My 19 year old son and I will be accompanying my husband on a business trip to Japan this October. The business part of the trip will be in Yokohama and should be one or two days tops then we will all spend another week or so sightseeing. My husband and I have been to Matsuyama and Kyoto before, this is my son's 1st trip. Is there anything special we should see in Yokohama? Is it worth spending more than just the days we will be there on business? I am thinking of spending a 3 or 4 days in Tokyo and then taking a train for a few hours to stay in another location for a few more days, preferably somewhere that we can see more of the countryside. I have been reading trip reports etc and see Hakone mentioned...is this a good place to see another side of Japan?

Yokohama is most famous for its Chinatown. There is also a lovely sea view, a famous bridge (lots of bridges are tourist attractions in Japan, though I've really not been able to figure out why), a "foreigner" area with old European style buildings. There is a subway line that connects you to Tokyo very quickly as well.

Hakone is a very famous hot spring resort, with its proximity to Tokyo making it an easy day trip if you like. Taking the train for a few hours could get you to Kyoto or Hiroshima if you were so inclined. For countryside you might even consider Nagano prefecture...you could easily take a shinkansen to Echigoyuzawa and go from there to some lovely mountain resort areas.

You can pretty much cover Yokohama during those business days. There is a Chinatown to visit. A garden. You could take a boat ride out on the bay - on a clear day you would get a good view of Mt Fuji beyond the skyline. Son might like the Hard Rock Cafe and there are shops in the same area - by the building that looks like a watermelon slice.

Near to Yokohama is Kamakura.

Hakone is in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and it is scenic. Lots of ryokan and hotels with onsen baths. There are other attractions. Not really the countryside, exactly, but more of a recreation area. Just past Hakone is the Fuji Five Lakes area.

But those areas are a bit too close if you really are interested in traveling for a couple of hours to get to a different region and to see some of the countryside from the train (a trip where half the fun is getting there).

Hi Kim. We posted in the same minute!

I agree that Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone and the Izu Penninsula would be easy trips from Yokohama. I have heard that the Ramen museum in Yokohama is worth a visit but have not been there myself. China town is fun and the food tends to have a Japanese flavour.

Thanks all, I am going to go buy my Fodor's Japan book and read up but I know I will be back with more questions because there are nothing like the wonderful folks here who take the time to answer! I have already identified several of you as the "go-to" experts!