TOKYO’s Best Day Trips by Train

TOKYO’s Best Day Trips by Train

you stay for one week. But if you’re seeing just 
in the city center, you might be missing a lot. Walking through the serene temple in Kamakura, 
Seeing the port town by the Tokyo Bay from Miura and go to the right in front of the Mount Fuji 
in Kawaguchiko and see the dynamic view of the mount Fuji. There are many things to see around 
Tokyo and you can also see Tokyo in a different way or you can find a new view of Tokyo too. 
But you might wonder how do I get there and how far you can go in the day trip. And it is true. 
Train system in Japan is a little complicated and it might be a little intimidating first, because 
depend on where you go the train company you take would be different. So in this video I’d like to 
introduce you to 12 different day trip destination from the easiest day destination to the 
destination you need some preparation or research to come back in day. So now let’s dive 
into the first one and the easiest place to do a day trip is Yokohama. Yokohama is a port town 
on the west side of Tokyo. From Tokyo station it takes 25 minutes so it’s definitely the easiest. 
Yokohama is a big city, so you don’t have to worry about getting too late. Even at the night there 
are something to do and you can see the night view of the town. There are many ways to go to Yokohama 
but one way is to take Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, or you can also take Tokyu Toyoko 
Line from Shibuya to the city center near Chinatown. Yokohama itself is actually very walkable and 
even from Yokohama station to the edge of the city center called Yamate, you can actually walk. 
So you can also take the train or buses. Also there are the ferries from the Yokohama station to the city 
center too. And you can walk through the street and parks by the bay or on the hill. And there are 
several fun attractions like Cup Noodle Museum and Marine Tower. And another fun thing to do in Yokohama 
is the street food. They have the biggest China in Japan in Yokohama, and it’s always very busy with people 
and it’s a perfect spot to find lunch or dinner. So Yokohama is a perfect spot if you like cities 
easygoing places, if you like shopping and if you like street food. Another place the great place for 
the street food lover is Kawagoe. Kawagoe is located in the northwest of Tokyo and it’s 30 minutes from Ikebukuro
Station by Tobu Tojo Line. Another way to go is Seibu Shinjuku Line from Seibu Shinjuku Station. So my favorite thing to do is 
going to Kawagoe by Tobu Tojo and walk through the busy commercial street from Kawagoe Station. And the fun 
part of Kawagoe is the street gradually change to the old towns from the modern cities to the old 
towns. And when I come back I’m already tired so I take the Seibu Shinjuku which is close to the 
old town and I take the reserved seat and you can enjoy the snacks you got in Kawagoe. So in 
Kawagoe, the fun thing is to eat the street food. They are famous for the sweet potato so there are lots 
of sweet potato foods and also you can enjoy the old towns museums and quiet temples and shrines. Kawagoe 
is very walkable, but you can also take the bus so Tobu has Tobu Kawagoe Pass and you can get on the round trip 
of Tobu Tojo Line, and also you can have the free pass of the bus in Kawagoe. So if you like to stroll around 
the vivid old towns or if you like the street food, or if you like just a casual day trip that not too 
far from Tokyo, Kawagoe is a great destination. And next one is Atami. And it feels a little bit weird that 
I put Atami here because it’s actually very far. With usual Tokaido Line it takes 1 hour and 50 minutes, 
but the reason Atami is here is because they have shinkansen. If you take Kodama which is stops every 
station of Tokaido Shinkansen and you can arrive in 45 minutes from Tokyo Station. Atami is a hot spring 
resort town. It’s a great place to to explore the kind of old atmosphere, retro atmosphere. It used 
to be a very popular hot spring destination, but once it was deserted as Japanese people’s way to enjoy the 
leisure changed, but now it’s coming, coming back with lots of international tourists and also Japanese people 
start to find it attractive again. Atami is very geographically interesting. It has a steep mountain 
continuing from Hakone Mountains coning to Pacific Ocean and you see different islands on Pacific. 
You see the beach and there are steams from hot springs so it’s a really fun place to explore. There are
lot of souvenir shops. The only thing you might want to pay attention is there are lots of stairs in 
the town as most whole city is on the cliff. If you like to see a little more about Atami please see 
my video I went to Kawazu as I dropped by Atami on the way back to Tokyo. And next one is actually in 
Tokyo – Mount Takao. Mount Takao is located in the west side of Tokyo City Center and from Shinjuku 
it takes 55 minutes by a private line called Keio Line and there direct train from Shinjuku to 
Takaosanguchi Station. It’s running every 10 minutes so it’s very easy to get to. So frequency of the train 
is very important for easy going trip. Mount Takao is a not high mountains, but you can see the nature 
trails and also there the temples. It’s a place you can see something different from the city center 
of Tokyo. There are several route to go up. You can choose a different trails, but in case you have a 
