Mount Fuji Coach Tours:

Coach tours from Tokyo to Mount Fuji generally provide a commercial and superficial experience. Rather than having time to hike serene mountain slopes, passengers find themselves shunted from one tourist shop to another, with brief interludes to stop and take pictures of overcrowded destinations. Taking a shinkansen and hiring a car is a much better option to explore this region. However, in our opinion, Mount Fuji is more impressive when viewed from afar, to appreciate its perfect symmetry, and only then when weather conditions permit (it is normally shrouded in cloud).

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Hakone:

• This is a beautiful destination boasting a lake surrounded by conifers and  cedars, a volcanic mountainside, and thermal waters gushing underground and steaming from the gutters. However, with increasing numbers of daytrippers from Tokyo, the area has become overly commercial in parts. The Ropeway cable car, which carries passengers over impressive sulphuric volcanic vents at Owakudane, leads to a proliferation of tacky gift shops and is often inundated with people. At the first hint of a storm, the ropeway has a habit of stranding large numbers of passengers in remote spots with buses rare and taxis full.
• Hakone is worth a visit if done well. While the ‘pirate’ ships that glide (remarkably quickly) across Lake Ashi are just for tourists, they are still an impressive sight. Take a rowing boat on the lake for a different perspective. Hakone’s section of the historic ‘Old Tokaido Road’, flanked by centuries-old cedar trees, is a beautiful woodland walk.  Hike the tranquil path along Lake Ashi to the little-visited Kuzuryu Shrine, a red ‘torii’ gate which rises from the water.
• If you have the time, add the northernmost province of Hokkaido to your itinerary to see truly impressive volcanic vents, with none of the crowds of Hokkaido’s Owakudane (see How to avoid the crowds in Japan).

Kamakura:

• This is a pretty town as a daytrip from Tokyo, however you can barely move in the principle thoroughfares for tourists. Turn off into parallel streets, which are just as pretty but less crowded. Similarly, the shrine walks are attractive but very popular. Explore the more atmospheric and secluded shrines, often hidden in the peacefully residential areas.

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Izu Peninsula’s West Coast:

• While the sandy beaches of the East Coast of Izu Peninsula are favoured by day-tripping Tokyoites, the unknown West Coast gets our vote. It boasts winding coastal roads with spectacular views, utterly charming fishermen’s villages and undiscovered coves and grottos.  To get here from Tokyo, take a Shinkansen to Mishima and hire a car from there.
• if you have time, spend longer in this area – it’s worth a few days.

Kawazu Waterfalls:

• With scenery to rival any screen-saver, Kawazu River tumbles along its woodland course  and plunges down a sequence of seven waterfalls, each rivalling the next in its beauty. Take your bathers to dip into the pools along the way, and finish in the natural outdoor onsen at the most impressive of the falls. A direct train from Tokyo Station takes 2 ½ hours to Kawazu. Or make this a stop on your itinerary and enjoy all this area has to offer (see Izu Peninsula in How to avoid the crowds in Japan).