My neighbour Tokyo
Sitting directly south of Tokyo is an eclectic region offering so much variety for travellers – either in singular form day trips or longer multi-destination escapes from Tokyo.
This story highlights 4 Japanese destinations with quite different personalities in Kanagawa, the second most populous prefecture in Japan. All close enough to link together for a brilliant week’s itinerary so close to the capital – but far enough away, in essence, to feel like you’ve travelled much further.
Introducing the vibrant port city of Yokohama, beachside Kamakura, peaceful Hakone and sleepy but surprising Odawara.
Note that this trip was taken in winter, hence the moody shots!
One step beyond
Picturesque Kanagawa might straddle a border with the big T (in fact I lived in Kanagawa when I worked in Tokyo in the 80’s) but you’ll sooner find residents relaxing by the seaside or communing in nature than chasing city lights. A slower pace and unimagined retreat breathe life into travel at its serendipitous best.
YOKOHAMA
Meditating over my recently emptied ramen bowl I open my eyes to find a soft-boiled egg, glistening with sesame oil. I’m grateful for my husband’s generous donation but equally keen to save room. It’s our last day in Yokohama and intuition suggests that where a Chinatown rocks the best yum-cha outside Hong Kong and the ramen’s so famous it warrants a theme park, certain promise awaits in other pockets.
We leave the glam HammerHead dining precinct at the handsomely restored waterfront, not far from the historic Red Brick Warehouse district ( which is quite lovely in parts for cafes and eateries – but a bit touristy otherwise) and walk a few minutes to the highly popular Cup Noodle Museum . We’re not there long before we decide to leave the formal tour to the kids because, for all its coolness, I’m not queuing up for who-knows-how-long with a sea of tiny tots to make my own cup noodles for home. According to the squeals of delight – those little munchkins were having serious fun and FOMO almost had the better of me, but I figured there would be another opportunity. Besides, the afternoon was glorious and deserving of wandering – which we did for some time before huffing-it up Daikan-zaka (slope), to be rewarded with district views and digest-worthy architecture. Time slipped away and it became necessary to descend back into the city with the sun, lured by distant lantern-glow. We’d finally walked off the ramen, and thankfully renewed our appetites as this is certainly a city you’ll want to try it all and then some.
Miyakobashi-Shotengai’s micro-bars and jazz clubs are already at capacity due to tomorrow’s public holiday however we are conveniently distracted by a rush of wafting garlic and opt to follow its trail, deeper into atmospheric Noge-cho’s maze.
Unsuccessfully scouring hundreds of attractive eateries, crammed with an impressive ratio of creatives (in relaxed biz attire) v’s corporate suits, we almost surrendered to room service. But then I spy one empty table in the sea of busy-busy and race over, not caring what cuisine they serve, and plead for entrance. ‘Can you read Japanese?’ the waiter asks, blocking Bistro and Bar Ji-ro’s doorway. I respond in his native tongue and he seats us with a menu – in English.
Excellent wine and house-made charcuterie soften the landing and before long it’s apparent we’ve gate-crashed a culinary love-in. Swept up in enthusiasm, we order more wine to accompany plump escargot and a duckling glazed with blueberries – and learn that these ‘local’ regulars are former Tokyo-ites, relocated for less pressure and more affordable dining. Apparently, it’s a thing. We exit the cosy confines, happily forking over a third of what we’d have paid elsewhere – and discover our hotel, EDIT , is just around the corner. Winning.
KAMAKURA
Just 45 minutes south of Yokohama by train, beachside Kamakura, former de-facto capital for almost 150 years, is abundantly peppered with popular temples and shrines but we’ve rocked up on the national holiday, as mentioned earlier, which always brings the masses, so we skip into the quieter back roads.
A bathroom stop becomes necessary en route to a wooded artisan enclave I’d read about. We zip through the grounds of the nearest temple, Jyomyo-ji so quickly we bypass the facilities, ending up in an immaculately-groomed cemetery. Without a soul in sight, curiosity convinces us to tiptoe up a set of moss-carpeted steps where we’re fascinated to find hand-carved caves from the 1300’s – cradling the tombstone of Tadayoshi Ashikaga, lauded as a military genius and brother to the Shogun ruling at the time. We later learn there are several similar grottos hidden in the area, in plain sight. Bowing away respectfully, we refocus and intend to get back on track but end up waylaid by the temple’s delightful traditional tea room where we stop for matcha and delicate camelia-shaped wagashi (traditional sweet) and spend some quality time in silence, gazing over a small but stunning raked zen garden.
Continuing to follow my hand-scrawled mud map, we found ourselves peering through the window of a private home, and straight into the eyes of a stunned elderly couple. Convinced we’d made yet another wrong turn we shuffled away, attempting to mask our embarrassment but, despite being decades older than us they whipped out the front door faster than we could run if we dared try, and beckoned us back.
The pottery master and his wife, overjoyed by our efforts to locate their “hideaway” business (Japan values perseverance), sits us at Café Chibou-noir’s lone table for dark-roasted Kamakura coffee and a chat. They query our reason for visiting and before I’ve finished responding they’re crafting a list of local intel, from brilliant bakeries to secret gardens. We depart, hours later, with two hexagonal saucers, one priceless experience and many reasons to return. We spend a little time downtown in the shopping precinct, between the train station and the excellent Kamakura Gallery , before reaching Zaimokuza surf-beach. It’s here we come to truly appreciate the local mantra ‘Kamakura can only be seen with your feet’ and acknowledge our efforts with a cocktail – perfectly timed for a spectacular and unexpected Mount-Fuji sunset by the sea. It was breathtaking. My eyes leaked a little… must have been dust.
