Originally Posted by
abmj-jr
...Since you will have 2 or 3 days in Tokyo and Kyoto, you might want to consider a half-day trip to a near-by site just as a change. From Kyoto, the ancient city of Nara is less than an hour on the local train and is older, smaller, quieter and a little more serene than Kyoto. The main attractions are within a few minutes walk from the station.
Likewise, Himeji is only about an hour on the shinkansen and offers the best preserved original feudal era castle in the country, about a 10 minute walk from the station.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/
Nara and Himeji look like good options near Kyoto. Are there similar day trip options near Tokyo?
Would it be reasonable, on the train ride from Tokyo to Kyoto, to do a brief stopover near Mt. Fuji? I don't want to climb to the top, but hiking there for a couple of hours mid-day might be enjoyable. Luggage storage for that brief time would be needed.