Simon Norton, Author at 4corners7seas

Happy New Year & Updates from Taipei

…and that’s how they do New Year fireworks in Taipei. We were stood about a mile west of Taipei 101, just up the road from our friend’s bar. The crowds are like this along whichever roads have a view of 101:

Just miles & miles of people stood there for the countdown & fireworks, and then everyone disperses back to whichever bar or house party they’re celebrating at. My friend who I’ll call the Tequila Monster then made sure that we all had a painful New Year’s Day…

The previous time I was in Taipei for New Year we watched the fireworks from the roof of a friend’s building, which was pretty cool but my blog was a baby and I don’t have any pics.

Hiking Updates

Winter’s usually the best time for hiking in & around Taipei, except that it rains a lot. But the temperatures are way more comfortable than the rest of the year (it does get cold sometimes, but not too cold and not for long) so you can do a good hike without sweating out half your body weight. When the rain holds off and the sun comes out, conditions are perfect. I’ve got 3 new hikes done since the last hiking updates I posted.

First up, Guanyinshan which is located out in the northwestern corner of the Taipei area, on the far side of the Tamsui River where it meets the ocean (it’s the distant mountain you see behind Taipei 101 when you hike up Elephant Mountain). It’s a cool hike, starting from a nice pair of temples and climbing up to views of the city, ocean, and mountains from the summit:

View of Taipei from the top of Guanyinshan

Next up was Shamaoshan, a subsidiary peak in Yangmingshan National Park. It’s much smaller than the main peaks, but it has a really distinctive appearance when viewed from a distance or on maps (it’s a steep-sided cone) so I’ve always wanted to check it out. Good option for a shorter hike in Yangmingshan, with good views of the park’s main peaks:

View of Yangmingshan National Park from the top of Shamaoshan

And just last week I finally completed the western half of the ridge which runs along the back of the Neihu district (the Neihu part of the ridge is probably the best hike within Taipei proper), starting from Jiantan Station, hiking over as far as Jinmian Rocks (which I’ve been to many times from other starting points) and then backtracking & descending to the National Palace Museum. You get good views in both directions from the ridge, of Yangmingshan to the north (looking very dramatic in that day’s cloud cover) and Taipei 101 and central Taipei to the south:

View of Yangmingshan from Laodifang Lookout

See here for details of that hike.

Not a hike but a few of us also had a fun day out visiting Bali & Tamsui towns opposite each other near the mouth of the Tamsui River:

Random Pics

Sanchong Gang Land: since getting back to Taipei following the Rugby World Cup in Japan, I’ve mostly been staying in the Sanchong area of New Taipei, located on a large and densely populated island in the river to the west of central Taipei. It’s unglamorous and doesn’t usually see many tourists (except for when they pass through Sanchong Station on the subway line from Taoyuan Airport), my Taiwanese friends insist that it’s riddled with gangsters, and it is certainly a bit rough & ready, but it’s also friendly with a real old school Taiwanese vibe I quite enjoy and lots of photogenic little details like this:

More Sanchong pics here. I actually moved to central Taipei again last week and I’m not missing Sanchong to be honest (due to the swarms of motorbikes and almost total lack of greenery), but it was a cool place to stay for a couple of months.

The cats in my life: my friends (who also live in Sanchong, 10 minutes from where I was) recently adopted this little legend Bobo:

And here’s another one of the resident bar star at Relax Jazz Pub:

A few more random snaps

Cocktails and amazing Kyoto gin at our mate’s bar… Ki No Bi is fantastic stuff, distilled in Kyoto using locally sourced botanicals (a lot of Japan’s best whisky & sake also comes from Kyoto, the local water being a key reason), well worth trying if you can get hold of it:

A bunch of us went to a craft beer festival at Songshan Cultural Park, beer was good and it’s a nice little area to check out. Here’s Tinee & Dom striking a pose in front of the preserved old Japanese industrial building (originally the tobacco bureau during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial era, see here for more on Japanese colonial architecture in Taiwan), with a giant inflatable dinosaur randomly hanging out at the far end of the building:

This night out was the day Halloween, Gay Pride, and the England vs New Zealand rugby semi-final were all going on on the same day (hence the random make-up), great weather that day too and things were lively. Halloween was actually 5 days later, but as it fell on a weekday the bars all just decided to have it on Saturday 26th instead. The advantages of commercially adopting a festival!

