Tokyo secret spots off the beaten track & Mount Fuji's many faces

I lived in Tokyo for nearly a year in the early 1980s and have returned for work (Japan private tours & travel services & consulting) many times since then. Tokyo, like Kyoto or any historically significant city, has an abundance of back lanes, many too narrow for cars! And this blog post will introduce a few locations that most foreign visitors to Tokyo miss (or don't even know about).

[BTW: This blog is dominated by Kyoto-related topics, and I sort of apologize for that. I lived in Kyoto City for nearly 30 years (1985-2019) and did a lot of work there as the editor in chief of the Kyoto Visitor's Guide (and the Osaka Visitor's Guide; 1993-1996). I love Kyoto and know the back lanes of the city whether I am there or not. I bicycled the entire time and follow the practice of going home or to work a different way every time. Today, Kyoto is just as elusive and haunting as she ever was. And taking the lanes and streets less traveled, in any city, leads to surprises. Good ones!]

Don't forget the value of Tokyo Yamanote Loop Line, above ground all the way: I design Tokyo self guided and guided private tours all the time and my advice to the reader is: "Take advantage of the JR Yamanote Loop Line. It's above ground so you always have things to look at. It's super well used, and trains comes every 5 minutes. And best of all, this single circular train route stops at nearly all of Tokyo's best spots: Ueno Park, Akihabara, Tokyo Station, Yurakucho Station, Ebisu Station, Shibuya Station, Harajuku Station, and Shinjuku Station. And you never have to go underground. Keep it in mind for your next Japan trip!

The evolution of the Ameyokocho black market: Tokyo's Ameyokocho market zone started out at the best place the city to find black market goods from the start of the 20th century. Bear in mind that Edo (260 years or more of shoguns) only became Tokyo in 1868 (when Emperor Meiji, politically and as a figurehead, replaced the shogun for the first time in over 600 or more years). Over the past 125 years, Ameyokocho, also known as Ameyoko, has developed into a bustling street market stretching from Ueno Station south to Okachimachi Station (about 500 meters or yards in length and then lots of side lanes. This vibrant shopping (and street food) destination, with it's variety of shops, stalls, and food vendors, is super colorful in the morning, afternoon and after dark. Just take the JR Yamanote Loop Line to Ueno Station and walk south and then hop the Yamanote Loop Line to your next destination in Tokyo.

Tokyo's best old-world stroll: From Yanaka to Ueno or Ueno to Yanaka: A lot of Tokyo was totally destroyed by the 1926 megaquake and then in World War II (mostly firebombs, but the city was almost entirely built with wood structures ; concrete and asphalt came after World War II). The Yanaka to Ueno area on a map is depicted as mostly green. Yanaka Cemetery makes up about 1/3rd of the Yanaka district and is famous for it's cherry trees and serene stroll paths through an ancient Buddhist cemetery. The Yanaka Ginza is an old world shopping street with lots of crafts, handmade foods and side lanes with more of the same (all old buildings; few over 3 stories). The "famous" and edgy modern SCAI The Bath gallery is also in Yanaka. And on the SW edge of Yanaka you will Nezu Shrine, which is a vast green area of azaleas and other flowering bushes and trees in a Shinto setting (and hardly any tourists at all!). Ueno Park is vast and has little lakes, the Tokyo National Museum, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and lots of places to picnic under cherry trees.

Aoyama Cemetery: Tokyo's version of Paris's Montmartre Cemetery: Did you know that contemporary Roppongi is a few minutes south and east of a vast cemetery? Tokyo's Aoyama Cemetery is similar to the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, resting place of Victor Hugo, Jim Morrison, and so many other celebrated individuals. In the Aoyama Cemetery lie the graves of many of Japan's top writers and politicians from the late 19th century onwards. And also, many celebrated Europeans & Americans, of which some where Christian missionaries.

47-ronin Sengaku-ji Temple & the stunning Happoen garden complex: These two places are less than 20 minutes apart on foot but present two completely different worlds. Sengaku-ji Temple is famous because of an unusual samurai lord's behavior in the 18th century (Edo period). It is the burial ground of the 47 Ronin, a group of loyal samurai who avenged their master's death in the 18th century. The temple is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors who want to learn about this legendary samurai story and pay their respects at the graves. This story of the 47 Ronin's loyalty and revenge is one of the most celebrated samurai tales in Japan, inspiring countless books, movies (two or three in Hollywood and Europe; the most famous Japanese version is Akira Kurosawa's film), and plays. A short stroll through lanes where cars can’t easily enter we come to Happonen, which was originally a samurai lord's estate. The garden remains intact and is line on one side, above the big pond, with bonsai trees in huge planters. Some of these trees are over 500 years old! The pond is home to a number of large serpents (2-3 meters; I have seen one but was told there is even an albino snake on the property). Today, Happoen is one of the most popular traditional settings for Japanese weddings. In Toyko The main modern buildings have a cafe, The Thrush Cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating. And you can experience casual tea ceremony in ancient tea houses next to the pond. Both of these places are a little southeast of Ebisu Station on the Yamanote Loop Line. Learn more!

Odaiba: Tokyo's futuristic manmade island: Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district for the young (and also older people) situated on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. The original "fort islands" were built in the late Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo from possible attacks from the sea after the powerful gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry (and his metal-hulled ships). In the 1980s, the small islands were joined using massive landfills. When Japan's economic bubble burst in the late 80s the island was forgotten for a while. But in the late 90s several hotels, shopping malls and the Yurikamome elevated monorail line opened. By the early 21st century, Odaiba developed into a super popular tourist attraction and dating destination. Over time, the shopping and leisure options in the district continued to grow. Odaiba has lots of open public space (much is green) and views of the colorful Rainbow Bridge crossing Tokyo Bay. I would go there towards sunset for maximum people watching and restaurant relaxation.

Nakano Broadway for manga, anime and old-world vibes: The Nakano Broadway shopping mall is authentic (i.e. old or pretty old) and home to many manga (Japanees comic books), anime (Japanese film and television animation; for adults, teens and kids) and idol businesses. This includes many small Mandarake stores specializing in manga and anime-related collectibles. Nakano Broadway is less a 5-min train ride west of Shinjuku Station, so easy to get to and super easy to explore. The covered complex has four levels. The second and third levels are home to anime and idol-related shops selling everything from manga comic books, magazines, collectors' items, and animation character figurines to idol merchandise, game consoles, video games, CDs, and all kinds of associated souvenirs (such as idol playing cards and key chains). Nakano Broadways ground level is jammed with small businesses selling clothes, shoes, and used goods. In the basement is an authentic old-world fresh food market featuring everything from fruits and vegetables to meat and seafood.

The wonder's of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum: The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum lies in the western suburbs of Tokyo. The vast museum is home to a wide range of historic buildings rescued and moved from other parts of Tokyo. Most of the buildings are from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) onwards. Exploring these ancient homes, a public bathhouse and farmhouses is a great way to spend the day with the kids whilst touring Tokyo. The museum is part of Koganei Park, which is 25 minutes west of Shinjuku Station by train.

The rest of this post covers looks at the many faces of Mount Fuji, Shinto goddess, natural paradise zone, and much more! Learn more!

Content by Ian Martin Ropke, owner of Your Japan Private Tours (est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with Japan private tour clients and have worked for all kinds of families, companies, and individuals since 1990. Clients find me mostly via organic search, and I advertise my custom Japan private tours & travel services on www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps in Japan! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip. And thank you for reading my content. I, Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search), am also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!

Understanding Mount Fuji's different sides & tourist angles

I have been designing Japan private tours for Mount Fuji for over 25 years now. Few travelers seem to realize how elusive and even misunderstood the mountain is. To begin with, Mount Fuji is a powerful and massive Shinto deity. Her name is Konohanasakuya-hime, and she is the wife of the Shinto god Ninigi. And her manmade home is Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha (a grand shrine), which lies on the mountain's southern slope. And until 1872 women were not permitted or forbidden from entering the higher levels of the mountain and certain other zones. And never forget, Mount Fuji is a living volcano, a kind of sleepy one but active all the same. She last erupted from 1707 to 1708.

