Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips

Hiking Chichibu's Koburi Pass 🥾🏞️顔振峠 and Suwa Shrine ⛩️ 諏訪神社 🌅☀️

Sat, Jun 27 · 10:30 AM JST

吾野駅 Agano Station, 埼玉県飯能市坂石町分326-1, Hanno, JP

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Everyone needs to do this every time.
—

The Koburi Pass in Saitama comes with spectacular scenery, is an easy hike, and it’s hard to beat for complete rural and peaceful immersion. It’s a relatively easy 3-4 hour walk with amazing views and very few people.

We will meet at Seibu-Agano Station at 10.30am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. The Seibu-Chichibu line train leaves Hanno at 10.05am, arriving at 10.25am.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Koburi Pass Hiking event - 27th June] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
If you would like to bring a guest, please ask me via Line.

◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマークにLINEしてください。
例:[Koburi Pass Hiking event - 27th June] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
定員の都合上、お連れ様がいる時は事前にLINEでご相談ください。

After ascending through the forest and a beautiful bamboo groove you arrive at Suwa Shrine (諏訪神社). On a clear day, there’s a great view overlooking Saitama and if you’re lucky you might even be able to spot Tokyo Skytree.

OUR ROUTE:

Once you alight at Agano Station, take a right and follow the Koburi pass – “顔振峠” sign down some steps and right again along a quiet road.

After a few minutes of walking, you need to take a left to the underpass, under the main road.

Once you cross under the main road, you go up a slope and past a school (on your left) and down again then take a right following the hopefully now familiar 顔振峠 sign. Finally you’ll see another sign pointing you left to the road that winds up into the mountain, and a while down this road you eventually you’ll get to the entrance to the path.

The next part of the route is a fairly steady climb through forest, probably about 300m in altitude gain. Just keep following the same signs taking you up the mountain. At one point you cross over a road and a few steps later there’s a great view of the valley on one side and a shrine on the other.

A few steps further and you come back to the road with a couple of eateries. If you didn’t pack lunch, then this is your last chance to grab some eats before the end of the hike. In fact both restaurants are good spots to take a break, bask in the view quoff some delightful Japanese grub for fairly cheap. Also if the visibilities is good, you should be able to see Mount Fuji just poking it’s head over the ridge on the otherside of the valley.

Follow the trail heading further uphill (straight, not right) another 5 mins to a view point, which starts from behind the eatery. The view point at the top is a small clearing with an unobstructed view of most of Saitama.

After the view point, continue along the trail back through the woods and looking out for the Suwa Shrine signs.

After the shrine, head down to the clearing area, which slightly resembles a car park, and look for the sign to “Yugate” (ユガテ).

From here on, you should follow the signs to Yugate, and eventually to the station Higashi Agano (東吾野). Just a few meters down the trail there should be a sign in Japanese saying “Can you see Tokyo Sky Tree?”. If the visibility is good, then you should have a pretty epic view of Saitama and Tokyo plus can most probably detect a tall dark structure (the SkyTree) in the distance, a bit to the north of the skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo.

Keep following the trail, and after a few more minutes you’ll see fork with a sign post to Ogamiyama (上越山). Follow the route to Yugate.

For the next 30 mins to hour, just keep hiking along the ridge and following the signs to ユガテ. The trail crosses over the road a couple of times, but just keep following the signs and you’ll be on the right track. Eventually the trail brings you to just above Yugate which is a pleasant spot full of flowers and blossoming trees (Hint: Spring is probably the best time to be here). You can descend down to Yugate to the left side of the ridge, and the path to Higashi Agano station is down the right side of the ridge.

It takes a further 45 mins to descend through the forest and follow the road to the Higashi Agano station, and it’s all pretty clearly sign posted.

Route blog

Route video

Event fee:
¥1000 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 26th June (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (27th June) - please bring the correct money.

If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).

Cancellation policy:

• Full refund given if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE by 7pm on 10th July
• Reservation and then no-showing or late cancellation requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.

Tokyo Fun Events open chat group on LINE
Tokyo Fun Events on Instagram
Tokyo Fun Events on Facebook

After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:

1. I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
2. Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
3. We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
4. We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
5. The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
6. The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.

Kamakura to Konandai hiking 🥾 via Mt Omaru

Sat, Jul 11 · 10:15 AM JST

鎌倉駅 Kamakura station, 神奈川県鎌倉市小町一丁目1-1, Kamakura, JP

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Everyone needs to do this every time.
—

Kamakura area is a great place for hiking throughout the year. The trails are easy to walk, and the surrounding nature is lush. Kamakura has lots of hiking trails, leading to amazing viewpoints.

We will meet at Kamakura Station BEFORE 10.15am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. We will take a bus at 10.25am.

Route blog post

Sugimoto Kannon 杉本寺

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Kamakura/Konandai hike - 11th July] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
If you would like to bring a guest, please ask me via Line.

◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマークにLINEしてください。
例: [Kamakura/Konandai hike - 11th July] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
定員の都合上、お連れ様がいる時は事前にLINEでご相談ください。

OUR ROUTE:

We will begin by taking a bus to Hokukuji 報国寺. There is a beautiful bamboo forest inside, along with a renowned tea house where you are served matcha and sweets. However, since our group have visited several times recently, we won’t include this in our event. If you wish to visit Hokukuji (opening time 9am), please make sure you meet us at the Jomyoji bus stop no later than 10.40am. Please make sure you inform me clearly via LINE message if you wish to go to the temple.