regular shoes you can also go up the paved street to go up to the mountain and also there’s a lift 
and cable car. To get to Mount Takao probably you might want to avoid the weekend because it 
can be pretty busy. So Mount Takao is a great place to enjoy the nature easily not going too far away 
from Tokyo. And next one is Kamakura. Kamakura is a seaside town located in the southwest of Tokyo and 
it takes about 1 hour from Tokyo Station. There’s a direct train from both Tokyo Station and Shinjuku 
Station and it’s 950 yen from both stations. Kamakura is a place you can see lots of traditions 
of Japan. The major sightseeing spot is Tsuruga Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura’s Great Buddha and you can also enjoy the coastal 
scenery that you don’t see such in Tokyo. So major spot of Kamakura is located in the Kita Kamakura 
Station, Kamakura Station and Hase Station. These places you can go by either JR or Enoden Tram, but 
some location like Hokokuji Temple you need to take a bus, but otherwise you can walk around. So it’s very 
easy going place if you arrive from Tokyo. Right in front of the station there’s a commercial street to Tsuruga Hachimangu
which is the main shrine of Kamakura. Kamakura has a lots of places to see. You might want to do some 
planning because probably in the day trip it is difficult to see everything especially if you go 
to the Enoshima which I talk after this. It will be more difficult. So for how to plan the trip to 
Kamakura, please see my guide to Kamakura video. So Kamakura is a perfect spot in case you’d like 
to visit the old temple the serene beautiful scenery of the temples. Also there are some 
hiking trails too. There’s the nature of the ocean and mountain, and it’s very relaxing place. 
And next one is right next to Kamakura, Enoshima. Considering the time it takes in Kamakura it can 
be independent destination from Tokyo. Enoshima is isolated island looks like floating on the 
Pacific Ocean. It has a lots of souvenir shops around the street. It’s something nostalgic old style
Japanese sightseeing spot. Enoshima you can access by Enoden from Kamakura but you can also access by Shonan Monorail, or
Odakyu Railway directly from Shinjuku and it takes about 1 hour from Shinjuku to Katase Enoshima Station. 
There’s a reserved seat train called Romance Car running a few times a day for your convenience 
from Katase Enoshima to Shinjuku so if you can catch that it will be very convenient to come back. And 
from any station in a few minutes you will meet the bridge going to the Enoshima so you can walk 
across the bridge and you can enter Enoshima. So pretty walkable place and you don’t have to take a 
bus. Odakyu’s Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass that you can get on this Odakyu Line from Shinjuku and Enoden Train 
will be very convenient. Enoshima is a great day destination if you like to see the ocean and 
you can see the dynamic view of Mt. Fuji across the ocean. And next one is Misakig and Jogashima. And this is a port town 
located in the edge of the Miura Peninsula which is making the left side of the coast of the 
Tokyo Bay. And to get to here you can take Keikyu Line from Shinagawa and it will be 70 minutes 
to MisakiguchiStation and from there you take the bus, so a little more challenging than going 
to Enoshima. And this is obviously a less tourist area. Something you can do here is you can walk 
through the quiet port town and you can see the Jogashima Island which you can enjoy the hiking too.
And there are lot of cats there, so it’s a very fun place to go. And the best thing to do 
in Miura is eating the tuna. You see lots of tuna restaurant called maguro in Japanese. So in this area 
and the great ticket to get is a Misaki Maguro Kippu, and with this ticket the round trip train ticket, free 
ride of the bus and one lunch with a tuna and you can also get some activities like 
cycling and I chose to be on the ferry that you can see underwater of Tokyo Bay and 
you can feed to the bird just come close to the boat. And this tuna ticket is usually 3,950 yen 
which is about 4,000 yen and for any link that available for this day trip guides or two different 
destination I put the link in the description below. So this trip to the edge of the Miura 
Peninsula be perfect for someone who likes the less crowded place and less found place and 
someone who likes cat or someone who likes to eat tuna. And the next day trip destination is Narita. 
Narita is a famous place for the airport. It’s also a historical town that you can enjoy the old town 
scenery. Narita has a major temple called Naritasan Shinsoji and it’s a popular spot to go to pray for Japanese 
people. Along the street has been developed as a commercial Street for people visiting Naritasan
Shishoji Temple and it will be 70 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station by Limited Express. And this is not 
the Limited Express that you need additional cost.It’s a regular Limited Express. And in case 
you have a little time in Narita Airport it’s 11 minutes from the airport. Something you might 
want to be careful is the airport access to Tokyo Narita Express and Keisei Skyliner doesn’t go 
through this city center of Narita. So Narita is a great spot to drop by in case you have 
some time at Narita Airport and see traditional town of Japan. The next one is Chichibu. Chichibu is a 
