, amidst the stunning scenery visitors can explore Japan’s viticultural heritage. The enormous wine complex, Budo no Oka, with its hotel, vineyard, onsen, restaurants, tasting cave, and stunning views, combines the best of the area.

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Budo no Oka

⌂ 5093 Katsunumacho Hishiyama, Koshu ∑ budounooka.com

This vast national park is spread across a region of low mountains, stretching from the narrow valleys of Okutama in the south to Chichibu city in the north. The two parts of the park are separated by mountains, crossed only by a few hiking trails. Within the park, railroads reach a few spots, but travel is mostly by bus. A silk-producing area until the early 1900s, Chichibu is now known for a pilgrim route linking 34 Kannon temples. Elsewhere in the area, Mount Mitake has a mountaintop shrine village, and the Nippara Caves are worth visiting.

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Nippara Caves

⌂ Nippara, Okutama § (0428) 83-2099 # 8am–5pm daily

Anyone interested in good whiskey should make sure to add Hakushu Distillery in Yamanashi Prefecture to their Japan itinerary. Hakushu is situated on the slopes of Mount Kaikoma, completely surrounded by forest, which creates a uniquely peaceful atmosphere. At 2,296 ft (700 m) above sea level, this is one of the highest distilleries in the world, and the altitude means that the boiling temperature is lower. This, in combination with the soft local mountain water, produces one of Japan’s finest whiskeys. The high elevation also has an impact on the aging process, meaning that the whiskey matures more slowly. At the small, but excellent, museum you can learn about the history of Japanese whiskey-making, while the worthwhile tour of the distillery finishes with a tutorial on how to make the perfect highball.

Insider Tip

Chichibu Whiskey

Ichiro’s Malt CHICHIBU is regularly ranked one of the best whiskeys in the world. The distillery was founded in Chichibu city in 2008.

EXPERIENCE Beyond Tokyo

THEME PARKS BEYOND TOKYO

Sanrio Puroland

⌂ 1-31 Ochiai, Tama, Tokyo Prefecture ∑ puroland.jp

Hello Kitty fans will love this theme park full of musicals, rides, restaurants, and cute Sanrio characters.

Tokyo Disney Resort®

⌂ 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture ∑ tokyodisneyresort.jp

Made of two parks (Disneyland® and DisneySea®) this resort is one of the top five most-visited theme parks in the world.

Fuji-Q Highland

⌂ 5-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture ∑ fujiq.jp

Best known for its exhilarating rollercoasters, haunted houses, and anime-themed attractions.