In the Heian period (794–1185), Fuji became a famous base for practitioners of Shugendo a mixture of Shinto mountain worship and Buddhism. In the early 12th century, Matsudai Shonin founded a Buddhist temple on the summit of Mount Fuji. In the Edo period a long-lasting cult founded by the Shinto ascetic Hasegawa Kakugyo (1541–1646) promoted the idea that the mountain was a powerful woman (in spirit) and that she should be climbed upon to be purified and for better happiness in general. That cult sort of vanished during the modern and Western Meiji period (1868-1912).

I always find it a bit odd when people wish to summit the Goddess or climb a bit from the so-called 5th station area. I feel and have always felt that the value of Mount Fuji is seeing her on a good day in the distance and to appreciate her awesome perfect shape and meaning. But nearly 400,000 climbers try to get on top of her each summer!

For much of the year seeing Fuji is hit and miss. The exception is the crisp autumn-winter season when the sky is generally crystal clear more often than not. It is worth planning your tours to Mount Fuji with this in mind. And that's not all.

Mount Fuji isn't really that high. But what is lacking in height is more than made up by its near perfect form and silhouette. Proof of this is the fact Mount Fuji was a celebrated image already in the medieval period across Southeast and Northeast Asia. It was iconic in shape foreign traders that made it to Japan's shores quickly noticed the image of Fuji all over Japan. Mount Fuji is also one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" which also include Mount Tate and Mount Haku. It became a World Heritage List Cultural Site in 2013.

In the samurai era of Japan (1185-1868) the base of Mount Fuji, near the town of Gotemba, was used as a "secret" training area for samurai. Minamoto no Yorimoto, one of Japan's first shoguns, held archery contests at the same site. Not surprising, given that his military shogun capital (Kamakura) was less than two days on foot from Mount Fuji.

In some ways, Mount Fuji, has become a warped icon with the "actually true" suicide forest stories that have spread around the world. The Aokigahara forest has long had a dark and demonic depiction in folk tales and legends, which speak of ghosts and demons haunting the forest. In the 19th century it became a popular place for the poor and desperate to abandon children and the old deep in the forest. So, already then it was a forest of death, slow or no. The tales and legends and knowledge of the deep almost impenetrable forest interior snowballed over the centuries making it also ideal for those wishing to commit suicide in private (as the forest is so big and tangled and dark in the day that you can easily find a place of your own with no one anywhere near you. That's the point for those going to go there and die. Potentially your body will never be found so you vanish into legend almost. In 2002, nearly 80 bodies were found in the forest. And later foreigners began to come, a few anyways. And with this type of suicide one really never knows about those never found . . . Today, there are countless signs warning visitors to stay on the signed paths and avoid going too far into the vast habitat. On the edges it's a pretty normal habitat which shifts into darker and more tangled terrain as you go further into the forest. Aokigahara covers about half of the mountains NE flank (not a sunset location for sure!). In the "deep" interior, where only experts (or people using string to backtrack and notes; apparently, compasses don't work so well in the forest because of the nature of the volcanic stones that litter the ground).

If you don't want to climb Mount Fuji, as soooooo many seem to want to or need to, you can paraglide from her upper slopes around the Gotemba Parking lot (5th Station zone). A handful of paragliding schools train students on the wide sand-grass hillside between the Gotemba and Subashiri parking lots.

And for tourists from southeast Asia Mount Fuji is literally a household world for its Gotemba Outlet mall, a massive modern mall near the 5th Station, believe it or not! And this also explains in some ways why Mount Fuji is the second worst location in Japan for overtourism. It's iconic history and stunning natural and unnatural attractions including the really really big outdoor element makes this place, this mountain, super popular. Of course, Mount Fuji is misunderstood (Mount Everest has also become a warped reality in my opinion).

I saw Mount Fuji in perfect clarity a few times in the autumn-winter of 1984, when I lived in Tokyo. And I trekked to both Hakone and Lake Kawaguchi to appreciate the mountain and the old places in both areas. Some tinged with modern desires or realities such as lakeside cafes, monster ramen joints, a fair bit of car traffic as driving to Fuji is such a popular drive, and yet the overall feeling is timeless because mountains and mountainous landscapes are timeless in my opinion. Below are two sections that explore the main places related to tourism and Mount Fuji: Hakone and The Five Lakes area around Lake Kawaguchi.