mountain area located in the west of Tokyo. It’s a quiet local town that not developed too much. 
1 hour 70 minutes away from Ikebukuro Station and you can take the interesting limited express train 
called LaVue. And this LaVue has a wide window and it has a very interesting design. So one 
of the reason to go to Chichibu is this train. And Chichibu wasn’t very popular place unlike other 
major sightseeing spots. Chichibu was left from the development so it still has a countryside atmosphere that 
you don’t see much anymore around Tokyo. In case you like the nostalgic atmosphere or countryside 
atmosphere of Japan, might be a good location to go. And after here that you might be able to consider 
staying overnight too. You can go for a day trip and many Tokyo people do a day trip, but in case 
you do the day trip you might have to leave early and come back before it gets too dark. And you 
might want to make sure to make a reservation for the train especially when you visit on 
the weekend. The best is plan ahead and book the ticket before you come to Japan or as soon 
as you arrive Japan. And also if you take a look at a little bit where to go after you get there 
it might save your time instead of looking at the smartphone in the destination for the day trip. 
You don’t have time to waste. And next one is Hakone. Hakone is a mountain area in the west of Tokyo and 
if you use a limited express called Romance Car from Shinjuku you can arrive in 1 hour and 20 minutes to 
Hakone-Yumoto Station. And – but if you stay in the Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station side, you might be 
able to take shinkansen to Odawara Station and change to Hakone Mountain Railway to Hakone Yumoto. Hakone is 
surrounded by the caldera mountains made by volcanic activities. There are different hot spring 
towns are spreading across the mountain area and there’s a cable car, mountain railway and ferry,
and ropeway across the mountain. Enjoying those ride and view is one part of enjoying the Hakone, 
and there also old trails which used to connect Tokyo and Kyoto and you can see that how old 
trail used to be, how Japanese people used to travel in Japan in the old times. And convenient 
pass is Odakyu Hakone Free Pass and this one you can get one round trip ticket from Tokyo to Hakone, plus 
the free ride of those other transportation in the mountain of Hakone. So Hakone is a great 
place to enjoy the transportations and view from the transportation like lakes and Mount Fuji, and 
also it’s a great place to enjoy the hot springs and some traditional scenery in the mountain. And
next one is Nikko. And Nikko is a mountain resort in the north of Tokyo and it takes 1 hour and 
15 minutes by Limited Express from Asakusa Station and this limited express has many different 
types and one of the famous train is a Spacia X newly debuted and for day trip visitors probably 
it’s a must to take the limited express that cost additional charge. Nikko is a place that you 
can see a traditional scenery of Toshogu Shrine which is one of the most famous shrine in Japan as it in 
enshrines Ieyasu Tokugawa, who built the foundation of Tokyo. And also it has beautiful falls like Kegon Falls, Ryuzu Falls and
Yutaki Falls. And you can walk through those trails too so it’s a place you can enjoy both tradition 
and nature. And last day to destination is Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan 
located in the west side of Tokyo and you can access in 2 hours from Tokyo to the town called 
Kawaguchiko and from Shinjuku you can take either train or bus and both takes about 2 hours. This is a place you 
can see the dynamic view of Mount Fuji. You get very close to the mountain so if it’s a good weather 
you can see very nice mountain scenery. Where you can go on the foot is very limited and usually 
you have to take trains or buses to get around. And there other places like Oshino Hakkai that you can 
see the beautiful streams coming up from Mt. Fuji and also there’s a Fujikyu Highland that are famous 
for the roller coaster. If you like to more active is you can also enjoy cycling along the lake 
of the Lake Kawaguchiko and there’s a place like Oishi Park that you can see the Mt. Fuji over the lake. 8,260 yen 
round is a little expensive but there’s a great pass in case you do similar day trips and this is 
a JR Tokyo Wide Pass and and this JR Tokyo Pass is available for 3 days, and you can book the reserved 
seat of limited express train. Kawaguchiko is definitely a great place in case you like to see Mt Fuji closer 
and also great place to do some activity along the lake. So I hope you find your favorite day trip 
destination near Tokyo. In this channel I’m talking about all about Japan travel – how to enjoy travel 
more in Toyo and around. And also I’m making some vlogs across Japan so you can get the idea where 
to go in Japan .So if you like the content please click like button on this video. So again day trip 
is a very easy way to travel because you can leave all the huge luggage at your hotel and still 
you can enjoy the different parts of Japan. And fortunately Tokyo has a lots of place that you can 
do a day trip and see the amazing scenery. If you have any day trip destination that you recommend 
to other travelers, please also let me know in the comment. Thank you for watching. Have a great trip
to Japan. Have a great week until the next video.

