Kanto Travel Journal

Preface

Since 2023, I have traveled to Japan several times, but I had never been to the Kanto region. I wanted to see Mount Fuji with my own eyes, so around New Year’s Day I started planning a cherry blossom season trip. Looking at previous years, peak bloom was usually around Qingming Festival. Taking two days off plus the three-day Qingming holiday did not feel too rushed. I booked the flights and deliberately chose red-eyes so I could make full use of the daytime on both my arrival and departure days.

There were two sights I wanted to see on this trip:

1. Sakura in full bloom ✅
2. Mount Fuji with its snow cap ✅

Before Departure

Itinerary

Schedule

Day1 Tokyo

The first flight was at 1:50 a.m., and I arrived at the airport a little after 11 p.m. the night before. Since I did not bring a suitcase, I could check in at the self-service kiosk and skip the long counter queue. There were not many people at that hour, and security was quick. I lay down on a chair near Gate 230 for a bit, but did not fall asleep.

After boarding and takeoff, I still could not sleep. There was even a meal in the middle of the night, and finally I had all kinds of drinks to choose from. I asked for apple juice, and it went nicely with the curry rice. Let me sigh for a second: I only got to fly on a wide-body plane and eat a pretty decent airplane meal at the age of 30. This was already the most premium flight I had ever taken.

The seatback screen had some interactive features. You could watch movies or view footage from the aircraft cameras, though it was too dark at midnight to see anything. This airline also offered free Wi-Fi throughout the flight. It was not smooth enough for videos, but fine for reading posts with images and text. Being able to charge my phone on the plane was nice too.

I only dozed off for a little while around 5. We landed at Haneda Airport at 5:45, and I started queuing for immigration at 6. There were so many people that entering the country took about 45 minutes.

It was raining in Tokyo in the morning and would clear up in the afternoon, which was also an important reason why I planned to head to Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi later that day.

Kanda River

I took the train to Takadanobaba and headed for the Kanda River. When I arrived, it was drizzling. Walking in the rain felt so romantic. Scenes from Makoto Shinkai’s films surfaced in my mind. Wow, I was finally in Tokyo.

Along the Kanda River, the section from Toda Hirabashi to Omokagebashi has many cherry trees planted on both banks. I arrived right at full bloom, though some petals had already fallen onto the water because of the wind and rain.

Maybe because it was a weekday, I did not see a single tourist on the road. I quietly enjoyed that comfort.

Next stop: Shukugawara.

Shukugawara

I took the train and got off at Shukugawara Station. I thought cherry trees should probably be planted by the river, so I walked in that direction. After crossing the road and stepping onto the little path along the riverbank, I suddenly thought: the place where Shin-chan and his friends often play probably looks like this too.

There were many egrets, probably, on the river in the distance.

I passed a shrine, where several cherry trees beside the torii gate made a very pure-looking scene. A few teenagers rode over on bicycles, and I thought: these must be the real-life Nobita Nobis.

I kept walking until I reached an intersection. Looking down the small river from the bridge, I saw so many cherry blossoms that I finally realized: this should have been my “destination.” From that intersection, the wooden path along the riverbank was all beneath blooming sakura. It was bright, delicate, and almost fairy-like. Still, I barely saw any tourists.

A train happened to pass through the cherry blossoms.

If the cherry blossoms fall at a speed of five centimeters per second, then…

After leaving Shukugawara, my next stop was Shinjuku Gyoen.

Shinjuku Gyoen

Makoto Shinkai’s film The Garden of Words has many locations set in Shinjuku Gyoen. There are many varieties of cherry blossoms in the garden, and because different varieties bloom at different times, the viewing season here lasts for about a month.

The trees in Shinjuku Gyoen are very tall.

NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building

The Japanese garden is also beautiful.

It started raining, so I took shelter for a while.

A flock of birds flew across the sky. The atmosphere was wonderful!

Standing in the cherry blossom grove, with full-bloom sakura overhead, felt a little like standing beneath the sacred tree in Avatar.

There is also a maple grove inside. It must be lovely for autumn foliage.

After leaving Shinjuku Gyoen, the sky gradually cleared.

Lunch was handled at a convenience store. In the afternoon, I went to Shinjuku Station and boarded the 14:37 JR train to Otsuki.

Why only to Otsuki? Because tonight I was staying at Toyoko Inn Fuji Kawaguchiko Ohashi, and this hotel provides free shuttle buses to several places around Mount Fuji, including a round-trip shuttle between Otsuki Station and the hotel. Very convenient. Excellent!

