Do you want to go a little outside of Tokyo and enjoy a little bit more of Japan? If you have an extra day and want to enjoy a little bit more of Japan, without having to travel very far from Tokyo, consider going to Kanagawa. Or maybe you are planning on going to Kanagawa but don’t know whether it’s worth going or not, or how to go there from Tokyo?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. With so much information on the internet, including this article, it will only take a few minutes for you to get the answer to that. You won’t run out of things to do in Kanagawa.
In this article, I am going to introduce you to Kanagawa, how to travel to Kanagawa from Tokyo, things to do in Kanagawa, what to do to make your trip in Kanagawa more interesting, and more recommendations.
Kanagawa is a prefecture south of Tokyo. It’s filled with plenty of things to do, including the sea, mountains, and onsen. The Kanagawa prefecture is popular among day-trip tourists from Tokyo thanks to its lush nature and a short distance from Tokyo.
You may have heard of Yokohama, Hakone, and Kamakura or maybe not. But Kanagawa is home to 3 of those cities, which are quite popular as side trip destinations for Tokyo.
How to go to Kanagawa from Tokyo?
Here are some efficient ways to go to Kanagawa from some major places in Tokyo.
- Tokyo station to Kanagawa
(around 45-minute ride with train- total cost: ¥680)
- Go to Yokohama station by taking the Tokaido Line (orange colored) that goes to Odawara.
- At Yokohama Station, switch to Minatomirai Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Nihon-Odori Station.
- Shinjuku station to Kanagawa
(around 48-minute ride with train- total cost: ¥760)
- Head to Yokohama station by taking the Shonan-Shinjuku Line (pink colored) from Shinjuku station.
- At Yokohama Station, switch to Minatomirai Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Nihon-Odori station.
- Narita Airport Terminal 2 to Kanagawa
(around 1 h 45 m train ride- total cost: ¥4300)
- Take the Narita Express from Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 to Yokohama Station.
- At Yokohama station, get off the train and change line to Minatomirai Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Nihon-Odori station.
- Haneda Airport Terminal 2 to Kanagawa
(around 35 min bus ride- total cost：¥760)
- Take the Haneda-Airport Limousine Bus to Osanbashi, walk for 5 minutes (450m) to Kanagawa prefecture.
(around 50-minute train ride- total cost: ¥690)
- Take Keikyu-Kuko Line (red colored) from Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal Station to Yokohama station.
- At Yokohama station, switch to Minatomirai Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Nihon-Odori station.
- Akihabara Station to Kanagawa
(around 1h train ride- total cost: ¥760)
- Take the Keihintohoku Line (light blue/tosca colored) from Akihabara station and get off at Yokohama station.
- At Yokohama station, switch line to Minatomirai Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Nihon-Odori station.
- Shibuya station to Kanagawa
(around 45 min train ride- total cost: ¥480)
- Take the Tokyu-Toyoko Line (pink colored) straight to Nihon-Odori station. The train will change its line to Minatomirai line by itself, so you don’t have to get off.
Where to go and what to do in Kanagawa?
Although not as popular as cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, there are still many attractions that Kanagawa offers. Some of the attractions include Yokohama, Hakone, Kamakura.
Here are some of the popular things to do in Kanagawa:
Yokohama
- Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum
Here, you can try different ramen from different parts of Japan in 9 different outlets without having to board a plane.
Address 2-14-21 Shinyokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-City, 222-0033, Japan (map)
Phone 045 (471) 0503
Business hours
11:00 am-10:00 pm
(10:30 am-10:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays)
Last admission 21:30
Price ¥310 for adults / ¥100 for elementary school students/ ¥100 for seniors (above 60)
Website http://www.raumen.co.jp/english/
- Sankeien garden
Enjoy the beautiful, traditional Japanese-style garden that has been opened to the public since 1906.
Address 58-1, Honmoku Sannotani, naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0824 Japan (map)
Phone 045-621-0634
Business hours
9:00 am-5:00 pm (last entrance 4:30 pm)
*closed on December 29, 30, 31
Price ¥700 for adults / ¥200 for children under age 14/ ¥200 for city resident seniors (above 65)
Website http://www.sankeien.or.jp/en-about/
- Minato Mirai 21
A central business district in Yokohama where you can enjoy everything from food, shopping, art and culture, amusement park, and many more.
Address 58-1, Honmoku Sannotani, naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0824 Japan (map)
Phone +81 45-682-4403
Website http://minatomirai21.com/
Hakone
- The Hakone Open-Air Museum
Japan's first open-air museum with thousands of artworks made by Picasso, Henry Moore, Taro Okamoto, and many others.
