Tokyo Fun Hikes and Day Trips

Mon, Nov 3 · 10:00 AM JST

Abandoned Samurai Necropolis of Kamakura, and trek to Zushi beach

JR Kamakura Station, Komachi 1Chome, Kamakura, JP

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.

***Discounted event fee (¥500) for early applications. See below***

Join us for a pleasant trek through a historic area of Kamakura to Zushi, and with temples, matcha, caves, and the Abandoned Samurai Necropolis. We'll end up looking at Zushi Beach.

We will meet at Kamakura station at 10am. **Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually**. We will take a bus shortly afterwards.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Zushi trek - 3rd November] 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:[Zushi trek - 3rd November] 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 commence by taking a bus (route 23/24/36) to Hokukuji, where we will explore the bamboo forest and have matcha and sweets at the teahouse.

We will then head towards the Mandarado Yagura Caves, via the Kinubariyama stone quarry, and the “100 views of Mt Fuji viewing spot (関東の富士見百景). Afterwards we will head towards Zushi beach, where there are many bars and cafes.

Hokukiji
Secluded in the hills of eastern Kamakura, Hokokuji (報国寺) is a small temple of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism, and was founded during the early years of the Muromachi Period (1333-1573)

Hokokuji is best known for the beautiful, small bamboo grove found behind the temple's main hall, which lies thick with over 2000 dark green bamboo stalks. A few narrow pathways lead through the bamboo to a tea house where, for a small fee, you can sit and enjoy a cup of matcha tea while enjoying views into the bamboo grove. Also located behind the temple are a series of shallow caves carved into the hillsides, which are believed to hold the ashes of some of the later Ashikaga lords.

Kinobariyama stone quarry/caves
Mt. Kinohari is known as one of Kamakura's hiking trails. There is a site of a Kamakura stone strill in the middle of it. If you go along the fork road that is often overlooked on the way to the mountain trail to the top of Mt. Kinohari, it will lead to the ruins of the stone pit. And on the slopes of the mountain surrounded by beautiful nature, a large cave with rock face cut out appears. It is a very quiet space where history and nature are in harmony. The interior is spacious and dark, so you need a flashlight.

Mandarado Yagura Caves
If you’re not afraid of ghosts—or you’d like a taste of ancient Japanese Buddhist spiritual practice—then these somewhat spooky catacombs and final resting place for samurai souls will be your cup of green tea. The Mandarado Yagura Caves are a series of man-made caves originally used as tombs for the samurai class, but now they house stone cenotaphs (empty tombs). The site has previously been excavated to reveal skulls and cremation pits, and the soil has mostly been replaced, but there are information boards with photos explaining the site.

**Additional fees**
Bus to Hokukuji ¥220
Hokukuji admission fee ¥400
Matcha and sweets (optional) ¥600
Optional ice cream at Cremahop in Zushi
Optional dinner at La Ohana

**Bring:**
Lunch
Suitable walking shoes

Event fee:
¥500 limited to the first 7 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - prompt payment is essential to guarantee this reduced fee.
¥1250 if you pay by 7pm on 2nd November (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (3rd November) - 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 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).

Sat, Nov 15 · 3:30 PM JST

秋の夜散歩 Autumn night walk/illuminations at Showa Memorial Park

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.

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.

***Discounted event fee (¥500) for early applications. See below***

Video of 2024 illuminations

Official illumination webpage

Purchase your ticket here (¥1600) this includes park entry.

Holding the title of the largest park in the Tokyo area, Showa Kinen Park is filled with an array of beauty to enjoy no matter the season you visit in. The autumn months here are particularly beautiful, with one of the highlights being almost 100 ginkgo trees lined along a 300 meter stretch known as ginkgo avenue.

Showa Kinen Park is the most beautiful in autumn, with the maple and ginkgo trees blushing in fiery red and yellow respectively. The ginkgo trees are the first to turn and you can see two boulevards of the golden yellow trees as soon as you enter the park’s Tachikawa gate. These trees are expected to turn full yellow in mid-November.

The momiji and kaede trees, however, present their signature vermillion hues a bit later towards the end of November.

During this season, the park stays open after dark, with special light-ups taking place at the Gingko Tree Avenue (near the futsal and basketball courts) and the traditional Japanese Garden from 4.30pm until 8.30pm.

While you can enjoy the light-ups at Gingko Tree Avenue with just the park's regular admission fee (¥450, free for junior high school students and younger), you need an extra ticket to enter the Japanese Garden (advance ticket online ¥1,200, primary and junior high school students ¥600; same-day tickets sold at Komorebi House close to the Japanese Garden ¥1,300, ¥700).

Tickets to enter the Japanese Garden ARE NOT YET available to purchase online -(this link is for my benefit and I will update when I am aware of the new link)

We will meet at Nishi-Tachikawa station at 3.30pm. Please ensure your early arrival.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Showa Park illuminations - 15th November] 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: [Showa Park illuminations - 15th November] MARK’s LINE ACCOUNT

Event fee:
¥500 - limited to the first 7 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - prompt payment is essential to guarantee this reduced fee.
¥750 if you pay by 7pm on 14th November (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1000 in cash on the event day (15th November) - 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 starttime.
• 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).

Sat, Nov 22 · 10:25 AM JST

Okutama Autumn leaves hiking 🦆🥾 floating bridges and ♨️ foot spa 😊😊

奥多摩駅 Okutama station, 東京都西多摩郡奥多摩町氷川210, Nishitama District, Tokyo, JP

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.

