Must-dos
1. Enjoy one of the most impressive views of the ocean from the Enoura Observatory in Odawara, a modern art complex that highlights the beauty of nature.
2. Wander around the 20 traditional Japanese minka houses with thatched roofs at the open-air Kawasaki Municipal Japanese Folk House Garden.
3. Take the Hakone Ropeway to see spectacular views of sulfur fields.
4. Take a bite of the famous black onsen eggs in Owakudani (the legend says they extend your life by 7 years).
5. Walk around the magnificent bamboo forest at Hokokuji Temple in Kamakura.
6. Hand craft your own hanko (Japanese seal) at the family-run shop Kamakura Hanko, only five minutes from Kamakura Station.
7. Love cup noodles? Make your own take-out cup at the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama.
8. If you rent a car to travel around Kanagawa, make sure to stop by Ebina Service Area, which has some very exquisite and unique dishes, such as shrimp-filled buns, fried shrimp on curry bread and some freshly baked melon pan.
9. Watch schools of fish swim in the ocean through the Rainbow Fish glass bottom boat from Miura’s harbor.
10. Explore the abandoned island of Sarushima, including its tunnels, barracks and more, before lounging on the sandy beach.
Art and Culture
11. Zoorasia is known as a walking safari. Enjoy this unique zoo where animals are as close to their natural habitat as possible.
12. Travel to Enoshima by train, and check out the little aquarium at Katase Enoshima Station when you disembark.
13. Watch a baseball game at Yokohama Stadium.
14. Be mesmerized by the light reflecting through the stained glass on the staircase at the Hakone Open-Air Museum.
15. Also in Hakone, check out the Pola Museum of Art, where art and nature become one.
16. Uncover the history of the Battle of Tsushima (1905) on the decks of the Battleship Mikasa in Yokosuka.
Food and Drink
17. Taste a shirasu (whitebait) rice bowl while on the island of Enoshima.
18. If you’re adventurous enough, also try the shirasu soft ice cream on the island. You can check out Tokyo Weekender’s reaction on Youtube.
19. At the front of Enoshima Island, try the famous octopus rice cracker, or one of the other street foods.
20. Order a beer and a loco moco at Pacific Drive-in, a cute surfer-style shop right next to Enoshima’s beach.
21. Visit Yokohama Chinatown for some yummy Chinese street food and comfort meals.
22. Drink some special sake at Craft Sake Shoten.
23. Enjoy the feeling of camping without actually camping at Dream Door in Yokohama.
24. Savor all kinds of tofu at Juni-An in Yugawara.
25. Pop into Amazake Chaya in Hakone, a cozy teahouse where they serve some of the best Amazake (sweet fermented rice drink).
26. Try everything along Komachi Street in Kamakura. The croquettes and inari rolls are highly recommended.
27. Get a seafood bowl at Meshiyacchan in the beach town of Zushi.
28. Tour around the Kirin Brewery in Yokohama and sample some beers in the tasting room.
Outdoor Activities
29. From Enoshima Station, walk to the entrance of Enoshima, where you can take a boat to the far end of the island and walk back. For the best views, plan this activity in the late afternoon.
30. Enoshima is considered a cat island so don’t forget to pet some.
31. Tower above the cliffs from Kannonzaki Lighthouse, the first lighthouse built in Japan.
32. Explore the Miura Kaigan area and wander about the jagged rocky edge of Kanagawa.
33. Or take a boat cruise to Jogashima Island and tour the rocky caves there for some breathtaking views.
34. Admire (and perhaps savor in a restaurant later) the row of daikon radishes lined up on Miura Beach, as they are drying to be pickled between December and February.
35. Sunbathe on Isshiki Beach or Morito Coast in Hayama.
36. Traipse around the coastal getaway Oiso, also the home of Haruki Murakami.
37. Walk the boardwalk at Koajiro no Mori, a preserved natural forest at the tip of the Miura peninsula.
38. Stroll through the rolling fields of pampas at Sengokuhara Susuki Grass Fields.
39. For a 360-degree view of Mount Fuji, Hakone mountains and the sea, as well as an array of seasonal flowers, visit the hilltop of Azumayama Park.
40. Or hike up one of the various trails of Mount Tanzawa for yet another beautiful panoramic view of Mount Fuji.
41. Go camping at one of the many campgrounds in Sagamihara.
42. Or if you prefer a more luxurious stay, try glamping at Relax Fujino, also in Sagamihara.
Scenery
43. Take a cruise on a pirate ship over Hakone’s Lake Ashi.
44. Take a picture in front of Odawara Castle.
45. Promenade under the swaying palm trees of the Riviera Zushi Marina.
46. Gaze at the panoramic view of Mount Fuji from a swing set at Daikanzan.
47. Smell the roses in Yokohama English Garden.
48. Go strawberry picking at one of the many strawberry farms near Yokohama, such as Tokue Strawberry Farm.
49. Roam around Sankeien Garden in Yokohama and settle down in one of the tea houses for a cup of matcha.
50. For beautiful flower fields, make sure to pass Hadano Tokawa Park.
Temples and Shrines
51. Attend the Kanamara Matsuri at Kawasaki Daishi, held on the first Sunday of April — though the shrine holds a range of festivals worth attending throughout the year.
52. Look out at the hydrangea garden from the spectacular circular window at the Meigetsuin Temple.
53. Find all the rokan (Buddhist disciple) statues at Choanji Temple.
54. Admire the Hashirimizu Shrine with the backdrop of Yokosuka and the ocean behind.
55. Revel in the history and tranquil atmosphere of one of the most important Zen temples in Japan, Engakuji in Kamakura.
56. Take in the view of Kamakura Beach from Jojuin Temple.
Miscellaneous
57. Engage in a pottery, glassblowing or jewelry-making workshop at Hakone Crafthouse.
58. Watch the surfers, swimmers and sailors from Zushi Beach, or join them in a surf or SUP class.
59. Cycle down the Tama River. We recommend starting from near Kawasaki Station or Musashi-Kosugi Station and heading inland.
60. Go tree hopping at Tree Cross Adventure in Atsugi.
61. Traipse around the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and buy yourself some cute souvenirs from the shops inside.
62. Treat yourself to a stay at one of Fufu Resorts’ Hakone hotels.
63. Sneak a kiss on the Ferris wheel in Yokohama Cosmoworld.
64. Stay at a ryokan in Hakone and enjoy a relaxing onsen experience.
65. Or for more exciting soaks, try the red wine or coffee pool at Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, which is known as a “hot springs amusement park.”
66. And when in Hakone, make sure to buy yourself a handcrafted Yosegi-zaiku box made of local wood from the area.
67. Ride the world’s smallest escalator, known as the “Puchicalator” at 83.4cm in More’s Department Store near Kawasaki Station.
68. Marvel at the lights in Sagamiko Illumillion, an illumination event at the attraction park Sagamiko Pleasure Forest, with approximately six million LED lights.
69. If you love architectural masterpieces, marvel at the plaza and workshop building of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology designed by Junya Ishigami.
70. Get sweaty in the DIY forest sauna experience at Daichi Silent River.
