Greater Tokyo

See & Do

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Hakone Old Highway

Hakone Old Highway

The Hakone Old Highway is a part of the Tōkaidō Highway established by the Edo Shogunal government, and the sloping road extends for 32 km from the Mishima post station via the Hakone-toge pass to the Odawara post station. The part between the Mishima post station and the Hakone check station through the Hakone-toge pass at an elevation of 846 m had been considered the most grueling part in the Tōkaidō Highway, as in addition to the steep ascent at high elevation, travelers had to walk through knee-deep mud if it snowed or rained. The Edo Shogunal government spent 1,400 ryo to pave the road with stone for 10 km of the road. According to records, it was originally paved with local Hakone-dake bamboo, however, it needed to be regularly repaved as the bamboo would rot, costing a great deal of money every year. Now only 2 km of the original stone pavement remains. Enjoy imagining travel in the old days while walking along the original paved segment of the old highway.The mountain road is overgrown with trees, so an early morning start is recommended. When the weather is nice, the sunlight through the trees feels refreshing. Be careful as the stone pavement is slippery after it rains.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Yokohama Noh Theater

Yokohama Noh Theater

The Somei Noh Stage, the oldest Noh stage in the Kanto region, was built in 1873 by the Maeda family, the former lord of the Kaga Domain, and opened in 1996. Various events are held with explanations to help beginners understand and unique planned performances and workshops, earning the stage the slogan “a Noh theater with a low threshold.” Once a month, we hold tours (advance reservation required) where the staff guides visitors through exhibits related to the history of the Nohgaku and the Noh stage, as well as private dressing rooms not normally accessible to the public. ※ Closed from January 2024 to June 2026 due to renovation work.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Okurayama Memorial Hall

Okurayama Memorial Hall

This hall was built in 1932 as the main building of Okura Mental and Cultural Laboratory, by a business-man Okura Kunihiko, who bacame the dean of Toyo University. The hall was donated to Yokohama City in 1981, and after a major renovation to preserve the building, the hall was transformed into Okurayama Memorial Hall in 1984.The hall was designated as a tangible cultural property of Yokohama City in 1991, as the hall occupies an important place in the modern architechtural market. You cannot view the hall and the meeting room as the building is usually used as a local facility, but you can see the common space such as the entrance. The building is famous for being the site of filming, and over 30 films are shot in a year.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival

Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival

From Nishihirabatake Park you can see an astounding view of Mount Fuji, which is even recognized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as being one of the best as it made it onto their Fujimi-byakkei List.Visit Matsudayama Herb Garden, located in Nishihirabatake Park, for a spectacular view of nature as the garden’s seasonal herbs bloom alongside the cherry blossoms.The evening illumination allows you to enjoy both the night view and the cherry blossoms. The illumination seen from the bottom of the mountain is also fantastic, with the area around the park being painted in pink. Kawazu cherry blossoms bloom in February. For details, please visit the Matsuda Town website.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Shonandai Cultural Center Children’s Museum

Shonandai Cultural Center Children’s Museum

The Shonandai Cultural Center is a large facility with unique buildings such as a large globe, a civic theater and children's hall, and a community center. The children's museum has an exhibition hall where children can learn hands-on while having fun playing with toys from around the world and ethnic musical instruments. We also offer a planetarium with live commentary, a “space theater” with realistic full-dome movies, and a workshop room where many workshops are held.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Katsuobushi Museum Kagotune

Katsuobushi Museum Kagotune

A specialty chopsticks store founded in 1893. This store, which has the appearance of a store from long ago, introduces the production process that is used in transforming bonito fished fresh from the sea into katsuobushi, or small pieces of dried bonito. There are many regional products that communicate the industrial culture of Odawara that has existed from times of old. This includes representative local industries such as kamaboko, tsukemono, confectionery, dried fish, shiokara, and woodwork. This is one of the “town corner museums” that raises awareness of the charms of Odawara through well-planned exhibitions, conversations with the store owner, and direct experiences.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Odawara Plum Blossom Festival

Odawara Plum Blossom Festival

It is said that the ume (plum) groves were first planted by the Hojo clan during the Warring States period to provide food for the troops (some theories exist). Among the three plum groves: Bessho, Hara and Nakagawara, around 35,000 plum trees are in full bloom during the correct season and are framed by Mt. Fuji and Hakone. During the Ume Festival from early February to early March, events such as Odawara Chochin Odori, a local performing art, and lion dances are held. (Photo by photolibrary)

Culture & Arts Koshu kaido Tokaido KANAGAWA
Jewels of Shonan

Jewels of Shonan

This is a light-up illumination event held from the last weekend of November to the end of February of the new year at Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden and other locations on Enoshima Island. It is one of the three major illumination events in the Kanto region, and has been recognized as a heritage site of illuminated night scenery.All of Enoshima is the stage. The creative production places highly in many rankings of decorative lighting displays.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Motomachi Illumination

Motomachi Illumination

Since the opening of the port of Yokohama, this chic district was the earliest to adopt the modern western culture with its many shops aimed at foreigners. At this shopping street brimming with uniqueness, not only can you find many gourmet food, you can also find jewellery, furniture and fashion brands originating from Yokohama's Motomachi. From Autumn to Winter Motomachi is lit up brightly with colorful illuminationsMotomachi goes all-out during the year-end holiday season to create a warm and jolly atmosphere. A fun place to enjoy lights, shopping, and restaurants.

Culture & Arts Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA