Sumatakyo Valley is a rural area of Japan a few hours west of Tokyo and has so much to do off the beaten path. As you travel Japan, especially when you are in more rural areas, we highly recommend asking around for advice. That is how we found so many unique experiences on our 50-day runAway Japan adventure.

This article is about the wide variety of activities you can do on Lake Hamana and how to enjoy the perfect day on the lake.

Not far from Tokyo, Shizuoka prefecture has a lot of natural beauty to explore and unique food experiences to offer. If you are traveling to Japan, make sure to seek experiences beyond what is available in the major cities. We at runAway Japan did just that! Early on in our 50-day adventure through Japan, we traveled to Shizuoka prefecture and found a beautiful waterfall and tasted a flavor of ice cream unlike anything we had tried before!

Hakone Hachiri is the name given to the stretch of old Tokaido between Odawara and Mishima, via Hakone. Much of the old Tokaido route has been replaced by modern roading. But the Hakone Hachiri stretch has a reasonable proportion still intact, and so has just been declared a Japan Heritage Area.

Kunozan Toshogu is one of the many shrines in Japan that is dedicated to the late shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is because of the many accomplishments of Ieyasu that many people visit Kunozan Toshogu to pray for the safety of their family, academic success, health and protection against danger.

Most people don’t know that you can enjoy hanami (flower viewing) in late February to early March if you visit the Izu Peninsula.

So if you’re a fan of skiing, or snow in general, but don’t have the money or thermals for Hokkaido, then here are five great ski destinations that can be easily reached from Tokyo.

When people visit Tokyo, they also want a good day-trip or overnight trip from the big city. So will it be an onsen? Culture? The beach? Ito has a bit of everything...

I was told almost anyone could do this trail, and it was beginner friendly. All I can say is that I must have a very different idea of beginner!

In Shizuoka, Fukuroi City Hanabi is known to cater one of the best fireworks festivals in the whole prefecture attended by thousands of people every year.

The Izu peninsula offers endless fun and a lot of activities to entertain even the most difficult visitor.

If you are a diver, you’ll want to explore every water within your reach, even if it’s not world-renowned. At least that’s why I went on a dive trip to Izu.