Akechidaira Lookout / Akechidaira Ropeway
From this lookout, view both Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls flowing down from it. On the eastern side, gaze at a row of sheer cliffs rising from the rock, and let your eyes take in the distant mountain ranges.
The view from the observatory is super wide. You can see both Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji at the same time. Awesome spot for taking in the scenery.
Kyukamura Shikotsuko
Located about a 40-minute drive from New Chitose Airport, Kyukamura Shikotsuko is a hot spring resort situated along the shores of Lake Shikotsu-known as Japan’s northernmost ice-free lake-within the pristine Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Neighboring a wild bird forest, the area offers excellent opportunities to encounter various bird species throughout the year. Visitors can fully immerse themselves in nature with walking trails and an on-site campground.
If you love peace and quiet and want to avoid crowds, you'll absolutely love this place. It's not the most convenient spot to get to from the city, but it's totally worth the trip.
HOTEL MYSTAYS PREMIER Omori
Just a 5-minute walk from JR Omori Station and 7 minutes from Keikyu Omori-Kaigan Station, this hotel is perfectly located for exploring Tokyo and making easy trips to Yokohama. JR Omori Station is two stops from Shinagawa Station, where the Shinkansen stops, and a convenient route bus also runs from Haneda Airport to Omori Station.
A warm, comfortable hotel—perfect for a small family trip.
Hitsujiyama Park
At the foot of Mt. Buko, the symbol of Chichibu, between Chichibu and Yokoze sits the sprawling shibazakura (moss phlox) hills at Hitsujiyama Park. This coveted destination draws tourists to Chichibu every year in Spring between mid-April and Golden Week in May.
I visited right at the beginning of the season, so it wasn't in full bloom yet, but the flowers already looked amazing. There weren't too many people, so I got to take tons of photos with the vibrant flower fields.
Morita Iron Works Gongendo Cherry Embankment (Gongendo Park)
Gongendo Cherry Embankment is a famous cherry blossom spot for the Kanto region. The contrasting colors of the pink tunnel of cherry blossoms, formed by around 1,000 Yoshino cherry trees over a length of 1km, and the yellow color of the rape blossoms that bloom below the embankment create a truly stunning view. The area has also been used as a set location in many movies, so many film fans visit to see the location of certain scenes.
The endless tunnel of cherry blossoms, combined with the yellow rapeseed flowers, creates such a beautiful scene.
GRANSTA TOKYO
GRANSTA TOKYO is JR East’s largest train station mall. The huge open space with the sign “SQUARE ZERO” hosts select sweets shops, cafes, restaurants and general stores, which looks like a town itself.
Even though it's a train station, it feels just like the food court of a department store. If you have time, it's definitely worth checking out.
Mt. Yoshino
Mt. Yoshino is acclaimed as the best spot to see cherry blossoms in all of Japan. In the spring, the entire mountain is washed with flowering trees as they bloom from the Shimosenbon (the lower 1,000 trees) at the foothills up to the Okusembon (the inner 1,000 trees).
The cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino are absolutely stunning. From the lower to the inner areas, the whole mountain is covered in full bloom. It really lives up to its reputation.