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Kyoto · Japan
A vermillion hall and arched bridge reflected in a still pond among autumn maples at Daigo-ji, Kyoto
Kyoto · Japan
Autumn at Daigo-ji, the vermilion hall among the maples.
The vermilion Shinkyo bridge arching over a rocky river beneath red and gold maples, Nikko

a region of japan

Kanto

Kanto is the plain around Tokyo and the seven prefectures that share it: the capital itself, with Yokohama, Kamakura and Hakone to the south-west and the shrines of Nikko to the north.

The Shinkyo bridge, Nikko

Prefectures
Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma

overview

Kanto, at a glance

Kanto is the most populous region of Japan, the broad plain at the head of Tokyo Bay and the hills that ring it. Tokyo is its centre and the first night of most journeys to Japan: the Imperial Palace and its gardens, the department stores and galleries of Ginza and Marunouchi, and some of the most accomplished kitchens in the world.

Beyond the city the region opens quickly. Kamakura, the shogun's capital of the twelfth century, keeps its Great Buddha and Zen temples an hour south. Hakone, in the volcanic hills of Kanagawa, is Tokyo's onsen retreat, with views of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi. To the north, Nikko's gilded shrines stand among cedars in the mountains of Tochigi, and Kusatsu, in Gunma, is one of the great onsen towns of Japan.

Narita and Haneda, Tokyo's two airports, make Kanto the arrival point for most journeys, and the Shinkansen carries on from Tokyo Station to every other region of Honshu.

places

Where to go in Kanto

Our tours stay overnightOur tours visit for the dayOn a Custom Tour of Japan

  1. HakoneSteam in the valleys, a lake under the mountain, and some of the most beautiful ryokan in Japan.Kanagawa
  2. KamakuraThe samurai capital by the sea, its Zen temples folded into wooded valleys.Kanagawa
  3. Kusatsu OnsenA town built around a field of steaming water, its springs running day and night through the streets.Gunma
  4. NikkoGold and lacquer in a cedar forest, and a lake high in the mountains above.Tochigi
  5. TokyoA city of a hundred villages, each with its own shrine, its own streets and its own way of eating.Tokyo
  6. YokohamaThe harbour where modern Japan first met the world, still turned to the sea.Kanagawa

journeys

Tours of Japan that include Kanto

Each journey below includes Kanto; choose one to see its route, dates and price.

questions

Kanto: questions answered

What is the Kanto region of Japan?

The region around Tokyo on the plain of the same name: the seven prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. Yokohama, Kamakura, Hakone and Nikko are all in Kanto.

What are the best trips from Tokyo?

Kamakura for its temples and Great Buddha, Hakone for an onsen night and the view of Mount Fuji, Nikko for its shrines in the cedar forest, and Lake Kawaguchiko, just over the border in Yamanashi, for Mount Fuji close at hand.

How many days should you spend in Tokyo?

Three nights is the least we would suggest for a first visit, and four or five lets the city unfold at an easy pace with a day out to Kamakura or Nikko.

Which Luxury Japan Travel journeys include Kanto?

The Classic Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, The Autumn Leaves Tour of Japan, Essential Japan, Classic Japan and Definitive Japan include Kanto. The Custom Tour of Japan can include anywhere in Kanto, on your own dates.

the regions of japan

The rest of Japan

All of Japan on one map

Reading on Kanto

Kanto, planned for you.

Tell us when you would like to travel and which places in Kanto draw you. We will answer with a journey shaped around them: one of our tours, a journey of The Private Collection, or a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone.

The Custom Tour of JapanOur tours of Japan