Ichinensei

I'll be staying in Yokohama for a week. Aside from the usual Kamakura, Yokohama, Enoshima and Hakone, what else is there to see?

LapLap

My number one reason to visit Kanagawa is the beautiful Nihon Minka En.

tt7

LapLap

The Nihon Minka En hosts some very vibrant communities who are keen to preserve and share the love they have for their interests.
Their presence is ongoing, but they do expand their activities on certain days.
List of some of these is here
Demonstration of making folk crafts (April ? July) | Activities | Japan Open Air Folk House Museum NIHON MINKA-EN
Aha - this is out of date. And I couldn’t see one for 2019 in the Japanese pages either. http://www.nihonminkaen.jp/archives/1004/

Concerts are rare, but when they happen they are very special indeed.
This event is happening 23-24th March (2019)
http://english.nihonminkaen.jp/archives/2367/
Seems to be a mini matsuri

Here’s a photo of LapGirl with the delightful Straw craft enthusiasts, double whammy for me as it helped bring to life many of the folk tales we’ve brought her up with.

ksandness

That's actually a lot. Hakone alone is a full day. The Nihon Minka-en, which Lap Lap mentioned, is in a corner of Kawasaki near the border with Tokyo.

If you're willing to step outside the boundaries of Kanagawa-ken, you can take the train to Atami and then transfer to a local to visit Shimoda, at the tip of the Izu Peninsula, to see one of the first treaty ports after Japan was opened.

Another full-day trip would be the Fuji Five Lakes area. Take the Yokohama Line to Hachioji, transfer to the westbound Chuo Line, stay on it till Otsuki, and then transfer to the private Fujikyu Line for Kawaguchi-ko.

All in all, though, my opinion of Yokohama is reflected in what another American said about it, "It's a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there."

closetasfan

I've never been here but I'm interested in checking this out Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple

Also the end of Keikyu station has nice beaches

Also.....YokohamaHakkeijima Seaparadise | ????????????? - YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE

LapLap

Went last year, planning to return,
https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/...gro/index.html
LapGirl viewing the wild fish from the Niziiro Sakana Go - this is covered by the ticket.

evergrn

+1

Kanagawa has always been my favorite prefecture in Kanto, if not all of Jpn.
First-time visitor to Jpn will probably want to stay in Tokyo but, over time, it wouldn't surprise me if Kanagawa comes to grow on you. It's got Shonan's sunny beaches, Hakone and onsens, Minatomirai, Chinatown, Kawasaki which is a very multi-faceted and underrated town, and many great chic urban developments where I find it to be much more relaxing to hang out in and get all the shopping done at than in Tokyo.

LapLap

But you drive. And I’m pretty sure that plays a big part in how you view Kawasaki/Kanagawa and how you and your family make the most of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very fond of Kanagawa, but my view is that it is easier as somewhere to get to than as a base for anyone dependent on public transport.

evergrn

I pretty much never drive in Tokyo/Kanto. I take trains everywhere (limo bus to/from HND).

I was commenting more about Kanagawa's virtues in general rather than its feasibility as a base for Tokyo visitors. Nonetheless, it's worked well for me as my base over many years... Kawasaki and Yokohama stations are convenient, but the best is Musashi Kosugi which has all the shopping you need and fast trains going in every which direction. It's a cinch to get to Shinjuku, Tokyo, both airports, Tachikawa, even Saitama. Far more convenient for me than Shinbashi/Shiodome which is another area I stay a lot at.

LapLap

Apologies, evergrn. I took “we usually drive anyways” to mean “we usually drive”.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26129763-post7.html

evergrn

No worries.
I have family in/near Tokyo. When I go driving with them, I just sit. In urban areas of Tokyo, Kanazawa and Saitama, I'm taking the train 95% of the time.

kaka

wolfpacktrojan

Busymann

What's the best beach there? I too, will go there and yet another beach area popped up on my radar, Isshiki Beach.