Tokyo is a monster city. Wherever you go, buildings are everywhere. You can see restaurants, shops, nightclubs, and more. I’ve been to Los Angeles, New York, Seoul , Milan, Frankfurt, and more, but Tokyo has the largest downtown all over the world in my opinion. It means there is on oasis in Tokyo seemingly.
However There is an oasis at the end of Tokyo. The are is called OKUTAMA. It takes 1hour and half from Shinjuku by Chuo Line. You need to transfer twice or so during the way to OKUTAMA. It sounds like outside of Tokyo, doesn’t it? but it’s still in Tokyo.
Do you wanna hike mountain roads, see a dam, or breathe fresh air? OKUTAMA is good for your weekend. I sometimes go there by car, because I wanna move all over the place. Additionally one of my purposes is BBQ. BBQ under the blue sky is perfect. Of course we can’t do BBQ in the center of Tokyo, thus I sometimes go there in summer.
It’s getting warmer in Japan. Today I wear only T-shirt. The rainy season will start on middle of June. Now is the time to go!!
May 23, 2007 at 22:06
I’ve never heard of Okutama, can I just go there and not have to worry about finding trails? Or this a thing that has to be planned?
May 24, 2007 at 1:43
You can go there without any plans. There is an information center close to the station. You should ask a person you’ll meet, but I’m not sure that the person speaks English or not.
May 24, 2007 at 16:02
awesome, thanks!! I’m going to Japan in September and hopefully the weather will be nice enough for some hiking. =)
May 24, 2007 at 19:45
September is great. It’s not too hot, not too cold. It won’t rain. Enjoy your time in Japan and Okutama.