90 Best Sights in Side Trips from Tokyo, Japan

The first American consul to Japan was New York businessman Townsend Harris. Soon after his arrival in Shimoda, he asked the Japanese authorities to provide him with a female servant; they sent him a young girl named Okichi Saito, who was engaged to be married. The arrangement brought her a new name—Tojin (the Foreigner's) Okichi—much disgrace, and a tragic end: she drowned herself in 1892. Her tale is recounted in Rei Kimura's biographical novel Butterfly in the Wind and inspired Puccini's Madame Butterfly, although some skeptics say the story is more gossip than fact. Hofuku-ji was Okichi's family temple. The museum annex displays a life-size image of her, and, just behind the temple, is her grave, where incense is still kept burning in her memory.

This lovely, little, often-overlooked Zen temple of the Rinzai sect that was built in 1334 is truly worth a visit. Over the years it had fallen into disrepair and neglect, until an enterprising priest took over, cleaned up the gardens, and began promoting the temple for meditation sessions, calligraphy exhibitions, and tea ceremony. Behind the main hall are a thick grove of bamboo and a small tea pavilion—a restful oasis and a fine place to go for matcha (green tea).

The temple is about 1.5 km (1 mile) east on Route 204 from the main entrance to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Turn right at the traffic light by the Hokokuji-iriguchi bus stop and walk about three minutes south to the gate.

The museum, between Mt. Omuro and Lake Ippeki, houses works by Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, and Matisse, plus a number of woodblock prints. 

A branch of the nation's revered Grand Shrines of Ise, this is the most important Shinto shrine in Yokohama—but it's worth a visit only if you've seen most everything else in town.

Located on the northern side of Lake Kawaguchi, this museum displays a superb collection of elaborately decorated kimono created by the late Itchiku Kubota. All the work is beautiful, but the standout is an unfinished piece called Symphony of Light, which combines several dozen kimono to depict a seasonally changing Mt. Fuji. It's all housed in a Gaudi-inspired facility that's worth a look in its own right. 

A semi–free-range petting zoo and cactus park might not seem like the best combination, but Izu Shaboten Zoo makes it work. In addition to viewing some of the 1,500 varieties of cactus, you can feed, pet, or otherwise get up close and personal with more than 140 different animals, including the capybara onsen (animals like hot springs too). Next to the zoo is 580-meter (1,903-foot) Mt. Omuro, a distinctive cinder cone volcano worth the hike (or the ropeway fee) for the panoramas from the trail around its crater.

Falling water is one of the special charms of the Nikko National Park area, and people traveling from Toshogu to Lake Chuzenji often stop off to see these cascades. They descend in a series of seven terraced stages, forming a sheet of water about 30 meters (100 feet) high. About 1 km (½ mile) west from the shrine precincts, at the Tamozawa Imperial Villa bus stop, a narrow road to the right leads to an uphill walk of some 3 km (2 miles) to the falls.

In the Five Mountains hierarchy, Jochi-ji Temple was ranked fourth. The buildings now in the complex are thoughtful reconstructions (the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed the originals), while older features include a small garden and bamboo grove. Jochi-ji is on the south side of the railway tracks, a few minutes' walk farther southwest of Tokei-ji in the direction of Kamakura.

Founded in 1188, this is the fifth of the Five Mountains Zen monasteries. Though this modest single-story monastery belonging to the Rinzai sect lacks the grandeur and scale of Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji, it still merits the status of an Important Cultural Property. It is nestled inside an immaculate garden that is particularly beautiful in spring, when the cherry trees bloom. The monastery's only distinctive features are its green roof and the statues of Shaka Nyorai and Amida Nyorai, who represent truth and enlightenment, in the main hall. There's also a tearoom serving Japanese tea and sweets.

This museum was built in 1928 as a repository for many important objects belonging to area shrines and temples; many of these are designated Important Cultural Properties. Located along the east side of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine precincts, the museum has an especially fine collection of devotional and portrait sculpture in wood from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods; the portrait pieces may be among the most expressive and interesting in all of classical Japanese art.

This Shinto shrine was built after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and was dedicated to Prince Morinaga (1308–36), the first son of Emperor Go-Daigo. When Go-Daigo overthrew the Kamakura Shogunate and restored Japan to direct imperial rule, Morinaga—who had been in the priesthood—was appointed supreme commander of his father's forces.

The prince lived in turbulent times and died young: when the Ashikaga clan in turn overthrew Go-Daigo's government, Morinaga was taken into exile, held prisoner in a cave behind the present site of Kamakuragu, and eventually beheaded. The Homotsu-den (Treasure House), on the northwest corner of the grounds, next to the shrine's administrative office, is of interest mainly for its collection of paintings depicting the life of Prince Morinaga.

This museum is housed in one of the few Yokohama buildings to have survived both the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and World War II. Although most exhibits have no explanations in English, the third-floor galleries showcase some remarkable medieval wooden sculptures (including one of the first Kamakura shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo), hanging scrolls, portraits, and armor. The exhibits of prehistory and of Yokohama in the early modern period are of much less interest.

Founded in 1250, Kencho-ji was the foremost of Kamakura's five great Zen temples, and it lays claim to being the oldest Zen temple in all of Japan. It was modeled on one of the great Chinese monasteries of the time and built for a distinguished Zen master who had just arrived from China. Over the centuries, disasters have taken their toll; indeed, the Main Gate and the Lecture Hall (Hatto) are the only two structures to have survived the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Although many buildings have been authentically reconstructed, the complex today is half its original size. Near the Main Gate (San-mon) is a bronze bell cast in 1255; it's the temple's most important treasure.

Like Engaku-ji, Kencho-ji is a functioning temple of the Rinzai sect, where novices train and laypeople can come to take part in Zen meditation. Nearly hidden at the back of the temple is a long stairway and hiking trail that leads to Zuisen-ji, another of Kamakura's major temples. The hike takes about 90 minutes.

Komuroyama is known for its views of Mt. Fuji to the northwest and the 100,000 azaleas that bloom on and around Mt. Komuro in April. You can take a ski-lift style cable to the top of the mountain, which has a lovely view of the sea below.

From Owakudani, the descent by gondola to Togendai (via Ubako) on the shore of Lake Ashi takes 25 minutes. There's no reason to linger at Togendai; it's only a terminus for buses to Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara and to the resort villages in the northern part of Hakone. Head straight for the pier, a few minutes' walk down the hill, where boats set out on the lake for Hakone-machi. With still water and good weather, you'll get a breathtaking reflection of the mountains in the waters of the lake.

A 5- to 10-minute walk north from Kawaguchi-ko Station, the most developed of the five lakes is ringed with weekend retreats and traditional ryokan—many of them maintained by companies and universities for their employees. Excursion boats depart from a pier here on 30-minute lake tours (¥1,000). The promise, not always fulfilled, is to have two views of Mt. Fuji: one of the mountain itself and the other inverted in its reflection on the water. Other attractions near the lake include Fuji-Q Highland amusement park and the impressive kimono collection at the Itchiku Kubota Museum.

Lake Motosu is the deepest, clearest, and farthest west of the five lakes (about 50 minutes by bus from Kawaguchi-ko). As it's also one of the least developed of the lakes, it's a good spot for hikers and nature lovers. If you want to see it without visiting, take a look at a ¥1,000 bill; Motosu is pictured on the reverse side.

Between lakes Shoji and Kawaguchi, Sai is the third-largest lake of the Fuji Go-ko, with only moderate development. From the western shore there is an especially good view of Mt. Fuji. Near Sai-ko there are three natural caves, an ice cave, a bat cave, and a wind cave. You can either take a bus or walk to them.

Many consider Lake Shoji, the smallest of the lakes, to be the prettiest. There are still remnants of lava flow jutting out from the water, which locals perch upon while fishing. The 17-km-long (10.5 miles) Shoji Trail leads from Lake Shoji to Mt. Fuji's Fuji-Subaru Line 5th Station through Aoki-ga-hara (Sea of Trees). This forest has an underlying magnetic lava field that makes compasses go haywire. Be prepared with a good trail map before taking this hike.

The largest lake of the Fuji Go-ko, Yamanaka is 35 minutes by bus to the southeast of Kawaguchi. It's also the closest lake to the popular Yoshida Trail up Mt. Fuji that starts at Fuji-Subaru Line 5th Station, and many climbers use this resort area as a base.

On the northern shore of peaceful Yunoko (Lake Yuno), a series of isolated hot springs were a popular with 14th-century aristocrats. Today, the area is still known for its hot springs—being able to soak in an onsen even when temperatures drop below zero is a major plus—but they are now controlled by separate resorts. Besides the healing and relaxing effects of the baths, visitors come for the hiking trails, fishing, camping, skiing, bird-watching, and mountain-climbing opportunities. Try to avoid the fall season, as it's peak visitor time and there are always delays. 

Although no longer Japan's tallest building—that title now goes to Tokyo's Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower—this 70-story tower in Yokohama's Minato Mirai is the tallest in Greater Tokyo. The 69th-floor Sky Garden observation deck has a spectacular view of the city, especially at night; you reach it via a high-speed elevator that carries you up at an ear-popping 45 kph (28 mph). The complex's Dockyard Garden is a restored dry dock with stepped sides of massive stone blocks. The long, narrow floor of the dock, with its water cascade at one end, makes a wonderful year-round open-air venue for concerts and other events; in summer (July–mid-August), the beer garden installed here is a perfect refuge from the heat. The Yokohama Royal Park Hotel occupies the building's top 20 stories, and the courtyard on the northeast side connects to Queen's Square, a huge atrium-style vertical mall with dozens of shops (mainly for clothing and accessories) as well as cafés and restaurants.

For an older generation of Yokohama residents, the 348-foot-high decagonal tower, which opened in 1961, was the city's landmark structure; civic pride prevented them from admitting that it falls lamentably short of an architectural masterpiece. The tower has a navigational beacon at the 338-foot level and purports to be the world's tallest lighthouse. At the 328-foot level, an observation gallery provides 360-degree views of the harbor and the city, and, on clear days in autumn or winter, you can often see Mt. Fuji in the distance.

This temple is also known as Ajisai-dera ("the hydrangea temple"), and when the flowers bloom in June, it becomes one of the most popular places in Kamakura. The gardens transform into a sea of color—pink, white, and blue—and visitors can number in the thousands. The rainy season drizzle that accompanies the flowers shouldn't deter you; it only showcases this incredible floral display to its best advantage. Meigetsu-in features Kamakura's largest yagura (a tomb cavity enclosing a mural) on which 16 images of Buddha are carved.

The man who put Kamakura on the map, so to speak, chose not to leave it when he died: it's only a short walk from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu to the tomb of the man responsible for its construction, Minamoto no Yoritomo. If you've already been to Nikko and have seen how a later dynasty of shoguns sought to glorify its own memories, you may be surprised at the simplicity of Yoritomo's tomb.

If you want to see Yokohama urban development at its most self-assertive, then this is it. The aim of this project, launched in the mid-1980s, was to turn some three-quarters of a square mile of waterfront property, lying east of the JR Negishi Line railroad tracks between Yokohama and Sakuragicho stations, into a model "harbor of the future." As a hotel, business, international exhibition, and conference center, it's been a smashing success.

Filling galleries directly across from the Landmark Tower are rocket engines, power plants, a submarine, various gadgets, and displays that simulate piloting helicopters.

The third stop on the train route from Hakone-Yumoto, this is a small but very pleasant and popular resort village. In addition to hot springs, it has antiques shops along its main road and several trailheads for hiking routes up the ¾-km- (½-mile-) tall Mt. Sengen. If you get to the top, you'll be rewarded with a great view of the gorge.

This museum houses the private collection of messianic religious leader Mokichi Okada (1882–1955), who founded a movement called the Sekai Kyusei Kyo (Religion for the Salvation of the World). He also acquired more than 3,000 works of art; some are from the Asuka period (6th and 7nth centuries). Among the collection are several particularly fine ukiyo-e (Edo-era woodblock prints) and ceramics. On a hill above the station and set in a garden full of old plum trees and azaleas, the museum also affords a sweeping view over Atami and the bay.

Within a block of Ishikawacho Station is the beginning of this street, which follows the course of the Nakamura-gawa (Nakamura River) to the harbor where the Japanese set up shop 100 years ago to serve the foreigners living in Kannai. The street is now lined with smart boutiques and jewelry stores. A network of side streets leading from Motomachi contain a nice selection of cafés and restaurants.