Riding the Spirited Away Coastal Train, Hiking Kamikochi, Togakushi Shrine, Hakuba Happo-ike Pond: From Kyoto to Tokyo

Japan is very welcoming for independent travel, and a family of three really doesn't need a group tour. Over summer vacation, we arranged a 2-week independent trip in Japan. I'm sure those who love independent travel have been to Japan more than once—us too, having already visited Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. So this time, our independent trip was mainly to see other popular spots: the Izu Peninsula, the scenic and hiker-friendly Kamikochi, Togakushi Shrine in Nagano Prefecture, and Happo-ike Pond in Hakuba Village! We chose to fly into Kyoto and out of Tokyo, so no backtracking. Since there are many flights to Tokyo and Osaka, this combo ticket was even cheaper than a round trip. We departed from Shanghai to Kyoto on June 30 and returned from Tokyo to Shanghai on July 13.

Flying from Shanghai to Kyoto actually lands at Kansai Airport, which is also Osaka's airport. Because Kansai Airport is closer to Osaka, people often think flying to Osaka means Kansai Airport. This time we directly booked an airport transfer. Actually, the price for a transfer from Kansai Airport to Osaka versus Kyoto is similar, just a little more, and the distance is indeed about 20 km farther. Taking a transfer to the hotel saves you from hauling luggage on different transport.

Kyoto is a city well worth spending several days or even longer in. Kyoto was actually Japan's capital! The capital moved to Tokyo only 157 years ago. Kyoto's cityscape was shaped by the Japanese aesthetic sense that flourished in courtly culture over the centuries, represented by historic structures like shrines and temples, gardens, paintings, traditional events, and Kyoto cuisine, earning it the name "Thousand-Year Ancient Capital."

We booked the Hachijo To Hotel through Ctrip, right next to Kyoto Station. Choosing this hotel is a sure bet—great value. It's a long-established Japanese 4-star hotel with 988 rooms and a large lobby where you can self-check-in at ATM-like machines with a Chinese interface. If you run into problems, staff will help. There are three breakfast options: buffet, Western, and Japanese. Since we stayed three days, we tried them all. I'd suggest skipping the Japanese one—it's a simple set meal, not worth it if you want to get your money's worth at breakfast. The hotel is super convenient for transport: bus terminal, JR, Shinkansen, subway all converge here, making it easy to get anywhere and to catch a train to our next stop: the Izu Peninsula. Plus, it's right next to Isetan department store, great for shopping and food!

Kyoto has so many classic sights: Sensoji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Tenryu-ji, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle, Heian Shrine, Tenmangu, Jisho-ji, Katsura Imperial Villa, Sanzen-in, Kyoto International Manga Museum, Kennin-ji, To-ji, Kyoto Tower, Daigo-ji, Tenryu-ji, etc. There are piles of UNESCO and heritage sites—I won't list them all here. You can easily look them up on various platforms and choose what to visit based on your time and interests. Actually, our family had been to Kyoto during the 2025 winter holiday (4-night stay from February 8-12, 2025)—we really didn't allow enough time. Four days in Kyoto is definitely too little! That's also why we chose to fly into Kyoto this time. We booked three nights, mainly to check off Tenryu-ji and Fushimi Inari Taisha, which we missed during the Spring Festival.

On July 1, we visited Tenryu-ji and experienced the "Arashiyama Sagano Romantic Train." From Kyoto Station, take the JR Sagano Line toward Sonobe, fare 240 yen. Actually, for the Arashiyama sightseeing train, you go to Saga-Arashiyama by JR and then transfer to the small train. You can take the small train one-way and return by river boat (about 2 hours down the mountain). Drifting downstream in a small boat on the clear mountain stream is pretty cool. Or you can walk back, stopping at various sights along the way, including Tenryu-ji.

We didn't take the boat, so we bought round-trip tickets, but got off halfway back. Through deep bamboo groves, we walked downhill and visited Tenryu-ji on the way. Tenryu-ji is located in Ukyo Ward, Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Kyoto. It's a pond garden created by the renowned Zen master and garden designer Muso Soseki (honored as National Teacher) during the Nanboku-cho period. Built on the site of a detached palace constructed in 1255 (the 7th year of Kencho) with Arashiyama as its backdrop, the temple's garden borrows the scenery of Mount Kameyama and Arashiyama, blending the elegance of aristocratic culture with the subtlety of Zen—a special national historic site.