As for this, no I don’t know but I’m childish so it’s funny:

…and here’s one more foot soldier for the approaching Rise of the Machines:

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See more Taiwan posts here, Taiwan travel guide here, Taipei hiking guide here

Life in Taipei: 10 weeks in Sanchong

Taiwan

For the last 10 weeks since getting back to Taipei I’ve been staying in Sanchong, a rough & ready district of New Taipei across the Tamsui River to the west of Taipei proper. It’s actually on a large island, with a small distributary of the river bifurcating around it and a series of bridges connecting it to Taipei by road (the train lines go under the Tamsui).

In this pic looking southeast from the top of Guanyinshan (a 600m high mountain in the northwestern corner of the Taipei area, and a nice hike) you can see Taipei 101 in the distance to the left, and the big island in the middle of the photo is Sanchong gangland.

Gangland? Well, that’s how all my Taiwanese friends react – omg you’re staying in Sanchong, but it’s so dangerous! It’s definitely a bit rough around the edges, but it’s hardly dangerous and while I’m repeatedly told that gangs do operate there we’re not exactly talking Mexican cartels.

I haven’t seen anything remotely dodgy going on; what I have seen is loads of interesting little neighbourhood temples tucked into the ground floors of residential buildings, street art along some of the alleyways, and plenty of friendly locals who’ll smile & say ni hao as you pass. Oh yeah and loads of cheap, awesome food sold on all the main roads and street corners during the evening rush hour.

It’s a part of Taipei most short term visitors are unlikely to see, and it’s got some real old school Taiwanese character to it; there are downsides, namely the super high density of people (most of whom seem to smoke, everywhere), buildings, alleys, and especially bikes blasting fumes in your face everywhere you walk. There isn’t much greenery around, so I wouldn’t really want to live there long-term. But it’s been a cool place to stay for 10 weeks, and it’s pretty photogenic.

I failed to get any decent food pics as usual, but here are a few snaps of the hood:

Temple in Sanchong, Taipei — “…and the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made”

4-faced Buddha statue in Sanchong, Taipei — The Many-Faced God

This amazing little narrow temple is squeezed on to an alley corner near my friends’ place:

Those same friends recently adopted this little scamp, Bobo. He’s an ace little dude:

A lot of bikes in Sanchong:

And street art:

Amusing sign in an alley in Sanchong, Taipei

That last one cracks me up… answers on a postcard!

Staying in Sanchong’s also been convenient for hiking up Guanyinshan and a day trip to Tamsui via the Bali ferry.

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For more Taiwan posts see here, also check out my Taiwan travel guide here and Taipei hiking guide here

A Taipei Day Out: from Bali to Tamsui by ferry

Taiwan

Tamsui is a nice little town at the mouth of the Tamsui River in New Taipei City, at the northern end of the Taipei Metro Red Line. It’s a popular spot to get out of the city for a day out, and on a recent sunny day three of us did just that.

With two of us being based in Sanchong (pretty cool area, see here) over on the other side of the river, we decided to start by taking the bus from Luzhou (northern end of the Orange Line) to Bali, another small town located on the opposite bank of the river from Tamsui, and then hop on the ferry over to Tamsui from there.

The bus skirts round the base of Guanyinshan (a neat mountain to hike up, which you could potentially combine with a visit to Bali/Tamsui, see here); this view from the top shows the Tamsui River with Bali on the near bank (at left of photo) and Tamsui on the opposite bank with Yangmingshan behind it on the right:

View of Tamsui & Yangmingshan from the top of Guanyinshan

And here’s the view of Guanyinshan from Tamsui Station, with Bali visible as the strip of lights along the river to the right:

If you head to Bali by bus, jump off at Bali Mazu Temple which is right over the road at the top end of Bali Old Street (the bus stop‘s called 渡船頭, ‘ferry wharf’, duchuantou, but you can easily find the temple on Google Maps and track your progress). As always in Taiwan, the temple roof is a cracker:

Bali Old Street runs from the temple down to the ferry dock & waterfront promenade. These old streets are found in small towns all over Taiwan, where they form the nucleus of the town and usually have a bunch of stalls selling street food snacks and any famous local produce the area’s known for. The most famous one is probably Jiufen Old Street, an atmospheric town up on a hillside in the mountains to the east of Taipei with awesome coastal & mountain views and very photogenic steps, teahouses, and red lanterns everywhere.

It has to be said, Bali Old Street isn’t quite so charming! Bit rough around the edges to be honest. But still, it’s cool to stroll down and there are plenty of snacks on offer; it’s not very long, and down along the waterfront there are more stalls and restaurants. We stopped in at a seafood restaurant on the waterfront for lunch before taking the ferry over to Tamsui.

