Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

Signing up early helps get the event noticed and attracts more people. Of course you can change your mind and cancel later if you need to.
早めに登録していただくと、このイベントが目に留まりやすくなり、参加者も増えます。もちろん大丈夫です — 後で気が変わってキャンセルしても問題ありません。

—

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Without this, you will not find out our meeting point. EVERYONE needs to do this EVERY TIME, including those who have participated with me previously.

Let's have some early new year's fun making our own cup ramen, and then viewing the famous Yokohama illuminations.

We will meet at the Cup Noodles Museum reception area BEFORE 2:20pm. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. Cup Noodles Museum location

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Cup Noodles - 29th December] 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:[Cup Noodles - 29th December] 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。

I have already pre-purchased tickets for the CHICKEN RAMEN FACTORY, costing ¥1000 each. I am not planning including museum entry, but you can come early and pay ¥500 to enter. More information

See here for a blog about making cup noodles (scroll down a bit),

Our reservation for the Chicken Ramen Factory is from 2:45-4:15pm, however we have to arrive early for registration. Afterwards we will go to see the Yorunoyo illuminations at the Yokohama waterfront area.

About Yorunoyo
Thr illuminations are from 5-9pm approximately, but we'll run the event until around 6.30pm. You can leave earlier or stay later as you so wish.

Bring food for consumption while watching the illuminations, or you can buy some street food there.

Additional fees
None

Event fee: the factory fee (¥1000) will be added.
¥750 - you need to pay by 5pm on 28th December (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
No reservation accepted after this time as unused tickets will be returned.

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 at least 36 hours before the event start time.

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.

How to calculate your review appropriately:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars) = Everything was as described.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) = The event was generally ok, but there were a few things that you weren't happy with (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) = The event was disappointing (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) = The event was poor (please provide further details).
⭐️ (1 star) = The event was terrible (please provide further details).

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

Signing up early helps get the event noticed and attracts more people. Of course you can change your mind and cancel later if you need to.
早めに登録していただくと、このイベントが目に留まりやすくなり、参加者も増えます。もちろん大丈夫です — 後で気が変わってキャンセルしても問題ありません。

__

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Without this, you will not find out our meeting point. EVERYONE needs to do this EVERY TIME, including those who have participated with me previously.

We will meet at Keikyu Jimmuji Station BEFORE 10.55am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. There's a Keikyu-line train from the Tokyo direction bound for Zushi-Hayama arriving at 10.45am.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Mt Takatori & Zushi hike - 2nd January] 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: [Mt Takatori & Zushi hike - 2nd January] 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:

To start this walk head out of the station through the only exit and turn left, following the main road for about 8 minutes until you see a school sports ground on the right with a big sign pointing to the start of the course,

Continue along this path, passing along the front entrance of the school until you reach a rather curious looking block of apartments which somehow looks out of place being here. The path then leads downwards into a forest marking the start of the course.

When walking through the forest you will immediately notice that the path cuts through several large boulders and runs along a number of cliff faces. Be sure to follow the signposts for Jimmu Temple, (神武寺).

About half an hour later you should see a roofed gateway leading to the temple complex. Walk under this gate where you will immediately notice many stone statues decorated in bright red clothing. Known in Japanese as “Jizu”, these are the guardian deity of children.

To the left of these statues is a long staircase leading up towards an impressive looking gate and the main temple area beyond. Upon entering here you cannot help but be moved by the sheer beauty and tranquility of this place. Immaculately built stone sculptures along with a beautiful pagoda set within a forested landscape provide a rare opportunity to find some genuine peace and tranquility within a very spiritual setting.

Interestingly enough, this temple is deeply rooted in history. Although rumored to originally date back to the eighth century, its history can be traced to 1590, when many Samurai sought refuge here from Odawara Castle that was under siege from Emperor Hideyoshi`s forces.

From the top of the main complex continue for another twenty minutes along the path to Mount Takatori, (高取山).
Along this path you will be confronted with bigger boulders, more cliff top passes, excellent scenery and a steep but relatively easy rock face that has to be climbed by using one of the attached chains.