We will begin by heading to Sugimoto-dera, founded in the 8th century and is the oldest temple in Kamakura (entry ¥200).

After that, we will head via Kamakura-gu towards Yofukuji ruins. Soon our path will be running alongside and above a huge cemetery.

There are good information boards along the way, showing the extent of the local hiking trails: they connect several community woods, a nature sanctuary, and even a small zoo. There is also a pond in the middle of the forest.

Follow the signs for Kanazawa Bunko 金沢文庫 (not the final destination). We will reach the Sekiyaoku viewpoint 関谷奥見晴台.

Then follow signs for Konandai station 港南台.

We will reach the turn-off for a long staircase leading to the top of Mt Omaru 大丸山, the highest point of Yokohama city. for a view to the South of Tokyo Bay and the Eastern end of the Miura Alps.

It will take a further hour to reach Isshindo Plaza いっしんどう広場, a wide area where several trails intersect. Apparently you can see Mt Fuji from the West side in good weather.

Continue another fifteen minutes along a dirt trail through the countryside to get back to the busy city roads. There will be some good views of the hills of Kamakura to the East.

Please bring your lunch with you.

Expected distance 10km, walking time 5 hours

Additional fees (approximate):
Sugimoto-dera temple entry fee ¥200.

Event fee:
¥1000 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 10th July (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (11th July) - please bring the correct money.

If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).

Cancellation policy:

• Full refund given if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE by 7pm on 10th July
• Reservation and then no-showing or late cancellation requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.

Tokyo Fun Events open chat group on LINE
Tokyo Fun Events on Instagram
Tokyo Fun Events on Facebook

After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:

1. I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
2. Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
3. We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
4. We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
5. The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
6. The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.

水かけまつり💦 Saitama Water Fight Festival 🔫

Mon, Jul 20 · 11:00 AM JST

さいたま新都心駅 Saitama-Shintoshi station, さいたま市大宮区吉敷町四丁目261-1, Saitama, JP

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Everyone needs to do this every time.
—

Songkran, is a popular festival in Southeast Asian countries, especially in Thailand.

As a New Year's celebration in April, which is the New Year of the Buddhist calendar, a festival is to pour water on each other and celebrate with the intention of praying for good health and good harvest.

In Southeast Asia, April is the hottest in the dry season, so people in the city enjoy pouring water regardless of anyone.

Such a water festival is arranged in the Saitama Shintoshin version.

東南アジア各国、とくにタイで盛んなお祭り「ソンクラーン」。
佛暦の新年となる４月に新年のお祝いとして、無病息災や豊作祈願の意を込めて、水をかけあって祝福するというお祭り。

東南アジアでは、４月が乾季にあたり一年でもっとも暑いということもあって、街中の人たちが誰彼構わずに水をかけあって楽しんでいます。

そんな水かけまつりをさいたま新都心版にアレンジ。
けやきひろばに用意された水をコップや水鉄砲でかけあって楽しみましょう。

Watering time is expected to be from 11:00 to 13:00 & from 14:00 to 16:00.

Event webpage (will probably be updated)

Aside from all of the water-based fun, the "world" portion of the event will include cultural experience areas, street food from all corners of the globe, and a world market selling a variety of internationally-sourced items, from clothing to accessories and plenty more.

There is no admission fee to enjoy the event, but bring extra money if you plan on purchasing food or items from the world market.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Saitama Water Festival - 20th July] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT

◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマークにLINEしてください!
例: [Saitama Water Festival - 20th July] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT

I will reserve a spot at Keyaki Hiroba and post location details in the LINE group. It is a 5-minute walk to the left of the station gate. Please arrive punctually since late arrival may make it difficult for you to find us as we might already be having fun getting wet.

Event fee:
¥750 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 19th July (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1250 in cash on the event day (20th July) - please bring the correct money.

If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).

Cancellation policy:

• Full refund given if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE by 7pm on 19th July
• Reservation and then no-showing or late cancellation requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.

Tokyo Fun Events open chat group on LINE
Tokyo Fun Events on Instagram
Tokyo Fun Events on Facebook

After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:

1. I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
2. Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
3. We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
4. We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
5. The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
6. The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.

花火昭和記念公園 Fireworks/Hanabi at Showa Memorial Park

Sat, Jul 25 · 3:00 PM JST

西立川駅 Nishi-Tachikawa station, 東京都立川市富士見町一丁目36-10, Tachikawa, JP

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Everyone needs to do this every time.

—

The Tachikawa Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival will see 5,000 fireworks launched, making it a medium-sized festival by Tokyo standards. The display is from 7.15-8.15pm.

Approximately 400,000 people are expected to attend the event, and it gets crowded from around 5pm.

However, according to TOKYO CHEAPO entry to the entire park is free all day, so we want to give you time to enjoy its beauty too.

We will meet at Nishi-Tachikawa station BEFORE 3pm. Please ensure your early arrival.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark Sensei via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Hanabi - 25th July] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT

◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマーク先生にLINEしてください!
例: [Hanabi - 25th July] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT

Event fee:
¥750 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 24th July (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1250 in cash on the event day (25th July) - please bring the correct money.

If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).

Cancellation policy:

• Full refund given if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE by 7pm on 24th July
• Reservation and then no-showing or late cancellation requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.

Tokyo Fun Events open chat group on LINE
Tokyo Fun Events on Instagram
Tokyo Fun Events on Facebook

After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:

1. I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
2. Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
3. We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
4. We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
5. The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
6. The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.