Looking for DAY TRIPS from TOKYO? Whether you love nature, history, hot springs, or adventure, this guide covers 15 incredible destinations just a short ride from Japan’s capital city Tokyo.

My other day trips videos:
Yokohama: https://youtu.be/kdF4W3lwYuU?si=acqDZFwCdh-plrHF
Kawagoe : https://youtu.be/Aye3cT7tVyU
Atami (Atami part is at 8:40) : https://youtu.be/gjAOOMAZyeA
Mt.Takao : https://youtu.be/7ufBCLzUQ1A
Kamakura: https://youtu.be/yT65VyIQZ1A?si=xX7FxLBVa3Z8OKqa
Miura : https://youtu.be/W9ALqJg46DM?si=a8zSVTaTeV2Q5psl
Narita: https://youtu.be/URgLWl_O2GM
Hakone: https://youtu.be/GpqsbCPbgoE
Kawaguchiko : https://youtu.be/XBAvctn-88g
Nikko : https://youtu.be/TgQyHOJhZAU

Chichibu Nagatoro Ticket:
Misaki Maguro Ticket: Misaki Maguro Day Trip Ticket: https://www.klook.com/activity/85227-misaki-maguro-tuna-ticket/?aid=35056

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About me
Thank you for watching. My name is Kengo. I create Japan travel guide videos from Tokyo that showcase Japanese culture, essential travel tips, and must-visit places—from top spots to hidden gems across Japan. Please subscribe for my weekly exploration to discover the charm of Japan.

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