Poorly photographed here, but the Bali riverside has nice views across the river towards Tamsui and the mountains of Yangmingshan National Park behind it:

The ferry dock’s just near the bottom end of Bali Old Street, they run every 10 minutes until evening (exact finishing time varies with the season), and it’s just 23 NT which you pay by swiping your EasyCard (the Taipei subway pass) before boarding.

Resolution came out terrible on this pic but anyway here’s three boys on a ferry with a bag of beers:

The ferry only takes 10 minutes but it’s a nice ride with sweet views back towards Bali, and Guanyinshan behind it (which I’d hiked up a few weeks earlier, see here).

Once you’re in Tamsui, the train station’s to the right (south) when you get off the ferry, but it’s better to head north first for a stroll along the river. There are loads of cafes, restaurants and bars along here so take your pick and settle in for some food, drink, and people watching.

You can walk all the way up to Fisherman’s Wharf a few km away (the point where the river meets the ocean), and there’s another ferry which runs up to Fisherman’s Wharf from a different ferry dock a short distance north from the Bali Ferry. There are also buses from Tamsui Station if you come up to Tamsui on the Red Line from Taipei and want to head to Fisherman’s Wharf first.

But we didn’t actually do any of that on this particular day as it was getting late (the Fisherman’s Wharf ferry was stopping at 6 if I remember correctly) and we were already several beers down and found a nice little bar for a couple more. It’s called Prost, cosy little joint with a solid beer selection and harbourside seating (though unfortunately a bit of construction going on when we were there), you can find the place on Google Maps though there are plenty of other cool spots to take a seat. Now, anyone who knows me knows I hate smoking and think it’s for idiots (which it is), but anyway here’s Dom & Aneil being idiots:

After that we went for Thai food at a restaurant by Tamsui Station, and then rode the Red Line back into central Taipei to meet friends at a Japanese izakaya.

All in all a nice day out, and while I wouldn’t say Tamsui is a must-do if you’re visiting Taipei for the first time, it is a good option if you have a day to fill in your itinerary and have already been to Jiufen.

It’s easiest from most starting points just to shoot straight up the Red Line, but if you want to take the bus to Bali first, it’s number 704 from Luzhou Station on the Orange Line; come out of exit 3 and it’s the stop just across the street through the trees:

Another option is to take the R22 bus to Bali from Guandu Station; Guandu is on the Red Line a few stops before Tamsui, so this will probably be more convenient if you’re not staying somewhere along the Orange Line.

A few more random details in Tamsui:

A small museum in Tamsui commemorates the French assault on Tamsui in 1884 during the Sino-French War (fought for control of northern Vietnam) when Taiwan was a colony of the Qing Empire, through interactive displays including this cute translation:

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See more Taiwan posts here, Taiwan travel guide here, Taipei hiking guide here

2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan

Japan, Rugby World Cup, Tokyo

Hello from Taipei, where I recently arrived back after a month in Japan for the Rugby World Cup while running my website Rugby Guide Japan (archived here), and before that a month seeing family back home (though I likely won’t blog that up as it mostly consisted of hospital visits and sadly a funeral).

Being in Japan for the rugby was awesome, definitely the best time I’ve spent in Japan that didn’t involve snowboarding. I went there with just a ticket for the Canada-South Africa match in Kobe, not a match I had much interest in but it was the best one I could get when the tickets were released to general online sales (the big ticket matches sold out within minutes). Worked out nicely though as a friend in Osaka managed to line up tickets for the England-USA match (also in Kobe) as well as finding a buyer for my Canada-South Africa ticket. So I jumped on the shinkansen down to Osaka for a few days (from Tokyo, where I’d rented an Airbnb in the western suburbs for the duration of the pool stage).

I used to live in both Osaka & Kyoto, so it’s always good to visit the Kansai region again, catch up with friends in Osaka, and do some hiking or wandering in Kyoto. For the latter, this time I just made do with a quick hike around around Fushimi Inari, and the evenings in Osaka involved plenty of beers and tasty food. That’s what Osaka does!

One of those evenings I hopped on the Hanshin line over to Kobe to meet my mate for the match. In a top piece of work he’d managed to sell my existing ticket at face value, which was 5k more than the price for the England ticket, so not only did I get to the England match, I ended up with 5000 yen cash back in hand.

Which was spent entirely on beers from the Heineken girls doing the rounds of the stands:

Pretty cool getting beer service direct to your seats like that, though Chris had an early start for work the next day and sounds like he suffered as a result… I just slept it off!