Address 1121 Ninotaira, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0493, Kanagawa Prefecture (map)
Phone +81 460-82-1161
Business hours
9:00 am-5:00 pm (last entrance 4:30 pm)
Open all year round
Price ¥1600 for adults / ¥1200 for university and high school students/ ¥900 for middle and elementary school students
Website http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/
- Pola Museum of Art
A museum in Hakone housing over 9,500 works acquired by the former head of Pola Cosmetics group. It includes many works of French Impressionism and of the École de Paris.
Address
1285 Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi,
Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, 250-0631 Japan (map)
Phone +81 460-84-2111
Business hours
9:00 am - 5:00 pm (No admission after 4:30 pm)
Open daily (closed occasionally for display renewal)
Price
¥1800 for adults / ¥1300 for university and high school students/ ¥700 for middle and elementary school students/ ¥1600 for seniors (above 65) / ¥1000 for persons with disabilities and companion or caretaker
Website http://www.polamuseum.or.jp/english/
- Lake Ashi
Here, you can experience many different activities and attractions. These include the Hakone Shrine, Ekiden Museum, Onshi Imperial Park and many more.
Address Lake Ashi, Motohakone, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0522 (map)
Website http://www.lakeashinoko.com/
Kamakura
- Hase-dera temple
A Buddhist temple in Kamakura, constructed on the mountainside with views of both the ocean and city. A must visit place in Kamakura.
Address 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa JAPAN (map)
Phone 0467-22-6300
Business hours
March-September
8:00 am- 5:00 pm
October-February
8:00am- 4:30 pm
Price ¥300 for adults/ ¥100 yen for children age 12 and under
Website http://www.hasedera.jp/en/guide/
- Kencho-ji Temple
Kencho-ji Temple is Japan’s oldest Zen temple. Here, you can learn the basics from the monks of Kencho-ji after which you can experience a true zazen session.
Address 8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura 247-0062, Kanagawa Prefecture (map)
Phone +81 467-22-0981
Website http://www.kenchoji.com/
- Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
The large Buddha at Kotoku-in is a must visit attraction while in Kamakura. The colossal statue and its surrounding grounds have been designated as National Historic Site.
Address 4-2-28 Hase, Kamakura 248-0016, Kanagawa Prefecture (map)
Phone 0467－22－0703
Business hours
●April–September
8:00 am–5:30 pm
●October–March
8:00 am.–8:00pm
Visitors may enter up to 15 minutes before the temple closes.
●To enter the interior of
the Great Buddha statue
8:00 am–4:30 pm
Visitors may enter up to 10 minutes before closing time.
●Temple shop (office)
8:30 am–4:45 pm (year-round)
●Acceptance of official temple commemorative seals (office)
8:00 am–4:30 pm(year-round)
Price
¥200 for adults and students age 13 and above
¥150 for students (age 6-12) 150 yen
*Fee to enter the interior of the Great Buddha statue
Additional 20 yen per person
Website http://www.kotoku-in.jp/
Wait, that's not all.
Other popular destinations you can visit in Kanagawa is the Odawara Castle, Yugawara Onsen, Kawasaki City Fujiko F Fujio Museum, and more.
Day tours to Kanagawa from Tokyo
If you don’t feel like traveling around Kanagawa by yourself, don’t worry. There are many great day tour options for Kanagawa. It’s way more convenient as you don’t have to plan your itinerary yourself and you are even guided by a professional.
Look, the thing is…
There are many places on the web that offer day tours to Kanagawa, but you never know whether they are a trustworthy and good website or not. That’s why I’m recommending you GoWithGuide. The website is trustworthy, offering many different day trip options to Kanagawa. You can also customize the tour itinerary according to your preferences.
Not only the website offers day tours to Kanagawa, it also offers many different qualified tour guides you can hire to make your trip more interesting and meaningful.
Recommended day tours
If you are looking for great day tours to experience Hakone, I recommend the Hakone, one day tour, where you can experience the many different attractions Hakone has to offer in just a day.
If you are looking for great day tours to experience Yokohama, I recommend the Excursion to the exciting port town, Yokohama from Tokyo tour and also the Yokohama, one day tour. Through these tours, you can have an enhanced experience of Yokohama.
For Kamakura, I recommend the One day -Popular Spots in Kamakura tour. By joining tours like this, you can enjoy the great spots in Kamakura hassle-free!
From the tours mentioned above, they also provide itinerary suggestions which you can follow or customize according to your preferences.
Wait, there's more:
You can click here for many other day trip options to Kanagawa from Tokyo. By joining private tours, you won’t run out of things to do in Kanagawa. The guides can also give you insights on the spots you visit and let you have an enhanced trip.
If you are not looking for private tours but private guides in Kanagawa, you can click here. For tours or private guide options for other areas in Japan, you can click here.
I hope this article helps provide useful information for your trip to Kanagawa including how to go to Kanagawa from some major places in Tokyo, where to go in Kanagawa, Kanagawa day tour options, and more recommendation. I hope you have a great trip to Kanagawa!