Far too often, travelers dismiss places near Tokyo as being part of Tokyo, and either visit them sparingly or dismiss them entirely. To understand how this manifests, look no farther than famous “Tokyo” Narita Airport, which is actually in Chiba prefecture.
Another egregious example of this is the fact that Yokohama, despite being a city in its own right, is a place people often write off as a Tokyo suburb. This is perhaps more pertinent to the topic I’ll be writing about today: Kanagawa, the prefecture to the south and west of Tokyo that’s easy to ignore, but impossible to forget.
I hope my Kanagawa travel guide will help you plan your trip if you’ve already decided to take one, and inspire you to go if you haven’t yet made that choice. Certainly, there are a few surprises (and, hopefully, delights) in here!
Where to Base Yourself in Kanagawa
For some travelers, the topic of Kanagawa hotels never really comes up. Most of the prefecture is perfectly accessible from Tokyo, particularly if you focus on the urban corridor around Yokohama. In many cases, the only place people really stay for a night or two is Hakone, whether at a high-end hot springs hotel like Gora Kadan, or somewhere more basic like Hakone-no-yado.
As far as staying elsewhere in Kanagawa? Well, I can tell you that Kamakura is slightly disappointing as an overnight destination—most temples open late and close early, and locals aren’t exactly excited to see tourists around dusk or dawn. Yokohama can be a compelling overnight stay. But again, for many tourists, it’s simply more appealing to ride the Yokosuka or Shonan-Shinjuku Lines down for the day.
Places to Visit in Kanagawa
Hakone
Hakone is probably the Kanagawa destination that most travelers known best. Known as one of Japan’s onsen capitals (and, less deservingly, as one of the best places in Japan from which to see Mt. Fuji), Hakone is often a day trip from Tokyo, but is also satisfying as an overnight getaway.
Yokohama
Another essential entry on any Kanagawa itinerary is the prefectural capital of Yokohama. Far from merely a suburb or sub-district of Tokyo, this is a fully-formed city, whether you explore its multicultural heritage in Motomachi Chukagai (Chinatown), or zen out in Sankei-en garden.
Kamakura
Kamakura is one of the most popular day trips from Tokyo, but there’s so much more to see here than the Kotoku-in Big Buddha. In the underrated early summer, I love frolicking amid the ajisai (hydrangeas) of Meigetsu-in temple near Kita-Kamakura Station. These flowers are also amazing at Hase-dera near the Buddha.
Enoshima
Digging deeper into things to do in Kanagawa you have Enoshima island, which on account of its proximity to Kamakura is often a day-trip-within-a-day-trip from there. Enoshima is delightful for many reasons, from the Fujisan views you enjoy walking over the water to the island, to the fact that the island is essentially one hiking trail.
Zushi
Speaking of Fuji views, they’re among the best reasons for visiting underrated Zushi, a seaside city just south of Kamakura. However, I also love the authentic and laid-back coastal vibe, which manages to feel both cosmopolitan and castaway, in a way unlike almost anywhere else in Japan.
How Many Days Do You Need in Kanagawa?
How many days you spend in Kanagawa depends first and foremost upon how you plan to approach your trip. If you’ll be exploring Kanagawa destinations as day trips, rather than staying overnight, you could easily spend parts of 3-5 days there, be those in Kamakura, Yokohama, Hakone or beyond. And yet cumulatively, you might only end up being in Kanagawa for a 24-hour period.
On the other hand, if you sleep somewhere in the prefecture, the discussion of how many days in Kanagawa you spend shifts. If you really wanted to dig deep, you could spend a night or two each in both Kamakura and Hakone, taking day trips from the former to Yokohama, Zushi or Enoshima, and over the course of 3-4 days really seeing everything there is to see in Kanagawa-ken.
Other FAQ About Visiting Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture
Is it worth going to Kanagawa?
Kanagawa often disappears in the shadow of Tokyo, but is arguably one of Japan’s most interesting prefectures. Whether you take a day trip to Yokohama or Kamakura, or sleep a night or two amid the bubbling hot springs of Hakone, it’s absolutely worth going to Kanagawa.
What is Kanagawa, Japan known for?
Kanagawa is known for its proximity to Tokyo, and also for being home to the former Japanese capital of Kamakura. Kanagawa is also where you find the hot springs resort town of Hakone, though I’d say that most travelers think of Hakone as its own destination, rather than being part of Kanagawa.
Are Kanagawa and Yokohama the same?
Kanagawa and Yokohama are not one in the same. Rather, Yokohama is the capital and largest city of Kanagawa, the prefecture to which it belongs. So if you’ve been to Yokohama you’ve technically been to Kanagawa, though there’s so much more to discover.
The Bottom Line
I hope you’ve found my Kanagawa travel guide useful—and inspiring. Some of you were already planning your own trips, in which case I guess I’ve merely connected dots (such as between Yokohama and Enoshima island), or fleshed out details of what you already knew. In other cases, however, you might not have even had Kanagawa on your radar, and have now changed your mind because of what you’ve read. Regardless, I do hope you’ve enjoyed your time on this page. If you have, why not consider hiring me to plan the rest of your trip? Let me sweat the details while you focus on, you know, being in Japan.