After visiting Tenryu-ji, we walked downhill and ate ramen at a corner shop. Around 2 p.m., we visited the nearby Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji in Kyoto: the legend of 1,200 Rakan statues. Address: 2-5 Fukatani-cho, Saga Toriimoto, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto. Entrance fee: 300 yen. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is famous for its unique collection of stone Rakan statues—1,200 of them with diverse expressions scattered around the temple grounds. Rakan, those who have realized the essence of Buddhism, are often portrayed in groups with specific numbers in Buddhist art and stories. For example, when Siddhartha Gautama attained nirvana, the 500 Rakan were present.

After a tiring day, we treated ourselves in the evening. Our kid had already found a highly rated, super popular sushi spot in Kyoto online. This sushi place called "Tai Sushi" was truly excellent—you must go. The shop is small with limited seating, but absolutely worth the experience. I'll show a few more photos.

July 2: Visited Fushimi Inari Taisha. Transport: Take the JR Nara Line bound for Joyo from Platform 9, four stops to Inari. Fushimi Inari Taisha is a famous shrine at 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. Founded in the 8th century, it's dedicated to Inari, the god of agriculture and commerce, with Ukanomitama no Kami as the chief deity. People come to pray for good harvests, business prosperity, and traffic safety. It's one of the most visited shrines in Kyoto.

Kyoto is also a food paradise. In the evening, our kid—a big meat lover—picked a popular BBQ restaurant. When in Japan, don't miss the wagyu.

Staying near the station really shows its convenience for shinkansen and JR trains. On July 3, we checked out and walked just a few minutes to the station. To reach our hotel on the East Izu Peninsula from Kyoto, we needed to transfer. We took the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Atami, about 2 hours, then transferred to a JR train from Atami to Izu-Inatori, where our hotel, Izu Inatori Ginsuiso, is. I bought the Shinkansen ticket on Ctrip, but couldn't get the Atami–Izu Inatori leg there (it's a branch line), so I bought it on another platform in advance. You can also just use a Suica card, but I prefer to buy tickets ahead and print them at the station's EX-labeled blue machines using a QR code—platforms have guides on this. From Atami, it's 1 hour by JR to Izu-Inatori. The hotel has a shuttle bus for guests, running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., which made getting around easy. We stayed three nights at Inatori. For a family of three with half board, it was over 3,000 RMB per night, with around-the-clock executive lounge service, indoor and outdoor hot springs, and an outdoor pool.

On July 3, we arrived at Inatori Station quite early, before 11 a.m. The earliest hotel shuttle was at 11. I contacted Ctrip to help communicate—this really showed the benefit of booking through Ctrip, as they can assist when issues arise. Inatori Station is some distance from the seaside hotel; the shuttle took about 10 minutes. The lobby was spacious and comfortable with sofas, and a carp pond with fat carp swimming about. The hotel checked us in and assigned a room on the 6th floor, but check-in time was 2 p.m., so we left our luggage with them (they'd deliver it to the room). The hotel is right on the coast, so we strolled along the shore and whiled away time at a nearby 7-Eleven. By the time we returned, it was time to enter our room. The room had a balcony connecting to a tatami area with a direct ocean view, and the whole room was step-in tatami style. We actually liked this traditional Japanese room, even though the furnishings were quite old. The deep pit-style bathtub in the bathroom surprised us—like something out of an old Japanese movie, which was interesting. We always wanted to try it, but after washing up before soaking in the onsen, we never did.

The hotel provided dinner and breakfast. That evening we experienced a kaiseki meal with over ten courses. On the first day, you can take home the custom chopsticks provided; remember to bring them back after dinner. I heard the wood is local "hard fragrant wood."

On July 4, after breakfast, we took the hotel's free shuttle to Inatori Station and then deliberately chose the "Spirited Away coastal train" that I'd seen recommended years ago, to go visit Mount Omuro. Each carriage had few people, and the scenic seats were empty—sit anywhere.

