Tokyo Side Trips

As you can see by my earlier posts, I'll be spending two weeks in Tokyo. However, I don't want to spend all of that time IN Tokyo. I think I'd go mad, so I want to head out to the surrounding prefectures too, get some space and relaxation. Thus I will be starting a series of posts about where I plan to visit outside. Please, if you have been to anywhere I mention, or know of somewhere else that is good, please please please comment on the post with some details. I'd love your help. So here's my places so far.

Niijima
So I found out about the island of Niijima from the afore mentioned StreetEnglishTV (Japan Travel Guide: Niijima Tokyo Surfing Island! 新島★). Niijima is a small volcanic island 163 kilometresfrom Tokyo Metropolis (wikipedia!) (about a three hour ferry ride), BUT it is still part of Tokyo Prefecture! What the hell?! Anyway, it looks like a warm tropical type island, and a really nice place to stay for a night or two to chill out away from the city. Gotta go there if I can afford to!


Kamakura
A prefecture south of Tokyo, it seems a lot more countryside-y, especially compared to Tokyo. I'm thinking a simple day trip will suffice for this one, and the main reason I want to go is the Kotoku-in, a Buddist temple with a 13m tall, 93 ton bronze Buddha!! You can go inside!! 


Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
I can't go to Japan without at least trying to see Mt. Fuji. And this, I want to spend a night or two in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty (or so I'm told. Please remember everything I say here so far is 2nd hand information. I haven't been yet!!)  If I remember right the Lonely PLanet Guide has some good 3 day trips for this.