Tokyo is an amazing city with many things to explore and experience. It’s always packed with travelers. Have you ever thought of visiting Tokyo in winter? This is obviously a great place to explore no matter the season. Tokyo itself has a wide range of activities to offer, but it’s a wise decision to plan on traveling outside the city for a day.
From Tokyo, travelers can take a train from Shinjuku Station and reach Yokohama, Kamakura, or Lake Kawaguchi easily. Indeed, there are plenty of easy day trips from Tokyo by taking the train, or a tour bus.
Is winter a good time to visit Tokyo? While the landscapes of spring and autumn may be more eye-catching, winter still offers its own unique beauty. There are a lot of fantastic experiences and sights, both in Tokyo and its surroundings, that are best enjoyed during the winter months. I’d be happy to share these with you, ensuring your trip is filled with unforgettable memories.
Here are 6 day trips from Tokyo by train which are worth taking in winter:
1. Ashikaga Flower Park, Tochigi Prefecture
Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the renowned places in Japan to enjoy seasonal flowers of different kinds. Just 90 minutes from Tokyo Station, this flower park is largely famous for its wisteria season in spring.
Winter there also gives you a delightful experience with the Garden of Light Flower illumination event. This event runs from mid-October to mid-February. It’s one of the top 3 biggest lights up events in Japan, attracting hundreds of visitors every day throughout the season.
More than 5.0 million lights illuminate the 100,000 ㎡ gardens, captivating the hearts of all who pay a visit to this award winning illumination event. In spring, the great wisteria tree is the icon of this park, so is in the winter as it’s illuminated brilliantly. To feel the vibe of winter illumination, just take a walk around the park!
Please note that most of these lights are energy-efficient LED bulbs, chosen to be environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption. The wonderful exhibition of lights would definitely make your trip quite appealing.
If you have come to travel to Tokyo in winter and haven’t already visited Ashikaga Flower Park, well you are seriously missing out. You can get in details information on how to get to Ashikaga Flower Park from Tokyo on their official website.
2. Kairakuen Garden in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture
Late February is still cold in Japan. If you ever come to Tokyo in late February/early March, be sure to head to Kairakuen Garden. Located in Mito, this scenic spot is one of Japan’s top three most beautiful gardens.
This fascinating Japanese garden was established in 1842 by Nariaki Tokugawa, the ninth feudal lord of the Mito Domain during the Edo period.
The main reason for visiting Kairakuen Garden in late February is you will be viewing a massive amount of plum blossoms on its grounds. There are approximately 3,000 plum trees of more than one hundred different plum tree varieties.
When spring is about to come, many different varieties of plum bloom, and you will be pleased to see the beauty of plum blossoms at Kairakuen Garden. This amazing spot makes a perfect place for a day trip or a weekend getaway for tourists staying in Tokyo.
Every year from mid-February to mid-March, the famous Mito Plum Festival is celebrated.
You can access Mito from Tokyo’s JR Ueno Station by limited express train. The entire journey is about 70 minutes. From Mito Station you have to take the local bus to reach the park.
3. Atami Onsen, Shizuoka Prefecture
Atami is one of my favorite onsen destinations, especially when it comes to visiting an onsen resort town from Tokyo. There are onsen to try in Hakone, but doing it in Atami is very special.
Experience the hot spring baths overlooking the Sagami Bay at KKR Hotel Atami. This hotel allows you to access its onsen. This means you don’t need to stay overnight there, and you can enjoy their onsen hospitality as a day-tripper.
Many visitors also try Ieyasu no Yu, a footbath near JR Atami Station.
When you are in Atami in winter (February), you must go to Atami Plum Garden. This garden is home to 500 plum trees of 59 different kinds. Some of them are early-blooming types that start blossoming around mid-January.
Another site you want to visit in Atami is Atami Castle. The view of the Sagami Bay from its top floor is stunning and joyful to watch. The Tokaido Shinkansen is the fastest train to access Atami Station from Tokyo Station (45 minutes).
4. Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji, Yamanashi Prefecture
A day trip from Tokyo is easy for anyone who needs a quick escape for sure. There are some must-see attractions in Japan that you should visit to make your trip complete. Undoubtedly Mount Fuji is one of those attractions you must see!
You can take the Fuji Excursion train from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and reach Kawaguchiko Station. The entire journey is about 1 hour and 55 minutes. If you have the JR Tokyo Wide Pass, then you don’t need to purchase a ticket. Please note that you must visit the JR East Japan official website to make a reservation to secure your seat on the train.
In winter, the sky is clear with fewer clouds, making it a perfect time to see Mount Fuji. The view of this iconic mountain from the shores of Lake Kawaguchi is absolutely mind-boggling. Another interesting place to go there is Oishi Park. From there the view of Mount Fuji is also great, and it offers a stunning photo opportunity for travelers.
Around Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji there are many attractions to discover, and it’s hard to check them all within a day. In winter, days get shorter, so you must plan wisely to get the most of out of your day trip to Lake Kawaguchi from Tokyo.
Read about the best places to see Mt. Fuji in Japan.
If you are going to stay overnight there, be sure to check out the annual Lake Kawaguchi Winter Fireworks. It’s worth checking out! This firework event is held from mid-January through mid-February every year.
Read this useful guide to see how to get around Lake Kawaguchi by bus from Kawaguchi Station.
5. Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kamakura is a lovely coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture, and it makes a great day trip from Tokyo. Travelers from all over the world visit Kamakura to explore the history, culture, and religion of traditional Japan.
Visit three major attractions of Kamakura, they are known as the great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) at Kotokuin Temple, Hasedera Temple, and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the most important shrine in Kamakura.
I was really impressed with the Hasedera Temple. The eleven-headed statue of Kannon at the Kannon-do Hall is really big (about 30.1 feet tall) and is considered one of the largest wooden Buddha statues in Japan. It’s a great sight to behold.
At the temple compound, you will find Amida-do hall, which houses the golden seated statue of Amida Nyorai. Don’t forget to head over to that hall right after exploring the Kannon-do Hall.
On the other hand, Kamakura Daibutsu is 11.4 meters tall and is recognized as the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. The road leading to the temple from Hase Station is packed with gift shops and restaurants. Check out the shops to buy some unique souvenirs!
A day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo is pretty reasonable, as Kamakura city is within a one hour train journey. You can take a train either from Shinjuku Station or Tokyo Station; the one-way journey time is the same!
6. Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti, Shizuoka Prefecture
If you want to experience abundant snow and skiing in a place, which is accessible easily from Tokyo city, then it is Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti. Besides, the view of snow capped Mt. Fuji from this ski resort is stunning.
This is perhaps the most popular ski resort around Mt. Fuji. Ideal for families and beginners, this ski resort offers four slopes. Among the slopes, slope D is for advanced level skiers and snowboarders. If you haven’t tried skiing before but keen to learn some skills, you can try it here as you will find a ski school with good instructors.
A round-trip bus ticket is included on this Day tour package, where your departure point is Shinjuku Station, Tokyo.
Enjoy the ski resort and have fun doing winter activities with your family! It’s really a special place to go if you are traveling around Tokyo during the winter months.