After transferring to Mount Omuro, we queued opposite this shop to buy chairlift tickets up the mountain.

Coming down from Mount Omuro, we took a bus to Jogasaki Coast. We chose a coastal hiking trail along the volcanic lava-formed cliffs, walking about an hour before reaching the famous suspension bridge.

Back at the hotel, dinner time was approaching. Over our three-night stay, each dinner was different—a great experience.

On July 5, we visited Shimoda Park on the Izu Peninsula. In summer, the park is known for its hillsides covered in colorful hydrangeas, though we missed the peak bloom—by early July, the flowers were starting to fade. Still, we insisted on walking the whole mountain loop! By the way, Shimoda Park is free.

If you go to Shimoda Park, don't miss the nearby Marine Park. There are scheduled marine animal shows: dolphins, sea lions, seals, plus various marine life, plants, insects, and even dolphin education sessions. If you're traveling with kids, definitely don't skip it. You can walk or take a bus from Shimoda Park; we walked, passing through a tunnel, taking about 20+ minutes.

After the Marine Park, we actually also went to Shirahama Beach. Before that, after leaving the park, we looked for a lunch spot in the nearby neighborhood, but it was already 2 p.m. and almost nothing was open. Just as we were about to give up, we found a quaint, old-fashioned local granny-run family restaurant—very nostalgic. We ordered three rice bowls. After eating, we took public transport to Shirahama Beach. The sand was fine and soft, with many tourists and locals surfing or playing in the water. There's also a famous "Red Gate" with an ocean view.

After finishing at Shirahama Beach, we returned to the hotel. Our last night's dinner featured a famous local fish, the red sea bream, which was delicious!

On July 6, we hired a car to Matsumoto, mainly to avoid dragging luggage on multiple transfers. The driver picked us up around 10:30 a.m. from the hotel. Hired cars in Japan are almost always 7-seater Toyota Alphards. For convenience in going to Kamikochi from Matsumoto and then to Nagano City, we chose a hotel near Matsumoto Station: Hotel Lit Matsumoto. For a family of three with three breakfasts, the room had a washing machine—handy! We washed clothes that day and used the shared dryer on the 2nd floor. However, the third bed for our kid was just a mattress on the floor between the two twin beds—not a good feel. It was my first time staying in such a room type. That evening, we found a highly praised wagyu BBQ restaurant—excellent. We planned to go back after Kamikochi the next day, but it turned out the place was closed on Mondays. We ended up at a nearby BBQ place, which was a big letdown by comparison.

On July 7, Kamikochi adventure: from the hotel, it's a 10+ minute walk to Matsumoto Station. For first-timers, here's how to buy tickets: at the station, use the machine shown below to get a ticket to "Shinshimashima." Then, after getting off the train at Shinshimashima, buy a bus ticket into the mountains at the station there. Various platforms have lots of advice; for beginners, get off at "Taisho Pond" and simply follow the path and the people—you won't get lost because there's only one road. The scenery is picture-perfect all the way.

On July 8, we took the JR from Matsumoto Station to Nagano City. We chose the Hotel Metropolitan Nagano, part of the JR group and connected to the station. We booked three nights, with breakfast for three adults, 1,500 RMB after tax, 30 sqm room with three beds. The breakfast was good, the room clean, and the hotel super convenient—it's linked to JR Nagano Station, and you can't hear any train noise at all. If I go back to Nagano City, I'd definitely pick this hotel again.

On July 9, we planned a day trip to Togakushi Shrine. Bus tickets to Togakushi are sold at the tourist bus ticket center opposite the hotel. Actually, we bought tickets for both Togakushi and the next day's trip to Hakuba Happo-ike together. For Togakushi, just board the bus at the departure time right outside the ticket center. After breakfast, we strolled over and took the tourist bus from the stop in front of the ticket center. About an hour later, we arrived at the entrance to Togakushi Shrine. You need to hike in; the first 90% is flat, but to reach the innermost shrine, there are steps to climb. Round trip with stops takes at least 2 hours. Luckily, the scenery is nice, and even in high summer, the forest air was pleasantly cool. All my photos are unedited, no filters, and not auto-enhanced like many phones do—mostly phone shots, some from a mirrorless camera.