Join us for Autumn leaves viewing while hiking around beautiful Lake Okutama,

We will meet at JR Okutama Station at 10.25am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. At the time of writing, the train departing Ome station at 9.38am arrives at Okutama at 10.19am.

We propose catching a bus at 10.35am, arriving at Ogouchi Shrine bus stop at 11.01am, ¥630.

Mugiyama bridge is immediately visible once you get off the Ogouchi Shrine bus stop. A few steps from the stop and you’ll see an opening with stairs that lead to the bridge below.

Mugiyama floating bridge
Tozura floating bridge
Tokyo Okutama Buddhist Stupa
Okutama Onsen Moeginoyu

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark Sensei via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Okutama event - 22nd November] 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先生にLINEしてください。
例:[Okutama event - 22nd November] 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。

Please bring your lunch with you. We will find a suitable spot to eat.

OUR ROUTE
Upon alighting the bus at Mugiyama bridge, our proposed route is as follows:
1. Cross Lake Okutama via Mugiyama bridge (麦山浮橋)
2. Head in the direction of Mito bridge (三頭橋) but not crossing it.
3. Follow route 139 in the direction of Tamagawa Camp
Village Fishing Site A 玉川キャンプ村 but we must look for signs on our right for Tokyo Okutama Buddhist Stupa 東京奥多摩仏舎利塔
4. Head towards Tozura Floating Bridge (Tozura no Ukihashi, 留浦の浮橋).
5. Walk back to Mugiyama bridge, and take a bus back to Okutama station.

Approximate walking time, excluding breaks, = 2 hours 45 minutes.

OPTIONAL
Once we have arrived back at Okutama station, we will walk approximately 10 minutes to Moegi-no-yu もえぎの湯 for a foot spa.

Additional fees (approximate):
Return bus fare 2x ¥630.
Foot spa near Okutama station ¥100

Event fee:
¥500 - limited to the first 7 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - prompt payment is essential to guarantee this reduced fee.
¥1250 if you pay by 7pm on 21st November (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (22nd November) - 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 if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE at least 36 hours before the event starttime.
• 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).

Sat, Nov 29 · 10:00 AM JST

The Tenshozan & Momiji no Sato Hiking Course

湯河原駅 Yugawara Station, 神奈川県足柄下郡湯河原町宮下670, Ashigarashimo District, JP

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.

***Discounted event fee (¥500) for early applications. See below***

The streets and backroads of Oku-Yugawara, “the town colored by the four seasons,” are known for the stunning beauty of picturesque autumn foliage. This hiking course is magnificent for a stroll enveloped in nature and greenery.

We will meet at Yugawara station at 9.50am. **Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually**. We will take a bus at 10.01am. There is a Tokaido Line train departing Tokyo station at 8.09am, arriving at Yugawara station at 9.47am. This is the latest train you can take.

◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Momiji no Sato Hiking - 29th November] 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:[Momiji no Sato Hiking - 29th November] 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 get started on the course, we will take the bus for Oku-Yugawara from Yugawara Station, and get off at Oku-Yugawara Bus Stop, the last stop (about a 20-minute ride).

Ascend the gently-sloped road along the Fujiki River, and after passing Hirogawara Bus Stop, you will find the guidepost for the Tenshozan Hiking Course at Jogao Bridge (1,500m to Tenshozan Shrine, 1,850m to Hakuun Waterfall).

Along the course, you will find Kyorai Waterfall. There is a shortcut leading to Tenshozan Shrine which starts a little before the top. The shrine is surrounded by cedar, cherry, maple, and other trees, and many hydrangeas, azaleas, camellias, and other plants.

After following the guidepost on the right-hand side of the shrine, walk up a gentle slope.

About 10 minutes past the shrine, near a giant kaya tree, you can see the 30m-high Hakuun Waterfall, which resembles cascading threads of beautiful silk.

A small torii gateway and a miniature shrine are nearby, and a stone Buddhist statue sits precariously above on a high rock, which appears to be on the verge of collapse.

Ikemine Momiji-no-Sato is located in the Ikemine hiking course, which is about 40 minutes from Ikemine Bridge at the entrance of Okuyugawara to Mt. Momiji. As the name suggests, about 540 Japanese maples grow.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Please look at the images attached for reference.
Walking from Oku-Yugawara Bus Stop to Tenshozan Shrine is approximately 10km, taking approximately 2 hrs and 43 minutes.
I am hoping to complete a circular route from Tenshozan shrine via Uoshizu and Oku-Yugawara to Momiji-no-Sato, BUT it is unclear whether such a walking course exists from Tenshozan shrine to Uoshizu. If this is not possible, we will have to retrace our original steps from Tenshozan shrine back to Oku-Yugawara, taking around 2 hours and 3 minutes. It's approximately 40 minutes from Oku-Yugawara to Momiji-no-Sato. If you are tired, just take a bus back from Oku-Yugawara.

Because of the uncertainty above, the estimated finish time of 5pm must be accepted very flexibly.

**Additional fees**
Bus 2x ¥390

**Bring:**
Lunch
Suitable walking shoes.

Event fee:
¥500 limited to the first 7 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - prompt payment is essential to guarantee this reduced fee.
¥1250 if you pay by 7pm on 28th November (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (29th November) - 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 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).