Looking out from the JR train to Otsuki, I saw many small rural towns. I nodded off several times on the train, which counted as catching up on sleep. After arriving at Otsuki, there was still some time before the shuttle bus came, so I walked around the station. There was a cherry tree in front of the station, also in full bloom, swaying in the breeze. So beautiful.

At 4:30, I got on Toyoko Inn’s shuttle bus. The driver checked the passenger information when I boarded. I was the only person who had reserved this bus today, which surprised me a little. I had assumed the cherry blossom season would mean buses packed with tourists 😄

The driver did not speak English, so he used a translation app to ask whether it was okay to stop for gas on the way. I said OK. After about half an hour, we arrived at Lake Kawaguchi. I looked out the window and saw Mount Fuji’s waist exposed, while the face was still hidden by clouds.

Lake Kawaguchi

I arrived at the hotel and checked in at the self-service machine. My room was on the top floor, but not in the building facing Mount Fuji, so I could not see the mountain directly from the window. After sitting for a short while, I headed to Kawaguchiko Bridge, which was very close and had a great viewing spot.

I passed a Lawson, which also had a nice photo spot. By the time I reached the bridge, the wind was already going wild. Luckily my jacket was windproof, but a baseball cap was definitely not warm enough. I also had to tighten the cap all the way, otherwise one gust could have blown it off the bridge.

The bridge was not very long, and the clouds around Mount Fuji’s snowy peak never dispersed. I hesitated over whether to keep going to the lakeside on the opposite bank and wait. It was quite cold, and I had not put on the down vest I brought. After thinking about it, I still went.

I waited by the lake until dark, but the clouds were still there. That was enough for today. It was truly too cold, so I went back, washed up, and slept.

Bought some water at the convenience store.

Day2 Mount Fuji

In the morning, I had breakfast on the first floor of the hotel. Looking around, I saw rice, curry, soft saucy eggs, small sausages, and grilled chicken. I took some and almost made myself nauseous, because everything was slippery and oily. Luckily, I got a coffee from the machine to drink with it, otherwise I really could not have eaten it. In the morning, I still prefer bread with milk.

The weather today was unbeatable. Just as the forecast said, Mount Fuji had perfect visibility. Any casual photo looked good.

I passed by Lawson again and finally got photos I was happy with.

Reverse Fuji at Lake Kawaguchi

I continued to Kawaguchiko Bridge and took some beautiful photos there too.

By the lake, Mount Fuji’s reflection on the water formed the scenery known as “Reverse Fuji.”

Reverse Fuji refers to the sight of Mount Fuji reflected on the calm surface of Lake Kawaguchi on a clear, windless morning, forming a mirror-like “double Mount Fuji” with near-perfect symmetry.

Apparently there are white swans at Lake Kawaguchi too, but I did not see any. I only saw black ducks. Ugly duckling: quack quack?

Walking further along the lakeside, I came across a cherry tree in full bloom.

Passed by a viewing platform.

Lake Kawaguchi Bridge

Tenjoyama Park

At 10, I arrived at the Tenjoyama Park ropeway station and went up the mountain for a higher view of Mount Fuji.

From the observation deck on the mountain, one side faces Mount Fuji, while the other overlooks Lake Kawaguchi. In clear weather, the lake reflected the color of the sky.

Looking into the distance, you can see the Southern Alps.

On the other side is Mount Fuji.

From this angle, it had a chilly, austere feeling.

I took the ropeway down and walked to Kawaguchiko Station, preparing to head to Lake Yamanaka. Near the station, I accidentally ended up across the road from the famous Lawson that went viral online. Many young couples were lining up in front of it to take photos.

The bus ride to Lake Yamanaka was not far in distance, but it took quite a while.

Lake Yamanaka

Arrived at the Mt. Fuji Yamanakako bus stop.

I first went to Nagaike Water Park. The lakeside here faces Mount Fuji directly with no obstruction.

After taking some photos of Mount Fuji, I prepared to go to another spot: Hirano Beach. I checked navigation and found that the fastest route was to return to Mt. Fuji Yamanakako Station and take a bus in the other direction. So I began another 2 km “power walk” back to catch the bus.

By the time I took the bus and arrived at Hirano Beach, the sun had already climbed quite high. Under the overhead light, Mount Fuji looked less crisp. I took a brief walk around Hirano Beach, then went to the tourist information center entrance to wait for the bus back to Lake Kawaguchi.

