One of the best times to experience the natural beauty of Japan is during the fall foliage of autumn. The blend of quintessential Japanese icons like temples and gardens dyed in vivid reds and yellows leaves an unforgettable impression on all those who witness it.
Here, we’ll introduce seven places that make perfect autumn day trips from Tokyo. At each destination, you can enjoy Japanese fall scenery – the Hakone Ropeway and Oyama-dera in Kanagawa, Nagatoro Iwadatami in Saitama, the Shinkyo Bridge in Tochigi, and Mt. Takao, Mogusaen, and Mt. Mitake in Tokyo.
With each spot being located in Kanto, they’re all super easy to access and make for excellent stops on your autumn tour of Japan!
1. Hakone Ropeway: A Stunning Contrast Between Vivid Greenery and Fall Colors
Image: Odakyu Electric Railway
The scenery of Hakone, one of Japan’s most renowned onsen hot spring regions, is best taken in from above on the Hakone Ropeway.
Using the Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus, you can get from Shinjuku Station Expressway Bus Terminal to the Hakone Ropeway’s Togendai Station without changing lines, making this a perfect autumn day trip destination from Tokyo!
There are four stops on the Hakone Ropeway: Togendai Station, Ubako Station, Owakudani Station, and Sounzan Station. The journey takes roughly 25 mins, and the steep, high-altitude climb will make you feel like you’re walking through the sky!
Image: Odakyu Electric Railway
The best time to visit the Hakone Ropeway in autumn is during mid-November when the dazzling fall colors will be at their peak.
If the weather is nice, you’ll also be able to spot Mt. Fuji in the background, which also looks spectacular in autumn!
From the ropeway, you’ll traverse over Owakudani, which was formed in the aftermath of an eruption at Mt. Kamiyama. Even today, white smoke rises from the ground while the imposing, rocky landscape serves to remind one of the intensity of nature.
Hakone Ropeway (Sounzan Station)
328-1300 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, 250-0408
0465-32-2205
・Hours:
– February – November: 9:00am – 5:00pm
– December – January: 9:00am – 4:15pm
*From November 2021 until further notice: 9:00am – 4:45pm (weekdays), 9:00am – 5:00pm (weekends, public holidays)
・Closed: Open daily
Book Online ▶ Hakone Freepass (2, 3 Days)
New Tourist Spot in Hakone: Sounzan Station Now Features Observation Deck, Footbaths, and More
2. Oyama-dera: A Tunnel of Maple Leaves!
Image: Odakyu Electric Railway
Oyama-dera, located in Isehara, Kanagawa, is a historical mountain temple founded by Roben, a Buddhist monk who also opened the legendary Todaiji Temple in Nara.
The ancient main hall is famed for its powerful and commanding statue of Acala, a Buddhist deity known as Fudo in Japanese who is enshrined at the temple.
Access
The temple can be reached after a brief 3 min walk from Oyama-dera Station on the Oyama Cable Car (also reachable entirely on foot without using the cable car). To find the Cable Car, take the Limited Express Romancecar train on the Odakyu Electric Railway from Shinjuku Station until Isehara Station. Then ride the Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu bus until the final stop of …