The following day we visit the temples and gardens we know, love and cannot miss when in Kamakura (eg. Hase-dera for the garden and the view from the top, and Kotoko-in for the Daibutsu (but only if it’s not too crowded) then visit one we hadn’t been to before ( but have enjoyed going back to recently with one of my tour groups), that being the tranquil Hokoku-ji – famous for its bamboo garden and teahouse – but really it is so much more.
Afterwards we enjoyed a plate lunch at Backerie and Konditorei Bergfeld – their excellent Germanic charcuterie, sandwiches and pastries perfectly reset the palate. And not long after we reset again at Cafe CocoCara, over coffee and a sweet azuki-bean paste and whipped cream sando, as you do, but not before visiting the wondrous Moyai Kogei, a famous shop inside an old farmhouse selling ceramics and folk craft.
HAKONE
Leafy Hakone (1.5 hours by train from Kamakura or Tokyo) and its restorative onsen (hotsprings) have been calling, it’s been a long time between visits, but with rail-lines temporarily down due to typhoon damage we hire an English-speaking taxi-guide for a day’s sightseeing (approx. AUD $600) and are greeted by a bouncing shock of white hair with an impish grin – a good sign we were in for alternate trails.
Between hush-hush viewpoints, the incredible open-air sculpture museum and Lake Ashi’s still beauty, he points out markers for an ancient foot-way, and murky Otama-gaike (lake) – haunted by a young woman’s cries for her mother. In the afternoon rain we break at 400-year old Amazake-chaya for a warming cup of their house-made speciality, Amazake (a sweet, gruel-like rice drink normally only served around New Year) and book ‘Whitey’ for tomorrow. We relax into our lovely accommodation Hakone Yutowa, enjoying a Kaiseki dinner and long soak in the onsen before bed. We spend the next day staying close to our base, slowly wandering between several other museums, galleries, checking out folk arts and gardens and breaking for a charcoal-grilled seafood lunch with the locals at Kinosuke .
In the evening we stopped by Gora Brewery and Grill – it was empty yet felt cosy thanks to warm staff and timber interiors – in fact a huge tree in the centre appears to hold up the sky. The menu was eclectic, in fact the general vibe was quite romantic and not at all ‘beerhall -esque’ venue we’d anticipated. Of course it wasn’t, it’s Japan after all.
We make a stop at the village of Hatajuku on the way to historic Odawara (which is just 15 minutes by taxi from Hakone centre), to visit a local Hakone craftsman who specialises in intricate, geometric wood inlay work called Yosegi Zaiku – the shop beneath his atelier is filled with stunning pieces – everything from keepsake boxes to artwork to glasses cases. Upstairs, the elderly craftsman with an impish grin sits cross-legged on a zabuton on a raised tatami platform – surrounded by his tools. He demonstrates the many steps required in putting these pieces together by hand and we are completely blown away – and can’t help but wonder why the products in the shop are not more expensive than they are. Naturally we make some purchases.
ODAWARA
We complete a circuit of small and quiet Odawara Castle and taste our way through Totoco, the fishing port’s seafood-centre with plenty of great little places to eat and shop for seafood – fresh and preserved, before visiting a couple of Odawara’s famous Kamaboko makers in the town area, and the Suzuhiro Kamaboko museum – you probably need to be a fan of Kamaboko (fish paste cake) to get a kick out of this… fortunately, I’m a nerd for anything Japanese food related! I loved it and just wish we were staying in an apartment with a kitchen.
The following morning we explore the incredible art facility of Enoura Observatory – by contemporary Artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. It is out of this world, its structures merge so beautifully with nature. Part of the experience involves walking through some steep terrain however it isn’t necessary to enjoy the experience – there’s plenty to see at the top level with loads of dreamy spots to sit and ponder the view over the cliffs and sea.
We drive through terraced hills perfumed with mandarin groves and stretch our legs at Yoroizuka Farm … before inhaling their flawless Rum baba. Thank god this place is not my local – I would be there every day. Don’t miss it if you are in the area.
Sleepy from the winding roads I’m keen for an afternoon nap, but our new taxi driver, an Odowara local, suggests one more stop high in the mountains – a temple in operation for over 600 years. On arrival at Daiyuzan Saijou-ji he jumps out, leaving the motor running. We follow him to the entrance, assuming he’s allowing us some free-time, but he bounds up several steep sets of stairs and keeps going… so we keep following. It’s incredibly peaceful inside the verdant forest of 3-century-old cedars, adorned with stone lanterns, waterfalls and hand-carved statues of supernatural-guardian Tengu.
Pine-needle oil hangs in the air, a tonic for my lungs, but I balk at the next killer stair-tower. Our guide, already at the top, encourages me to keep going, with the assurance it’s worth it – but I wave him ahead. Seconds later, enviously watching my husband bound up the slope towards him, I’m green with regret and push myself to the top, slow and steady. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it but I was so glad I persevered. Suddenly surrounded by a collection of weathered geta (clogs), in sizes ranging from walnut to hatch-back, the aesthete in me swoons, it was like a scene from a surrealistic movie. Low-vibrational chanting starts to layer with bird twitter and I’m entirely at peace. At least until the pace quickens and the tone gradually turns deeply guttural. We edge a little closer to a small hall where I become utterly transfixed by swooping Yamabushi (mountain monks), flicking oversized-fans like possessed burlesque-dancers. I’ve extensively travelled Japan for decades and never seen anything like it. Sliding towards me our driver proudly, almost giddily, whispers ‘it’s an exorcism”…
Slightly unnerved, yet filled with wonder and gratitude, we return to the still-running vehicle and renew our commitment to travelling with patience, open-minds and heeding the call of ‘Gambatte!’ (don’t stop, keep going).
The writer was a guest of Kanagawa Prefecture Tourism https://trip.pref.kanagawa.jp/