Today I head to Kamakura (wp) for a day visit of this town. A visit to Kamakura is like a visit to the roots of old Japan. For 150 years in the 12th century this was the de-facto capital of Japan. Rivaling Kyoto, it was the 4th largest city in the world at the time. Today Kamakura is a very pleasant small town about 50km from Tokyo with a multitude of cultural sites to show for its long history.
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Tags: kamakura, daytrip, temple, history, zen

This weekend I am away for a short trip back into nature, to watch the “falling of the leaves”, something many Japanese are very fond of, and to look at some art too. The place I will visit is Hakone, which is an area around lake Ashi about 1.5 hours train east of Tokyo. This area is also known as one of the Tokyo playgrounds, as it is readily accessible to residents of Tokyo and can even be visited on a day trip.

Since I did quite a few things and saw a lot on this trip, I have split into several posts on

• the Hakone open air museum
• something on the “falling of the leaves”
• and practical infos about staying at a ryokan

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Tags: hakone, daytrip, forest, lake, temple, shrine

A friend of mine lives in Narita (wp, wt), so I decided to pay a visit this weekend. Narita is probably best known for being the site of Tokyo’s international airport, however, it is also a pretty town with a mountain-village feel to it and a large temple complex.full story ...

Tags: narita, daytrip, temple, town

This sunday, I am on my way to a typical day in nature for the Tokyoite. Japan being very densely populated and Tokyo even more so, a trip to the big outdoors can be a real relief from the busy city. However, be aware, as I wasn’t, that Takao-san (jg, wp), or Mount Takao, is not exactly the secluded little mountaintop in the country somewhere. Being only an hour away from Tokyo by train, it is very popular, especially when the sun is out.full story ...

Tags: takao, mountain, daytrip, nature