Speaking of beer, I found this monstrosity in the supermarket:

Didn’t really taste of fish, but definitely had a strong umami aftertaste. Interesting at first, but pretty rank by the end of the can.

Anyway, the match itself was a 1-sided affair, finishing 45-7 to England. Obviously there’s a gulf in class between the teams, but it was still awesome to be there and the atmosphere was great – England had plenty of travelling support, but the Japanese fans had taken it upon themselves to learn both national anthems and support both teams, many with face paint or wearing jerseys. Lots of Brave Blossoms jerseys on show too, and in fact a number of Aussie, New Zealand, and other fans wearing their own team jerseys, everyone mingling, chatting and enjoying the game.

The week before that I’d met up with old friends in Tokyo (a couple of the boys from the Gaijin Gaming Bros crew), to watch the England-Tonga match in the pub. They’re American, but they got into it somewhat and even learned where Tonga is 😉

Vending machines on the train platform in Tokyo — Random Tokyo pic: decisions, decisions

In between all this rugby watching I went on a couple of food missions, to Tsukiji Market (for the first time despite having spent so much time in Tokyo) and to try the Michelin Star-worthy ramen at Tsuta & Nakiryu.

Tan tan noodles at Nakiryu — Awesome tan tan noodles at Nakiryu

I narrowly missed scoring tickets for England-Argentina through my mate Jamie (from Tohoku volunteering days) but was too slow, so watched it in the pub with Japanese friends, immediately followed by the Japan-Ireland match. Great scenes in Shibuya when Japan won that one.

The same mate was lining up tickets for the England-France match in Yokohama and thought he might be able to get me one too, but then typhoon Hagibis rolled in and caused the cancellation of the Italy-NZ, England-France, and Canada-Namibia matches. Worse, it killed some 100 people (95 confirmed, with more missing) and caused damage in excess of 900 billion JPY (including 10 entire bullet trains scrapped after their yard flooded) – a reminder that sport is after all only sport.

Where I was in western Tokyo, it wasn’t so bad – torrential rain for 24 hours, but the wind didn’t get too crazy other than the odd savage gust. I just filled my fridge with food, made sure my electronics were all fully charged, and waited it out.

Obviously it was a shame the France game was cancelled, and Italy were pissed off at losing their shot to qualify for the quarterfinals – not that many people gave them much hope of beating the All Blacks. But the greatest shame in terms of the typhoon’s impact on the tournament was the cancellation of the Canada-Namibia match in Kamaishi. A shame for the 2 teams, obviously, losing their chance to compete for a World Cup win after getting thoroughly marmalised by NZ, SA and Italy (an absolutely brutal pool for them both to be drawn in); but a real shame for the town of Kamaishi, a traditional rugby town which suffered massive damage and loss of life in the 2011 tsunami, a town for which hosting two matches of this World Cup meant so much. At least the one match they got was a belter, Uruguay’s shock 30-27 win against Fiji.

Another totally unexpected effect of typhoons Hagibis was that I bumped into an old uni friend outside a noodle joint the night before the typhoon hit. I was helping his friend decipher the menu, and he recognised my voice and turned around. Amazing coincidence really – one of those things that makes you think ‘small world’. And also, you have to wonder, how many times have you randomly passed close to someone you know from long ago, but just missed each other?

Anyway, these guys had flown all the way to Japan for the weekend, just for the France match, only for it to be cancelled. So they were partying all night (Friday) instead, before the storm hit Tokyo on Saturday morning. And so we stood in front of a neon soaked Shinjuku noodle shop and caught up in the vanguard drizzle of the approaching storm. Small world!

I didn’t have any promising leads for tickets for the knockout stages, so that was time to bail & head back to Taiwan, where I watched the final in the pub with my South African mate – he was obviously far the happier when the game was over, but to be fair South Africa were pretty awesome and deserved to win it.

Check out my Rugby Guide Japan archive here. For more Tokyo posts see here, for more Japan posts see here, Japan travel guide here

Rugby Guide Japan Archive

Japan, Rugby World Cup

This is the main navigation page for my old website Rugby Guide Japan, which was a guide to help rugby fans visiting Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Following the end of the tournament I took the website down, but archived the useful content here either in its original form, or adapted as travel blog content or for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the first held in Asia and the first outside rugby’s traditional heartlands in Europe & the Southern Hemisphere Tri-Nations, and was a great success – Japan did a cracking job as host nation, and the Brave Blossoms played some cracking rugby on the field to reach the quarterfinals (their best performance to date). My own team England lost the final to South Africa unfortunately, but to be fair the Springboks were pretty awesome and deserved to win it.