For dinner, we tried a local grilled seafood place popular with young people, not far from the hotel.

On July 10, we took the bus from the hotel entrance to Hakuba Happo in Hakuba Village. Note: the ticket bought at the ticket center for "Hakuba Village" can be used at multiple stops, including the ticket center itself. For us, the Hotel Metropolitan Nagano tourist bus stopped right at the hotel entrance to pick up guests—so convenient, no need to go elsewhere. After over an hour, we arrived at Hakuba Happo in Hakuba Village. On the second floor of the arrival building, there's a MONT-BELL store—rumored to be the only tax-free outlet of the brand in Japan. We didn't shop first; we went straight to the ticket office for the three-stage gondola (first photo below). From the station opposite, it was less than a 20-minute walk uphill to the gondola ticket office. Remember to buy the full three-segment gondola ticket; transfer and finally reach the starting point for the hike to Happo-ike Pond (see second photo below).

Hiking to Happo-ike is challenging—it's a climb. But the mountain path has wooden boardwalks most of the way, which is friendly to hikers. Actually, at the start, there are two trails: left and right. The right trail is more demanding, a rocky off-path route that's more tiring but cuts about half an hour compared to the left boardwalk trail. The two trails eventually join higher up. Choose for yourself. My wife took on the rocky trail—it nearly killed me, but there were all kinds of beautiful wildflowers along the way. I imagined how stunning it would be in spring with flowers everywhere. The whole outing takes about 3-4 hours; we turned back after reaching Happo-ike. At the second gondola station, there was a Starbucks—we had coffee and a local mountain apple-flavored ice cream, sitting on the outdoor slope gazing into the distance... After a long while, when we were about to take the last gondola down, we spotted an outdoor gear shop with various brands. The staff told me in broken English that the prices at the mountaintop shop were cheaper than at the base. We bought three "Kachikachi Bird" long-sleeve T-shirts at almost half price—really a bargain.

After coming down from the gondola, we had lunch at the restaurant right next to the ticket office. Just the three of us in our family. The place looked lovely—the first photo shows the exterior, the next two the interior.

After lunch at the gondola station, we walked toward the bus station, snapping street scenes—still hardly any other tourists. Then we headed to the station and shopped at MONT-BELL on the second floor. Don't miss the tax-free shopping.

Took the bus back to the hotel. After a tiring day, we needed to recharge—back to wagyu BBQ. Wagyu in Japan is indeed cheaper than back home.

On July 11, we took the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Nagano City to Tokyo. Train: Asama No. 162, departing 9:30, arriving Tokyo 11:12, 1 hour 42 minutes non-stop. (Bought the Nagano–Tokyo ticket in advance on Ctrip and printed it at the station.) Since we'd been to Tokyo before, we didn't linger. My wife suggested staying at the Shinjuku Prince Hotel, where we stayed last year—great for shopping and familiar territory. Tokyo needs little introduction; there are tons of posts on every platform for reference.

If I must recommend something, I suggest you check out a "grilled beef tongue" place in Shinjuku called Log 50. The entrance is oddly underground, with long queues—mostly reservations, but they also accept walk-ins. We just showed up, were second in line, and waited about 20 minutes.

On July 13, we flew back to Shanghai. At Tokyo airport, you can only check in 3 hours before departure, so there's no need to arrive too early—otherwise you'll just be waiting around. Also, you don't have to fly in and out of the same city. Flying into one popular city and out of another can be affordable, maybe even cheaper.

Finally, here's a video of wildflowers I shot on the hike to Hakuba Happo-ike Pond.

Travel diary index:

1. Kyoto Trip (June 30 - July 3)

2. Izu Peninsula (July 3 - July 6)

3. Matsumoto City / Kamikochi (July 6 - July 8)

4. Nagano City / Hakuba Village (July 8 - July 11)

5. Tokyo City (July 11 - July 13)

Travel Info Hotel Index Guide Index Flight Index Site Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Partnerships Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Card Procurement Insurance Agency Agent Cooperation Hotel Partnership Destination & Scenic Spot Cooperation More Partnership Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hot Topics Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure