Food destinations within easy reach of Tokyo, worth the early start.
Food destinations within easy reach of Tokyo. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Famous for: Japan's largest Chinatown, with Cantonese, Sichuan, Taiwanese and Shanghainese restaurants plus street stalls
Yokohama Chinatown near Tokyo is Japan's largest Chinatown, with 600 shops and restaurants over a 500-metre district. Cantonese, Sichuan, Taiwanese kitchens.
Famous for: Edo-period townscape, Kashiya Yokocho candy alley, sweet-potato sweets
Kawagoe in Saitama is the Edo-period 'Little Edo' town with 30 preserved warehouses, the Kashiya Yokocho candy alley, and sweet-potato ice cream and dango.
Famous for: Zen-temple shojin Buddhist vegetarian lunches, Komachi-dori snack street
Kamakura is the medieval temple town one hour south of Tokyo, with shojin Buddhist vegetarian lunches at Kencho-ji and the Komachi-dori snack street.
Famous for: Ryokan kaiseki dinners and hot-spring towns under Mount Fuji
Hakone in Kanagawa is the onsen ryokan town under Mount Fuji where the kaiseki dinner is the main event. Eat the multi-course meal in yukata before the bath.
Famous for: Mountain-trail tororo (yam-paste) soba and the cable car
Mount Takao west of Tokyo is the day-hike mountain where soba shops near the summit serve mountain-trail tororo soba. Cable car or chair lift up, walk down.
Famous for: Nikko yuba (tofu skin) and shojin Buddhist temple lunches
Nikko in Tochigi is the world-heritage temple town two hours north of Tokyo. Nikko yuba tofu skin is the lunch order; shojin lunches near the Rinno-ji.
Famous for: Houtou flat-noodle miso stew, Fuji-area sake
Lake Kawaguchiko at the foot of Mount Fuji is the day-trip for Yamanashi houtou stew. Flat udon-style noodles in pumpkin-miso broth at Houtou Fudo.
Famous for: Chichibu single-malt distillery, hand-cut soba and Yakushido sake
Chichibu in Saitama is the mountain town with the cult Chichibu Distillery, hand-cut Saitama soba and the Yakushido sake brewery. The single malt sells out.