When you have recovered from this excitement you should reach a large, open area. This is the peak of Mount Takatori where you will see an observation tower. The short walk up to the observation tower provides some truly fantastic panoramic views of Sagami and Tokyo bay. On clear days it is possible to see Tokyo Skytree.

The area below this tower is an excellent place to have lunch with plenty of sights to keep you occupied whilst munching away. Afterwards, finish this hike by simply following the signs to Keikyu Taura Station (京急田浦駅). This is a pleasant one hour walk along a gentle downhill path.

Please bring your lunch either you.

Expected distance 4-5km, walking time 2.5-3 hours

Additional fees (approximate):
Possible temple entry fee.

Event fee:
¥750 (discount fee) limited to the first 5 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - payment is required via PayPay within 24 hours and is non-refundable. If you think you may need to cancel, then choose the option below ⬇️
¥1250 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 1st January (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (2nd January) - please bring the correct money (see the NOTE below).

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 for ¥1250 payments if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE at least 36 hours before the event start time.
• Reservation and then no-showing without prepayment 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.

How to calculate your review appropriately:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars) = Everything was as described.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) = The event was generally ok, but there were a few things that you weren't happy with (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) = The event was disappointing (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) = The event was poor (please provide further details).
⭐️ (1 star) = The event was terrible (please provide further details).

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

Signing up early helps get the event noticed and attracts more people. Of course you can change your mind and cancel later if you need to.
早めに登録していただくと、このイベントが目に留まりやすくなり、参加者も増えます。もちろん大丈夫です — 後で気が変わってキャンセルしても問題ありません。

__

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Without this, you will not find out our meeting point. EVERYONE needs to do this EVERY TIME, including those who have participated with me previously.

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 - 10th January] 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 - 10th January] 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:
¥750 (discount fee) limited to the first 5 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - payment is required via PayPay within 24 hours and is non-refundable. If you think you may need to cancel, then choose the option below ⬇️
¥1250 (regular prepaid fee) if you pay by 7pm on 10th January (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (10th January) - please bring the correct money (see the NOTE below).

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 for ¥1250 payments if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE at least 36 hours before the event start time.
• Reservation and then no-showing without prepayment 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.

How to calculate your review appropriately:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars) = Everything was as described.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) = The event was generally ok, but there were a few things that you weren't happy with (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) = The event was disappointing (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) = The event was poor (please provide further details).
⭐️ (1 star) = The event was terrible (please provide further details).

Welcome to Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips.

Signing up early helps get the event noticed and attracts more people. Of course you can change your mind and cancel later if you need to.
早めに登録していただくと、このイベントが目に留まりやすくなり、参加者も増えます。もちろん大丈夫です — 後で気が変わってキャンセルしても問題ありません。

—

To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Without this, you will not find out our meeting point. EVERYONE needs to do this EVERY TIME, including those who have participated with me previously.

We are just going to watch this!

BBC video about the event

However, if you are totally mad, you can take an ice bath by registering HERE in advance.

Winter is usually a time to stay inside, keep warm, and not go jumping into pools of freezing water. However, one New Year tradition at Teppozu Inari Shrine has people leaping into an ice-cold bath.

This event is known as the Winter Bathing Tournament (Kanchu Misogi) and is accompanied by prayers and celebrations for the New Year. While you might not want to take part, it’s still a sight to see.

Everything kicks off around 11 a.m. on the second Sunday of January each year. The shrine priests first conduct prayers and present offerings while the tub is prepared. It’s then filled to the brim with icy water. Once the prayers and warm up are completed, participants hop in wearing only their loincloths for modesty. (Women get to wear a bit more than the men.)

We will meet at Hatchobori Station at 10:25am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Ice bathing event - 11th January] 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:[Ice bathing event - 11th January] 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。

Additional fees - entrance to the shrine is free.

Event fee:
¥500 if you pay by 7pm on 10th January (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥700 in cash on the event day (11th January) - 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 at least 36 hours before the event start time.
• Reservation and then no-showing without prepayment 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.

How to calculate your review appropriately:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars) = Everything was as described.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) = The event was generally ok, but there were a few things that you weren't happy with (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) = The event was disappointing (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) = The event was poor (please provide further details).
⭐️ (1 star) = The event was terrible (please provide further details).