My wife’s (Japanese) birthday is coming up and I’m looking for a place/area for a one-night stay to surprise her. It can be anything, nature, fun activity, city with lots of stuff to do, or just a nice hotel/ryokan. We’ve been together for the better part of a decade living in Japan, so most of the “must see” spots are ticked. We live in the northern kanto area and can only manage 1 one-night stay, so something not very far away would be nice. Usually we try to surprise the other with some special thing planned, for example, she took me to bar hotel hakone (not allowed to post link it seems) on my last birthday. We have varied interest, but also in our late 30s with some back issues so no extreme hiking or anything like that. Any suggestion is welcome, thank you very much in advance!
23 comments
Kusatsu Onsen
Kinugawa Onsen
Ashikaga Flower Park
I’m a big fan of Nasu in Tochigi. There are plenty of great ryokan and hot springs up there and the food is great.
High end Ryokan in Shuzenji ? (Yagyu no sho, Asaba or Arai).
I recently went here in Chiba [https://www.bayside-kanaya.jp/](https://www.bayside-kanaya.jp/)
It might be a little different than what you are looking for but it was fun. The food was really good, it has a nice view of the ocean from your room and Nokogiriyama is right there to go hiking or take the lift up if you want.
Northern Kanto like Northern Gunma? Tochigi?
How Northern we talking about here?
Anyway, as a fellow sufferer of my spine trying to kill me I suggest a nice long soak in the Kinugawa Onsen.
Or if you’ve got a car the Japan Romantic Road is 320km from Tochigi to Nagano – you can drive it, find a nice little hide away, and take your time enjoying whatever part you choose to drive.
A bit out of the way, but Green Hotel Hakone has some great onsen rooms with spectacular views of Fuji. In the middle of the woods so it’s only slightly uncomfortable walking outside to the room’s onsen naked. 🙂
Just take her to a love hotel and give her the best 90 minutes she’s ever had. Job done.
If you want to beat the heat, Oku Nikko might be a good area to look at. Some good onsen with nice walkable areas.
The Andaz was a great experience for one night. That being said, I stayed there before being married.
Can’t remember the name but there’s a super famous onsen resort in Gunma. Kusatsu I think? I’ve never been but people seem to rave about it
If you’ve never been, Enoshima is nice for an overnight trip, and the guide books have lots of suggestions for casual sights and photo ops.
You don’t say a budget, but if you have the cash, we love the Hoshino resorts— we stayed at Risonare Atami and it was fabulous, I’ve heard good things about the other locations too (there’s one in Nasu)!
Went to Shimaonsen in Gunma with my girlfriend for one night, it was amazing! Cute old little town with a very beautiful onsen/ryokan
My wife and I, early thirties, live close to Nasu and I’d second what others have already said. It’s a really cute town. Outlets. Food. Museums, Ryokan etc. etc.
The best historic and traditional ryokan in Tokyo vicinity:
http://hoshi-onsen.com/english/
‘Nuff said.
To add to other comments about Nasu, take the ropeway up Nasu Kogen and hike around the submit. Spectacular views, changing landscape all around, and not a difficult hike (basically no significant elevation unless you want to climb the small submit). Basic backpack only (sunscreen, rain gear, water, snacks).
Only if the weather is fine on that day of course, don’t go up mountains in heavy wind or storm.
[https://kanto.bus-japan.net/ropeway/](https://kanto.bus-japan.net/ropeway/)
For people without back problem, there is some good tree adventures in the area, like Nozaru [https://nozaru.net/](https://nozaru.net/)
Otherwise hiking in Oze National park (it is flat) is fantastic, with a night on site (drop your car and take the mandatory bus). Reserve in advance. It would be my first recommendation, it is a unique, beautiful place and the hike is quite easy (flat, you need to be able to walk up to like 10km max a day). The only difficulty is the approach march from the west trail (Hatomachigote is the nicest approach I think) that takes one hour and has a bit of elevation up and down, but if you can climb a few stairs it would not be much difficult. Basic backpack will do (food available in the lodges).
The marshland in Oku Niko is not as spectacular but still nice.
A suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Nikko.
What about Karuizawa? It’s a popular resort town with surrounding nature.
Private onsen in Nagano bow chicka wow wow
The area around Misaki / Jogashima is a perfect one night weekend trip. Prepare to eat lots of maguro!
Get her a milk maid outfit and take her to a cos play event.
Oh! Wait! It is her birthday. Strike that.
Yunishigawa Onsen is a really nice out of the way onsen town a little further north past Kinugawa. Nice onsens next to the river.
Northern tochigi is beautiful as many have already commented. Just a bit further north is Aizu, Fukushima. A lot of the area is pretty much just gorgeous nature. Not many people in the hotels and nice baths as well.
Another gorgeous getaway from the hustle and bustle that is Gunma.