Japan might not be the first country that springs to mind when you think of rugby, but rugby does have a passionate and dedicated following in Japan and the general public really got into it, which was great to see & experience. Hopefully the Brave Blossoms continue to improve and pull the crowds in future.

The Web-Ellis trophy has surely never been contested in a finer collection of stadiums (see below), and I put Rugby Guide Japan together after personally visiting every one of them.

2019 Rugby World Cup match in Kobe — England vs USA at Kobe Wing Stadium

The following posts were adapted for 4corners7seas from content on Rugby Guide Japan:

Quick guides to the 2019 Rugby World Cup host cities:
Tokyo
Yokohama
Sapporo
Osaka
Kobe
Nagoya
Fukuoka

Plus these two which weren’t host cities, but are good cities for tourists to visit:
Kyoto
Hiroshima

Transportation advice on how best to travel around:
JR Pass
Local city transportation

How to get online in Japan

The following posts are archived more or less in their original form:

Japan autumn colours guide

Hanazono Rugby Shrine, Higashi Osaka

2019 Rugby World Cup Venues

The Rugby World Cup in Japan was contested in an outstanding collection of venues, mostly football stadiums (including several that were used for the 2002 FIFA World Cup), but also including a few dedicated rugby stadiums in towns which have particularly passionate rugby followings.

These dedicated rugby stadiums are more modest in stature than their football counterparts, but of course it was only right for Japan’s rugby heartlands get their time in the spotlight. The Kumagaya and Hanazono (Higashi-Osaka) stadiums underwent significant renovations to get them up to World Cup standards, while the stadium in Kamaishi was specifically built for the tournament.

This latter case is particularly noteworthy – the town of Kamaishi was utterly devastated in the 2011 tsunami disaster, losing some 1250 souls (the population stands at around 34000 today) along with most of the local economy. The new stadium is called Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, and having the world visit Kamaishi to watch rugby meant a lot for both this small town and the wider Tohoku region it’s a part of (though sadly the second of the two Kamaishi matches was cancelled due to a typhoon).

For details of each host city & stadium, click below:

Greater Tokyo

These three stadiums collectively held 12 pool matches (including the opener) and the majority of the knockout matches:

Ajinomoto Stadium (Tokyo)
Yokohama International Stadium
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium

Kansai Region

The Kansai region is home to Japan’s second-largest conurbation centred on Osaka, with Osaka and Kobe collectively hosting 8 pool matches:

Hanazono Rugby Stadium (Higashi-Osaka)
Kobe Wing Stadium (aka Misaki Stadium)

Kyushu Region

Japan’s westernmost and 3rd-largest island, Kyushu’s 3 venues between them hosted 8 pool matches and 2 quarterfinals:

Fukuoka Level 5 Stadium
Oita Bank Dome
Kumamoto Stadium

Northern Japan

Two pool matches each for tiny Kamaishi (a northern rugby town still recovering from the 2011 tsunami) and Sapporo (the biggest Japanese city north of Tokyo):

Sapporo Dome
Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium

Central Japan

Another 7 pool matches took place in the central Chubu region (between Tokyo and Osaka):

Shizuoka Ecopa Stadium
Toyota Stadium (Nagoya)

Japan Sightseeing Guide

Hokkaido, Japan, Tohoku, Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo obviously has more than plenty to see & do in its own right, and you can easily fill your free time between events (see here). But if you have a few days spare between, before, or after your events, why not visit some of Japan’s other sights and cities? It’s super easy to do this if you take advantage of the JR Pass, a hop-on hop-off rail pass for tourists which makes Japan’s otherwise pricey bullet trains very reasonable. Even if you don’t want to do anything quite too ambitious, there are some cracking daytrips and 1 or 2 night side trips you can make near Tokyo. And after all, if you’re flying all the way to Japan for the Olympics you might as well make the most of it and see as much as you can while you’re there.

Quick guides to major cities:

Tokyo
Yokohama
Osaka
Kyoto
Kobe
Nagoya
Sapporo
Hiroshima
Fukuoka

Some recommendations:

Western Honshu (main island)

Kyoto

If you only visit one extra-curricular city, it should probably be the old capital Kyoto. Far surpassed by Tokyo these days in terms of size, it remains a living treasure of Japanese history and traditional culture (while still being a sizeable modern Japanese city). For more on Kyoto see here

Nara

Another ancient capital and easily doable as a day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka, there’s a lot to see in Nara but the main draw is the Great Buddha at Todai-ji.