Back at Lake Kawaguchi, there was still more than an hour before I had to leave for Otsuki, so I wandered around near Kawaguchiko Bridge again. By then there were some clouds in the sky, which made the view even prettier.

Lake Kawaguchi Bridge

When it was almost time, I returned to the hotel lobby to rest and wait for the bus.

After arriving at Otsuki, I still had 40 minutes before my train, so I ate a bowl of ramen at a small shop in front of the station.

I arrived in Shinjuku a little after 8.

There were many people smoking in front of the station, and many cigarette butts on the ground.

Was this a street performer? He sang very well!

After checking in at the hotel, I went to the nearby Shinjuku Central Park.

Passing by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, I saw several cherry trees blooming nicely.

It was Friday, and the park was lively, full of laughter.

What a full day! I went back to the hotel, washed up, and slept.

Day3 Kamakura, Tokyo

I slept pretty well last night.

I got up early, washed up, had breakfast, and checked out. I originally planned to go to Nikko today to see Kegon Falls, but the weather did not look good, and heavy rain in Nikko would make travel inconvenient. So I changed course and went south to Kamakura.

I took JR toward Kamakura. Following Google Maps, I transferred to a bus at Ofuna Station for Kencho-ji.

After exiting Ofuna Station, I could see a large Kannon statue from upstairs.

I do not think I had ever ridden this kind of suspended train before. The bus driver below looked very young, maybe even younger than me. Then I saw him get out of the driver’s cabin, take a cloth, and wipe the wheels. My inner voice: is it really that clean???

When boarding the bus, the driver asks where you are going. After entering the fare, you tap your card. I could not understand what the driver was saying at the time. Later I realized he was asking whether I was going to Kencho-ji. I showed him the navigation information on my phone, with the stop name in Japanese, and got on smoothly. Arigato gozaimasu.

Today was rainy too.

Kencho-ji

Arrived. As soon as I entered, I saw an avenue of cherry blossoms.

There was also a garden inside.

I walked toward the back mountain to take a look.

Continued up the mountain.

There is an observation deck on the mountain. When the weather is good, you can see Mount Fuji from there.

Mount Fuji is not visible today

Looking toward the Kamakura coast

Went down the mountain.

It was almost lunchtime, so I went to find something to eat.

I walked all the way to Komachi-dori, and the rain got even heavier. There is a Hachimangu Shrine here, but the rain was too heavy, so I did not go in.

Lunch was KFC in front of Kamakura Station. I had originally planned to go to Enoshima today too, but the weather was really not suitable, so I will save it for next time.

I took the train to Ikebukuro. On the ride, someone next to me was wearing Crocs and took one foot out of the shoe, leaving it exposed. The smell nearly knocked me out.

Tonight I stayed at a Toyoko Inn near Ikebukuro Station. After arriving in Ikebukuro, I saw a milk tea shop inside the station with quite a few people in line, maybe around 10. I queued up and bought a cup too. It tasted average, not as good as milk tea back home.

After checking in, I rested in the room for a while.

This pedestrian bridge had a nice view. Train fans would probably like this spot a lot!

For dinner, I had a bowl of Ichiran ramen and ordered almond tofu too. I had never tried it before. The almond flavor tasted oddly poisonous to me.

Chidorigafuchi Night Sakura

I took the subway to Kudanshita Station. Right outside the station was the cherry blossom viewing path.

There should normally be tourists rowing boats on the moat, but perhaps because of the rain, boating was suspended today.

Under the cherry trees, lights of different colors were projected onto the blossoms. Some colors looked awful, a bit too eerie, while others were beautiful.

It was beautiful and dreamlike.

Day4 Tokyo

The main destinations of this trip were already done, so I did not arrange any special sightseeing for today. First, I slept until I woke up naturally. This Toyoko Inn in Ikebukuro had bread for breakfast, so finally I did not have to eat myself into nausea 😁 Slippery food in the morning really does not work for me.

Ochanomizu

This is one of the locations from the film Suzume.

Sensoji Temple

So many people! It felt similar to Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, the kind of place many tourists in Tokyo will come to see.

I drew bad fortune 😅.

There is a tourist information center across from Kaminarimon. You can go up to the 8th floor to overlook Senso-ji and see Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo Skytree

I went nearby for lunch and took some photos of Tokyo Skytree along the way.

Shibuya

What an incredibly busy crossing! The shooting spot was on the 12th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, and it was free.

It was still early, but there was nowhere else I particularly wanted to go. I went to the Starbucks upstairs at Shibuya Station and rested for a while.

For dinner, I had yakiniku near Shinagawa Station.

