Best Things to Do in Kanto (2026 Guide)

Kanto is the Tokyo region — but the best things to do in Kanto extend well beyond the megalopolis itself. From Tokyo, day trips reach some of Japan’s most remarkable sites: Kamakura (1 hour south by train), a coastal city that served as Japan’s political capital in the 12th-14th centuries, with the Great Buddha (Kotoku-in Daibutsu, a 13.35-metre bronze statue cast in 1252, now sitting outdoors after its shelter was destroyed by a tsunami in 1498) and 65 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in the surrounding hills. Nikko (2 hours north) houses the UNESCO World Heritage shrine complex of Toshogu, the extraordinarily ornate mausoleum of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu — the most lavish ensemble of Edo-period architecture in Japan, surrounded by cedar forest and waterfalls. Mount Fuji (2-3 hours from Tokyo, depending on approach) is Japan’s most iconic image and a sacred mountain that can be climbed in one long day July-September (the summit is at 3,776 metres, cold and crowded in season). Yokohama (30 minutes from Tokyo) has Japan’s largest Chinatown and the Sankeien garden.

Best time to visit

Spring (late March-April) for Tokyo’s cherry blossoms; Shinjuku Gyoen and Yoyogi Park are the best viewing spots. Autumn (November) for the maple foliage at Nikko and Kamakura — Nikko’s Irohazaka winding road in autumn colours is extraordinary. Mount Fuji’s official climbing season is July 1-September 10; outside this period, trails may be snow-covered and huts are closed. The Sapporo Snow Festival (February) is in Hokkaido, but Kanto’s winter is dry, clear, and excellent for Mount Fuji photography (the summit is clearest December-February when seen from afar).

Getting around

Tokyo is the best-connected city in the world for public transport — 13 metro lines, JR lines, and private railways connect the city’s every neighbourhood. IC cards (Suica, Pasmo) are reloadable smart cards that work on all trains and buses — load one immediately on arrival. Day trips: Kamakura by JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station (1 hour). Nikko by Tobu Limited Express from Asakusa (1h45). Mount Fuji: Shinkansen to Mishima or highway bus to Kawaguchiko (the best views of Fuji are from the Fuji Five Lakes area). Yokohama: 25 minutes by JR line from Tokyo.

What to eat and drink

Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any other city in the world (200+ Michelin-starred restaurants). At high end: omakase sushi at a 10-seat counter where the chef selects everything, kaiseki at Kanda or Ryugin, or ramen at one of the Michelin-starred ramen shops (Tokyo Ramen Street in Tokyo Station is a reliable starting point). At street level: fresh tuna from Tsukiji Outer Market (the inner market moved to Toyosu in 2018), yakitori in the alleys under Yurakucho railway tracks, tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) at Maisen in Harajuku, melon bread from a convenience store (Japan’s convenience stores are genuinely excellent food options). Yokohama’s Chinatown — 600 Chinese restaurants in 0.5 square kilometres — is the best Chinese food in Japan.

Day trips from Tokyo

Kamakura — 1 hour from Tokyo: Kotoku-in Great Buddha, Hase-dera Temple (the sea-view garden), Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and the coastal Enoshima Island by the Shonan Monorail from Kamakura Station.

Nikko — 2 hours from Tokyo: Toshogu Shrine (UNESCO — the ‘sleeping cat’ wood carving, Yomeimon Gate, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s mausoleum), Rinno-ji Temple, Kanmangafuchi Abyss (70 stone Jizo statues in a river gorge), and Kegon Falls (97 metres, Japan’s most famous waterfall).

Hakone — 90 minutes from Tokyo: Mount Fuji views from Lake Ashi, the Open Air Museum (outdoor sculpture park), Owakudani volcanic valley (boiled eggs coloured black by sulfur — eating one supposedly extends your life by 7 years), and the Hakone Ropeway above the fumaroles.

Mount Fuji — 2-3 hours from Tokyo: the Fuji Five Lakes area (Kawaguchiko) for views and hiking, the 5th Station (2,305m, road access year-round) for a taste of the mountain, and the full summit climb (July-September, book the Fuji Subaru Line in advance as vehicle access is now ticketed).