Himeji

Of the many castles throughout Japan, only a dozen are surviving buildings from the feudal era – the majority are modern concrete replacements. Himeji Castle (aka the White Egret Castle) is one of the originals, and renowned as the most beautiful of the lot.

It’s an easy day trip by bullet train from Kobe, Osaka or Kyoto, and if you have the JR Pass it’s a good little stop en route between Osaka and Hiroshima or Fukuoka – using the pass you can jump off at Himeji for a couple of hours and stroll up to visit the castle before carrying on to your destination.

Hiroshima

Another very rewarding city to visit, though in a very different way to Kyoto. As Hiroshima was completely destroyed in the 1945 atomic bombing, the city standing there today is entirely modern. But they did a great job of rebuilding and it’s a lovely city with probably the friendliest locals in Japan, and the Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum do an excellent job of acknowledging and recording this dark chapter. For more on Hiroshima see here

Koyasan

A large temple complex in the mountains of Wakayama to the south of Osaka. It works well as a day trip from Osaka and is also a popular place to stay overnight (temple stays are available). For access details and more pics see here

Tokyo Region

Mt Fuji

The Olympics take place during the peak Mt Fuji climbing season, which means two things. One, it’s the best time to do it (in terms of conditions, facilities, access etc) and two, it’s the worst time to do it because it’ll be jam packed. Mt Fuji is a crowded climb in regular years, and the Olympics will surely only make it worse.

For this reason I’d advise avoiding the busiest route, which is the Yoshida Trail from the Fuji 5 Lakes area on the north side of the mountain. This is the usual trail for hikers approaching from Tokyo, and where Fuji buses will drop you. There are 3 alternatives, two on the east side (best accessed by car, and the quietest trails) and the Fujinomiya Trail on the south (Shizuoka) side.

Back when I climbed Fuji I did the Fujinomiya Trail (as we approached from Kyoto), easily accessed via the shinkansen & a bus from Shin-Fuji Station. This trail will also be crowded, but not as badly as the north side. You can read more detail about that here

Kawaguchiko

If you don’t fancy actually climbing Fuji but you’d like to get up close for the views then Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) in the Fuji 5 Lakes region does the job, doable as a daytrip or you can go & stay up there. It’s a thousand metres higher than Tokyo so the temperatures are less punishing in summer (it’s also famous as one of the best and earliest places in the Tokyo region for the autumn colours, though that’s obviously not a consideration during the Olympics). Search Hotels Combined for Kawaguchiko hotels.

Access is via the private Fujikyu Railway from Otsuki, which is on the JR Chuo Line from Tokyo Station & Shinjuku; Otsuki to Kawaguchiko takes just under an hour for 1,140 yen (plus a few hundred extra if you take the express service). If you have the JR Pass you can use it as far as Otsuki, you can jump on the Kaiji limited express which takes 80 minutes from Tokyo Station to Otsuki. If not using a pass it’s cheaper to take the rapid service as far as Takao, then the local service from there to Otsuki, overall this works out around 25 minutes slower than using the Kaiji limited express. Confused? Check the train times on Hyperdia (see here for an explanation on how to use it)

Yokohama

Yokohama’s often overlooked as just another part of the Greater Tokyo sprawl, but it’s a great city in its own right and with its own character. Yokohama International Stadium is being used for Olympic football matches (including the men’s final) and Yokohama Stadium (a different stadium!) will host the Olympic baseball & softball. Also the sailing will be down in Enoshima to the south of Yokohama – if you’re visiting for the Olympic sailing it would make sense to base yourself in Yokohama if you can’t find anywhere closer. Even if you don’t attend any events in Yokohama it still makes a good daytrip from Tokyo, perhaps in combination with nearby Kamakura. See here for my Yokohama guide

Kamakura

Home to the Kamakura Great Buddha and a number of beautiful temples, with some good hiking trails in the hills behind and views over Sagamihara Bay. It’s possible to visit Kamakura & Yokohama in one day e.g. head to the Great Buddha & Hasedera Temple first, then dinner at Yokohama Chinatown and maybe go up the Landmark Tower for the night views. Alternatively you could head on to nearby Enoshima (a popular little island just off the coast) from Kamakura; if you’re going to watch the Olympic sailing at Enoshima you can easily pop over to Kamakura from there.

