A good day trip is a great compliment to any city exploration – and there are a lot of great options around Japan! We did three “side trips” while we visited Japan. I don’t want to call them day trips because we did stay overnight at two of the locations… but you get the idea! These three Japan day trips make a perfect complement to any Japan itinerary!
Nara
If you’re visiting Kyoto, you really should take a day to visit Nara. You get to hand feed deer! What else do you need to know?
You can make this a true day trip; get up early, take an hour train to Nara, and be back at your hotel by dinner. When you arrive at the station, it’s an uphill walk to the main Nara Park.
The deer just wander freely throughout the park – we even saw a group waiting for a crosswalk! Once you arrive at the park, you will see plenty of vendors selling packs of biscuits, specially made for deer feeding. You simply offer part of a biscuit in your open hand and wait for the deer to take it. Warning: the deer can get a little aggressive… my skirt did get bit, but no harm done! The deer will bow and ask for food – it’s adorable. When you’re done, simply put your hands in an “x” across your chest to symbol “all done”.
In addition to the deer, you’ll want to find your way to Todaiji Temple, one of Japan’s most historically significant temples, which houses one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in Japan.
Tokyo DisneySea
If you’re not a Disney fan, you might wonder why you should take a precious day out of your international trip to visit such a “commercialized” destination. What you may not know is that Tokyo Disney – and specifically Tokyo DisneySea – is widely considered to be the best Disney park in the world. It’s truly a magical place that anyone should be able to enjoy.
You should be warned: Disney parks are always busy, and you should expect nothing less of a park in such a densely populated area. But if you’re flying all the way out to Japan, you owe it to yourself to experience the magic of Tokyo DisneySea.
DisneySea is centered around different ports of call, featuring beautiful waterfront locations – both real and imagined. Some of the biggest experiences of note include: the Mediterranean Coast, Mount Prometheus, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
As huge Disney fans ourselves, we spent several days at the resort. We were lucky enough to get a room at the Miracosta Hotel, which is actually located inside of Tokyo DisneySea, and had direct views of the park waterfront. It’s seriously so beautiful. However, it can be difficult to book rooms, so I recommend looking up instructions. My favorite resource for help with this was Mouse Hacker.
In addition to DisneySea, there is also Tokyo Disneyland right next door. While more traditional, this is also a wonderful resort that should not be missed by any Disney fan.
Hakone
Hakone is a spa town located an hour outside of Tokyo. Hakone is famous for its onsen, or natural hot springs. Most of the local ryokans (Japanese style inns) have their own onsen that you can enjoy during your stay. Additionally, ryokan often offers meals in the kaiseki style, which are highly recommended. This is a truly unique cultural experience that is not to be missed. If you can make this Japan day trip into more of a side trip that you take for a couple of nights, you’ll be happy you did!
We only stayed in Hakone one night, so we didn’t get a chance to explore Hakone properly. There are some beautiful hikes around the lake that I look forward to enjoying the next time we go!
One important note: getting from the train station to your hotel will most likely require a bus ride. It took about an hour on the bus fur us to arrive at our hotel; I would highly recommend you find a place closer in! The bus that goes from the station through Hakone does not come often enough, and this bus can get VERY crowded. Many people on our standing-room-only bus missed their scheduled train due to having to wait for multiple busses to go by. This is another reason I recommend at least 2-nights in Hakone – more time to explore without having to worry about making it back to the train station!
Featured image by Timo Volz
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