Mount Fuji at Hakone: Old luxury getaway for Edo-Tokyo

Hakone has been an easy weekend getaway for the upper classes of Tokyo for over 100 years (or more). It has great views of Mount Fuji and is in the mountains as well (thus the great views of Mount Fuji!) but Mount Fuji is nearly 30 kilometers to the north still. The Hakone area is the first checkpoint on the Tokkaido highway that linked Tokyo and Kyoto for most of the Edo period. Today, the bullet train will get to the base of Mount Hakone in less than 30 minutes.

After you leave the bullet train everything shifts to old and there is patina everywhere you look. The classic Hakone route begins with the historical train to Gora Station at the top of mountain (one station before the top is the access station for the world-famous Hakone Open Air Art Museum). From Gora you can walk west along the cable car or take the cable car to the start of the ropeway from Sounkyo Station. The first station on the way down to Lake Ashi is Owadakuni Station where you can experience a living volcanic slope with sulphur fumes and black eggs cooking in hot spring quality water from deep down. At the bottom of the ropeway a ship is waiting to take you to the south end of Lake Ashi, where the actual historical checkpoint buildings have been preserved. And iconic Hakone Shrine is an easy stroll north along the east side of the lake.

Most of the old traditional hot spring ryokans in Hakone are down near the bottom not in the Gora area. So, the Gora zone is quite modern and also home to about 8 private and public museums including The Little Prince Museum, a glass museum, and the stunning Pola Museum of Art (great minimalist architecture). For historical hotel fans, Hakone's Fujiya Hotel, which dates from the late 19th century, is well worth a visit if you have the time. I have slept there a couple of times as have Mark Twain, John Lennon, Charlie Chaplin and many other "notable" people.

Hakone is also famous among anime fans as a key location in the manga and anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The Hakone area is also home to a fair number of golf courses, and one hosts the annual JLPGA CAT Ladies Golf tournament. Never forget, there are nearly 40 million Japanese people living within a 90-minute ride of Hakone (Odawara bullet train station).

Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchi: Fifth Station, Chureito Pagoda, Iyanosato village, Kubota Ichiku kimono museum

The other popular entry to Mount Fuji is the Five Lakes area, where the main train station Kawaguchiko Station (named after the largest of the five lakes). Getting to Kawaguchiko Station can take two hours or almost two hours. The best way is from Shinjuku Station on the JR operated Limited Express Fuji Excursion trains (only a few a day; so plan ahead and avoid weekends!). It's a long day trip but if you leave at 8:00 you can easily be back in Tokyo again by 18:00. In the right season, it’s really worth the effort

If you really want to see Mount Fuji up close and personal then sleep in the Five Lakes area, which is also a hot spring zone and trout fishing zone and hiking zone. There are literally hundreds of hotels all over the region from luxurious luxury to affordable luxury to super cheap 2-star hotels.

The Five Lakes are at an altitude of roughly 800 meters (2,625 ft), so summers are cool and winters are icy. In summer the area is very popular for windsurfing, camping, and boating (sports fishing!). In 2013 the lake was added to the World Heritage List as part of the Fujisan Cultural Site.

I have spent a few glorious days on the lakes and also on the edges of the Aokigahara Forest (to see the ice caves). My recommended destinations include: the views of Mount Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda ; the Kubota Ichiku Museum (kimono textile dyeing genius), Iyashi no Sato ancient house village (a 30 min walk from Aokigahara Forest). In conclusion, try to sleep near Mount Fuji but don't try to stand on top of Mount Fuji (or Mount Everest). But that is just my opinion and to be fair I am a believer in the Shinto belief that all nature is God. So, respect is first . . .

Content by Japan travel specialist & designer Ian Martin Ropke, founder & owner of Your Japan Private Tours (YJPT, est. 1990). I have been planning, designing, and making custom Japan private tours on all five Japanese islands since the early 1990s. I work closely with all of YJPT's Japan private tour clients and have a great team behind me. I promote YJPT through this content and only advertise at www.japan-guide.com, which has the best all-Japan English content & maps! If you are going to Japan and you understand the advantages of private travel, consider my services for your next trip to save time & have a better time. Ian Martin Ropke (unique on Google Search) is also a serious nonfiction and fiction writer, a startup founder (NexussPlus.com), and a spiritual wood sculptor. Learn more!