Hinohara: if you thought Tokyo was just a massive city then head to Hinohara for a surprise. This is the only village still left within the Greater Tokyo Area to the very west of the city proper. Most of the area is stunning mountains and forest around a village of just 3,000 people where the north and south sections of the Akigawa river converge. Get here by taking a train from the Musashi Itsukaichi station or take roads 33, 205 and 206 out of the city. Izu Oshima: the nearest of the Izu islands to central Tokyo, Izu Oshima is an inhabited island that is home to Mount Mihara, a volcano that last erupted in 1986. In the famous Godzilla films, the volcano was the venue chosen to house the huge monster by the Japanese government, so the place has some kudos among cartoon fans. Boats leave Takeshiba San Bashi ferry pier for the island or there are several flights daily from Haneda and Chofu airports. Mount Mitake: located within scenic Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Mount Mitake stands nearly 1,000 metres high with a famous Shinto temple at its summit. Don’t worry about walking all the way up here yourself as there is a cable car ferrying tourists to the top. The rest of the park is lush forests and hills over a huge area that spreads into four different prefectures, including Tokyo. To get here catch a train at Shinjuku station in the city, which will take about 1 hour, 30 minutes to get here. To get here catch a train at Shinjuku station in the city, which will take about 1 hour, 30 minutes to get here. Yokohama: it’s difficult to see where Tokyo ends and Yokohama begins but the city is Japan’s second largest and an easy daytrip from the capital. It’s home to the largest Chinatown in the country and the tallest building in Japan too: Landmark Tower, with an observation platform on the 69th floor offering great views over the bay. | 