Kamakura’s just 25 minutes from Yokohama Station direct on the JR Yokosuka Line, and at Kamakura Station switch to the Enoshima Railway (aka Enoden) for 3 stops to Hase Station from where you can walk up to Hasedera & the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in. Enoshima is just 20 minutes further along the same line; get off at Enoshima Station and it’s a 15-minute walk to the island over the bridge (see here for more info)

Nikko

The mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, unifier and first shogun of Japan, is one of the most important historical sites in the Tokyo region and one of the more impressive you’ll see in Japan. The lower Nikko area near the town is home to the historical sites, but you can also venture up into the Okku-Nikko (‘Deep Nikko’) area where there’s a significant altitude gain and thus cooler temperatures in which to enjoy the area’s lakes and waterfalls (Nikko is another famous region for autumn colours later in the year).

If you have the JR Pass you can take the shinkansen from Tokyo Station (or Ueno) to Utsunomiya then change to the JR Nikko Line, journey time 1h45. Without a JR Pass it’s a fair bit cheaper (and only a little slower) to use the private Tobu Railway; taking their Kinu express train from Asakusa and changing to the Tobu Nikko Line at Shimo-Imaichi gives a journey time of 2 hours. You can easily visit the mausoleum as a day trip from Tokyo, but if you also want to get up to Okku-Nikko you’ll need to either stay in Nikko or set off at the crack of dawn. Search Hotels Combined for hotels in Nikko

Hakone: the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park lies not far west of Yokohama, consisting of the Mt Fuji area and the Izu Peninsula.

The easiest bit of the park to visit from Tokyo/Yokohama is Hakone, and it’s another good one to visit for cooler temperatures due the higher altitude (and again another good spot for the autumn colours later in the year). From Odawara Station you can catch the bus (around an hour) up to Lake Ashinoko, where you can take a boat cruise on the lake and ride the Hakone Ropeway; that’s plenty for a day-trip, and you can descend to Odawara and take the train back to Yokohama or Tokyo (half an hour by Kodama shinkansen). You can also stay up there at one of Hakone’s hotels or ryokan, and take your time to check out the various museums, the other ropeway (there are two, the other one being the Komagatake Ropeway up Mt Komagatake), ride the scenic Hakone Tozan Railway, and soak in the hot springs. You can get the Hakone Free Pass (see here) for 2 or 3 days which covers the ropeways, local buses, sightseeing cruise, and scenic railway. Check out the Hakone homepage here, and search hotels in Hakone here

Central Honshu

Matsumoto

Like Himeji Castle above, Matsumoto Castle (the ‘Crow Castle’) is one of the few surviving castles from the feudal era. Matsumoto’s also a good place to visit if you want to get out into the Japan Alps. Search Hotels Combined for hotels in Matsumoto

Japan Alps

Mt Fuji stands alone, visible from (but not part of) the Southern Japan Alps, but if you want to get into some proper alpine terrain it’s the Japan Alps you want to head to. There are loads of regions you could visit within the Alps, but the range is generally divided into 3 subranges – Minami (Southern) Alps, Chuo (Central) Alps, and Kita (Northern) Alps.

The easiest area to visit from Tokyo is Nagano Prefecture in the Central Alps, using Matsumoto as a base. You can take the limited express Azusa train from Shinjuku to Matsumoto (2.5 hours) and use that as a jumping off point for Kamikochi and/or the Kurobe-Tateyama Alpine Route.

Kamikochi is a small town nestled in the Central Alps, surrounded by some of Japan’s highest peaks. It’s known as one of the best hiking areas in the country, and this view of the famous Kappabashi bridge (named for the mythical kappa said to live in the area) is one of the classic views of the Japan Alps:

To get there take the local Kamikochi Line from Matsumoto to the end of the line at the excellently-named Shinshimashima Station (30 minutes), then a bus from Shinshimashima to Kamikochi (1 hour). You can do it as a fairly long day trip from Matsumoto, or you could camp or stay at one of the ryokan in Kamikochi. Note that these buses to Kamikochi don’t run in winter (from mid-November until late April). The JR Pass isn’t valid and the only IC card accepted is the local Kururu card, so you can’t use your Suica or Pasmo from Tokyo (or any of the others); be ready with cash! (see here for more on IC cards)

Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route: a sequence of varied transportation options enabling foot passengers to traverse the Japan Alps between Toyama and Nagano prefectures, involving trains, buses, cable cars, and a ropeway. The scenery’s spectacular and includes the Tateyama area (one of Japan’s most famous mountains) and the Kurobe Dam. The route connects Tateyama Station (at the end of the private Tateyama Line which starts from Toyama Station) and Shinano-Omachi Station (with JR rail connection to Matsumoto) or Nagano. For details see the homepage here

Shirakawago and Takayama: if you’re approaching the Alps from the west (perhaps while making your way back towards Tokyo after visiting Kyoto), another good region to visit is the Gifu Prefecture side on the west of the Central and Northern Alps, easily accessed on the Hida limited express train from Nagoya. The main draw cards on this side of the Alps are Shirakawago and Takayama – this is the region where they have all those traditional houses with the steeply sloped roofs to deal with the monumental amounts of snow they get in winter (Shirakawago especially).

Takayama’s an attractive little town in the mountains north of Nagoya with a well-preserved old quarter. The Hida Folk village on the edge of town features a collection of traditional local buildings, and for many Japanese the local beef actually beats the more widely-famous Kobe beef. Search Hotels Combined for hotels in Takayama and hotels in Shirakawago

The Hida takes 2.5 pretty hours to reach Takayama from Nagoya; some trains are called ‘Hida Wide View’ and have larger windows to enjoy the scenery.

To get to Shirakawago ride the Nohi Bus from Takayama (50 minutes, 2600 yen); from the main Shirakawago village of Ogimachi you can ride the bus to Suganuma or Ainokura even deeper in the mountains (another 30 to 45 minutes by bus), which are smaller and less crowded.

Nohi Bus also connects Shirakawago to Toyama and Kanazawa cities on the coast at the northern end of the Alps. From Toyama you can then do the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route through to the Nagano side to continue on to Matsumoto and Tokyo. If you just want to get directly to Shirakawago from Tokyo, ride the Hokuriku shinkansen to Kanazawa and take the bus from there.

Kanazawa: often referred to as ‘Little Kyoto’ due to its historical samurai and teahouse districts, medieval castle (gone but partially reconstructed, homepage here), and one of Japan’s three most famous landscape gardens at Kenrokuen (see here). The modern city is nice too, and Kanazawa’s a good place to spend a night or two before or after Shirakawago & Takayama. Search hotels in Kanazawa

Tohoku (northern Honshu)

The Tohoku region covers the northern part of Japan’s main Honshu island, covering the area between Greater Tokyo and Hokkaido. If you’re making your way overland from Tokyo to Sapporo for the marathons, or attending an Olympic football match in Sendai (Tohoku’s largest city), it’s well worth exploring the Tohoku region a little while you’re there – you’ll find your visit most welcome in a region still recovering from the 2011 tsunami. For Tohoku highlights see my post here

Kyushu

Nagasaki

Like Hiroshima, Nagasaki is a city rebuilt from the rubble of atomic devastation, and like Hiroshima it’s an attractive modern city with poignant reminders of the horrors of war – the peace park and A-bomb museum are moving tributes. There’s also the darkly fascinating Hashima (aka Gunkanjima, ‘Battleship Island’) just offshore, an abandoned old mining colony of forced labourers which was used for establishing shots of the villain’s lair in Skyfall (though the actual scenes were filmed on studio sets).

It’s not all heavy history though – Nagasaki also offers lighter sightseeing like Japan’s oldest Chinatown and various European-style buildings & districts dating to Nagasaki’s time as the country’s only major trading port during Japan’s period of isolation. Nagasaki’s 2 hours from Fukuoka’s main Hakata Station on the Kamome express train so it can work as a fairly long day trip from there, though if you’re wanting to take a Gunkanjima cruise as well as seeing the peace park & museum you’ll want to stay for a night or two; search Hotels Combined for hotels in Nagasaki

(note: the Gunkanjima cruises can’t actually land on the island at present due to recent typhoon damage, and until further notice they just take you around the island)

Mt Aso

A beautiful volcanic caldera lying halfway between Kumamoto and Oita, a couple of hours from each. See here for details

Hokkaido

Due to the anticipated heat in Tokyo, the marathon events were moved to Sapporo on the far northern island of Hokkaido, which should help a little (marathons in Tokyo in August would be a bad idea). Sapporo Dome will also host 10 matches of the Olympic football competitions, so it looks like quite a number of Tokyo 2020 visitors will be making the trek up to Hokkaido. If that’s you, see it as a bonus rather than a hassle, as it gives you the chance to see another side of Japan, especially if you take a trip out of Sapporo. See my Sapporo guide here, with suggestions for trips to other parts of the island.

Useful Links

Click the banner to pre-order your JR Pass and save 40 dollars, or see here for details on using the JR Pass:

Check train times on Hyperdia (see here for an explanation on how to use it)

For more transportation advice see here

How to get online in Japan

Check out my other Japan posts and Japan travel guide

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