My flight to Kansai Airport was at 9 p.m. I would sleep there for one night and fly back to Shanghai the next morning. When I bought the tickets, there was an option to fly directly from Tokyo to Shanghai at 10 p.m., but I figured I would arrive in Shanghai around midnight and still need to take a taxi home. I would not rest well at that hour anyway. Better to sleep one night first, and it also let me experience a domestic flight in Japan.

The aircraft was the familiar A320.

Day5 Return

I got up, washed up, and took the hotel’s airport shuttle to Kansai Airport, saving another 530 yen, hehe. It took about 15 minutes to reach T1. Very quick.

Security was also fast, and it was still early. I took the little train inside the terminal to the area near Gate 11 and bought something to eat at the convenience store.

Tasty
Good drink

The haze was quite heavy today, so I could not clearly see the ground along much of the route. Back in Shanghai, this trip came to an end~

Expenses

Reflections

• Cherry Blossom Viewing

  The viewing period for cherry blossoms is truly short, and the frequent spring rain makes it even shorter. Their most beautiful moment is when they are fully blooming and you see flowers but no leaves. By the time I arrived, a few fresh leaves had already appeared, but it was still incredibly beautiful.

• Wide-body Planes

  They are indeed steadier than smaller planes. It was my first time using Wi-Fi on a flight, and it felt great. ANA’s in-flight meal was pretty good too.

• Lake Kawaguchi

  The view of Mount Fuji from here is excellent. The mountain appears as a fairly symmetrical cone. You can see Mount Fuji from many places around it, but the scenery is generally not as good as Lake Kawaguchi. For example, some spots reveal the crater on the mountainside, making the overall shape less perfect, while others have obstructions. Transportation is convenient, though buses seem to run about every half hour.

  Outside Japan’s big cities, road trips seem very suitable, if conditions allow. A video creator I follow, Lao Song CHANNEL, often travels to small places around Japan, and I really like his video style.

• AI Fails

  During this trip, I used Microsoft’s Copilot app for some searches, and sometimes its answers were wrong.

  For example, when I was at Ikebukuro Station, I asked which floor Starbucks was on. It told me the 1st and 2nd floors. In reality, it was on the 3rd floor.

  Another time, I asked whether it would rain in Kamakura. The forecast I saw looked rainy, but Copilot confidently told me not to worry, that it absolutely would not rain. Then around noon I nearly got soaked, because my umbrella was small and I had to quickly hide under a storefront. I was so annoyed I laughed. Truly laughed. Sometimes when people are speechless, they really do laugh out loud.

• Big City

  Tokyo really is a major metropolis. After living in Shanghai for several years, I already felt Shanghai had the shape of a big city. Osaka felt just okay when I visited, but Tokyo gave me the feeling of Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. Tokyo is excellent in urban construction, greenery, and transportation.

• Humid

  It felt a little like the movie Weathering With You. It had been raining recently, the air humidity was high, and with spring warming up, my body never felt quite dry. I did not like that much.

• Getting Lost

  I nearly got dizzy wandering around Shinjuku Station and Ikebukuro Station.
  Shinjuku Station truly deserves its title as Asia’s largest station, and even “the busiest station in the world,” with more than 3 million daily users.

• Mainland Tourists

  There were noticeably fewer mainland tourists, similar to what I noticed in Kansai late last year. On streets, roads, and at scenic spots, I barely heard Mandarin with a mainland accent.

• iPhone 17

  The thermal improvements on this generation are indeed very obvious. It heats up much less during charging and photography, and the battery can now comfortably last a full day.

• Prices

  Hotels are much more expensive than in Kansai. Everything else felt about the same.

• A Small Regret

  I did not get to see Tokyo’s night view from a high place. I think there will be another chance next time. If a trip leaves no regrets at all, then maybe I will not return to that place for a long time.

Q&A

• Transportation Passes

  Pass prices have gone up. Unless you are doing an extremely packed itinerary and visiting faraway places, it is hard to make the money back. Not cost-effective.

Some Links

• Mount Fuji visibility forecast https://fuji-san.info/zh-cn/index.html
• Train timetable search https://japantravel.navitime.com/zh-cn/area/jp/depArrTimeList
• Toyoko Inn shuttle bus reservation https://reserve.toyoko-inn-bus.com/

Easter Egg

My blog theme hexo-theme-linen is finally open source!

LynanBreeze/hexo-theme-linen: A clean Hexo theme.

Finally

Thank you for reading all the way here. I hope it brought you a little bit of good mood. See you in the next travel journal 👋!