Originally Posted by
pr0digy25
the money I would save by not staying in Central Tokyo would help to rent a car in this regard to help me get around.
I'm not sure if the money you save will cover car rental, gas and tolls. If your Tokyo hotel is, say, 10,000yen per night, I would say not.
Among the cheapest and easiest ways to get out of the big city is to take a train to a rural area such as Okutama (which is actually a part of Tokyo). Once there, you don't need a car - just some walking shoes and outdoor wear.