There is a lot to discover in the Kanto region around Japan’s capital Tokyo, and it can be hard to decide where to go with so many possible destinations in mind, especially when your time is limited. If you take the train every day, traveling can get quite expensive, particularly if you want to go on day trips a little further away. Here it is worthwhile to use one of the numerous train passes<\/a>. This article will give you travel tips for day trips from Tokyo with the JR Tokyo Wide Pass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The JR Tokyo Wide Pass is a train ticket valid for three consecutive days <\/strong>and can be purchased by anyone with a non-Japanese passport. It can be used by foreign tourists as well as foreign residents in Japan. For 10,180 yen<\/strong>, you can travel around a large area surrounding Tokyo using special express trains. Especially if you want to cover longer distances, the pass is valuable to save money. Plus, traveling by train in Japan is much more fun!<\/p>\n\n\n[the_ad id=”99983″]\n\n\n\n
You can purchase the pass either online in advance or after you arrive in Japan at the Japan Railway Travel Service Center<\/a>. If you’re looking to travel further into the Kanto region, here is further information about where you can go on the JR Tokyo Wide Pass.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n
There are tons of places you can travel to with the JR Tokyo Wide Pass in the Kanto region. We make Tokyo our starting point, as Japan’s capital is mostly chosen as accommodation by tourists. Even if the train pass is only valid for three days, if you want to visit even more places, you can buy another pass with a new validity period.
In addition to the traveling times to each location, I’ll share the regular costs for the individual train journeys without the JR Tokyo Wide Pass (or another train pass) to decide whether the pass is worthwhile for your planned travel route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A popular destination is Japan’s highest mountain, Mount Fuji. With the JR Tokyo Wide Pass, you can travel to Lake Kawaguchiko<\/strong> (\u6cb3\u53e3\u6e56), from where you have a wonderful view of Mount Fuji on a clear day. But also a stop at the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine <\/strong>(\u65b0\u5009\u5bcc\u58eb\u6d45\u9593\u795e\u793e) \u2014 get off at Shimoyoshida station \u2014 won’t be difficult either. There you can see Mount Fuji together with the famous Chureito Pagoda <\/strong>(\u5fe0\u970a\u5854). For fans of roller coasters, the pass is ideal for a visit to the FujiQ Highland<\/strong>, an amusement park with many attractions. In addition, Kawaguchiko and Mt. Fuji Station are good starting points for exploring the wider area by bus or rental car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The train ride from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station takes under two hours on the Fuji-Excursion Limited Express <\/a>and costs 4,130 yen one way. Note that this special train only runs three times a day in each direction and it is better to make a seat reservation (free with the JR Tokyo Wide Pass). Otherwise, you can also use the regular trains, which require a little more time and are usually connected with transfers between trains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nikko is another popular destination from Tokyo. There you will find the famous Toshogu Shrine <\/a><\/strong>(\u6771\u7167\u5bae) with the mausoleum of Ieyasu Tokugawa, but also some other beautiful temples and shrines. The area offers great hiking trails with waterfalls and gorges. The JR Tokyo Wide Pass furthermore gives you access to Kinugawa Onsen Station<\/strong>, a hot spring resort. From there you can also visit the miniature theme park Tobu World Square <\/strong>and the Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura<\/strong>, which allows you to travel back in time to ancient Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to a cooperation with the Tobu Railway, you can use the JR Tokyo Wide Pass on the direct limited express that connects Shinjuku Station with Tobu Nikko Station. The single trip takes two hours and costs 4,080 yen. A seat reservation is required here. Alternatively, you can also use the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and continue from there with the JR Nikko Line. Here the travel costs per route are around 5,000 yen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The JR Tokyo Wide Pass gives you the opportunity to explore the eastern part of the Izu Peninsula <\/strong>(\u4f0a\u8c46\u534a\u5cf6) in Shizuoka Prefecture because you can use the Izukyu Railway with it. One of the first stops in this area is Atami <\/strong>(\u71b1\u6d77), which has an onsen, a beautiful harbor area, and a tourist castle with a cable car connection. Located further along the train route is Ito Onsen <\/strong>(\u4f0a\u6771\u6e29\u6cc9), another place known as a very popular onsen resort. Just a little way down is Jogasaki Kaigan <\/strong>(\u57ce\u30f6\u5d0e\u6d77\u5cb8), a stony coastal area with bridges and lighthouses that is ideal for hiking.
The southernmost station on the Izukyu Railway is Shimoda <\/strong>(\u4e0b\u7530). This place is of historical importance because in 1854 Commodore Perry forced Japan to open the port<\/a> which ended the 200-year isolation policy of Japan. You can still find monuments of it in Shimoda today.
In spring, I recommend a stop in Kawazu <\/strong>(\u6cb3\u6d25) to see the early cherry blossoms. Over 8,000 cherry trees are in bloom there, mostly between the beginning of February and the beginning of March (depending on the weather of the year), and attract countless visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get to the Izu Peninsula, some JR trains run from the capital region to Atami. You can’t use the Shinkansen in this direction with the JR Tokyo Wide Pass. From Atami, you can use the Izukyu Railway, which does not belong to the Japan Railway but is included in the pass.
There is also the Limited Express Odoriko<\/strong>, which runs between Shimoda and Tokyo and can be used with the pass (take care that this does not include the special Saphir Odoriko express train<\/em>). With the Odoriko train, journeys from Tokyo Station to Atami take around 80 minutes (3,560 yen for the single route), to Ito Onsen around 100 minutes (3,890 yen), and to Izukyu Shimoda around 170 minutes (6,060 yen). So if you’re traveling from Tokyo to Shimoda and back, you can take advantage of the value of the JR Tokyo Wide Pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ibaraki Prefecture is often neglected by many tourists; there are so many other places to discover in Japan. However, this area is also worth a visit! The Hitachi Seaside Park <\/strong><\/a>(\u56fd\u55b6\u3072\u305f\u3061\u6d77\u6d5c\u516c\u5712) in particular is a great experience in different seasons. You can get there by bus from Katsuta train station (approx. 15 minutes). In the city of Mito, you can find the Kairakuen Garden <\/strong>(\u6d77\u697d\u5712), one of the five most beautiful gardens in Japan<\/a>, which is best known for its plum blossom in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mito Station is connected to Japan’s capital by the Hitachi and Tokiwa Limited Express trains (connected to Tokyo, Ueno, and Shinagawa station). The journey takes about 70 minutes and costs 3,890 yen one way. Katsuta Station is just one station away from Mito on the JR Joban Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Boso Peninsula (\u623f\u7dcf\u534a\u5cf6) is located east of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture. Above all, it has beautiful beaches, which is why it is very popular as a holiday destination in summer. In good weather, you can even see Mount Fuji on the other side of the sea from some beaches. Aside from swimming, you can also visit Nokogiriyama <\/strong>(\u92f8\u5c71) Mountain<\/strong>, where you can visit the Nihon-ji Temple <\/strong>(\u65e5\u672c\u5bfa) with large Buddha statues made of stone. The coastal town of Tateyama <\/strong>(\u9928\u5c71) also offers some attractions, such as Tateyama Castle and the connection to the Boso Flower Line, a coastal road with flower parks, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several JR trains from Tokyo Station that run along the coast of the Boso Peninsula. For example, for visiting Nihon-ji Temple, it takes about 2 hours to get to Hamakanaya Station and costs 1,980 yen. It’s about 2.5 hours to Tateyama and costs between 2,310 yen and 4,400 yen, depending on whether you use special express trains or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n