Hello!
My partner and I recently moved to Japan earlier this year. Our 9 year anniversary is coming up in a few months and I was hoping to surprise them with a little vacation.
I was just curious if anyone had any recommendations of places or things to do as a couple near Tokyo.
Thanks!
25 comments
Nothing to go off of here
Minato Mirai? Hate crowds? Ask someone else
Hakone? Kawaguchiko? Atami?
Lake Ashi in Hakone is lovely.
Hyatt regency in Gora, Hakone is pretty damn amazing. Getting up there on the tiny train is great too and it’s an impressive place to stay for a night (walkable and you can go up the top via cable car)
Maybe a private onsen room stay in Kusatsu? 🙂
Day trip to a ryokan, dinner served in the room, and a private rotenburo (outdoor bath) in the suite. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Nothing is more romantic than the love hotel district.
1 day option (3万円): Not a vacation, but you could spend the day in Yokohama. Then do a dinner cruise through The Cruise Club Tokyo.
1 night option (6万円): Get a ryokan somewhere (as you can see from the other comments Hakone is extremely popular).
2 night option (7万円): Surprise them and go to Onna, Okinawa for 2 (or 3) nights. Few months is winter, so would be a nice change of weather. Also, it’s barely more expensive than 1 night at a typical ryokan. And even cheaper than a night at something like the Hyatt Regency which was suggested.
Hubby and I visit Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma every year for a winter holiday, it’s nice for a one night stay
There’s a [cruise in Ashinoko](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/transportation/hakone-kankosen) in Hakone, and a [cruise in Yokohama](https://trip.pref.kanagawa.jp/destination/sea-bus-yokohama-minato-mirai-illumination-cruise/22) if you’re interested in that!
Fujiya Hotel, Hakone
Izu
Marriott Hotel in Izu Shuuzenji has suites with private onsen on the balcony and view of Mt Fuji. They also offer shuttle buses from the station if you don’t have a car. Shuuzenji has a beautiful little bamboo forest path near the temple, very idyllic to take a stroll through and a great photo spot. I think you might be able to enjoy some autumn leaves, too, but everything is a bit late this warm year, so I’m not entirely sure.
Maybe like $476
Ryokan with private onsen at kawaguchiko?
Ito on the Izu Peninsula is lovely and has a bit of everything: onsen, beach, decent-sized town with shops and restaurants, nature etc.
Izu-Oshima if you like nature. It feels like a vacation far away from everything, and not many visitors in this season
Hakone is great for the autumn leaves! Bonus points if you can stay 2 days during the week days because then it’ll be less crowded.
Utsunomiya is known for gyoza 😍
Also Tateshina has lots of little lodges called “pensions” that are pretty relaxing. Nikko is a solid get away, as well as bunaroo.
Also kawaguchiko and atami are nice
Ikaho.
I’d recommend going to Izu! Some very cool nature around there, and some nice onsen as well.
Nikko. Enjoy the quiet, misty mountain atmosphere.
We’ve been to the Hoshinoya in Karuizawa a couple of times.
It’s our favourite get away place.
https://hoshinoya.com/karuizawa/en/
I’ll recommend some ones I haven’t seen yet that aren’t as popular:
Oarai in Ibaraki, cute little seaside town that went full hog on promoting their town with the anime set there. It’s got some nice shrines and seafood places, some nicer honeymoon western style hotels, and a really nice love hotel if that’s the kinda trip you’re looking to have.
One of the onsen towns in Tochigi. Helps if you could drive or rent a car though.
You can hit Hitachi Seaside Park from Oarai as well.
Enoshima Island and close by shore make a great romantic weekend get away. It’s got enough stuff to fill a mini trip but it’s compact enough that you can see most of the main attractions in two days. Plus out of season hotels and such are cheaper, despite most of the attractions still being open, and an incredible onsen resort to compensate for it being to cold to swim in ocean. Couldn’t recommend enough!!!