Discover the Latest and Greatest from Tokyo! Tama Area 1-Day Trip

Start your 1-day trip at Shinjuku Station.
There are 12 lines at Shinjuku Station, but for this easy day trip, you’ll only need the Keio Line. Since the way needs no transfers you’re in for an extra easy ride. To kick off your day, let’s head from Shinjuku Station to Chofu Station on the Keio Line.

A brief 20-minute bus from Chofu Station will bring you to the first stop, Jindaiji Temple. This destination is the second oldest temple in Tokyo after Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. The temple grounds are hugged by the lush throws of greenery and open air unlike the rest of Tokyo, all while brimming with a iconic temple walkup and iconic Japanese flair.
Along your way up the main approach you may notice a number of sweet shops and snacks, making this a perfect spot to enjoy a few bites as you stroll the sprawling grounds. Along the way, don’t forget to try Jindaiji Soba, noodles made with fresh spring water sourced directly at Jindaiji.
Delight your tastebuds with these local specialties before taking the bus back to Chofu Station and heading to the next spot. For GeGeGe no Kitaro fans, don’t miss this chance to visit Tenjin-dori Shopping Street, just 2-3 minutes on foot from Chofu Station where a lineup of Kitaro statues await.

A quick 10-minute train from Chofu to Fuchu Station on the Keio Line will bring you to the next spot, Okunitama-jinja Shrine. The walk up from Fuchu Station is designed as the only national natural monument in Japan featuring a flanked road of Japanese Zelkova trees.
After a quick 5-minute walk under the beautiful boughs of Zelkova, you’ll find yourself at the gates of Okunitama-jinja Shrine. This shrine, which enshrines the guardian deity of the old Musashi Kingdom, boasts a history of over 1900 years and ranks among the 5 Tokyo Shrines that also includes Meiji and Yasukuni Shrines. Across the grounds you’ll find a number of power spots, including a larger-than-life ginkgo tree with more than a millennium of years in its bark, located just behind the main shrine.

After enjoying the sights at Okunitama-jinja Shrine, take a 10 minute train from Fuchu to Takahatafudo Station. Once here you’ll make your way towards Takahata Fudoson. The walkup is flanked with shops selling authentic, traditional treats, including fun snacks like rice crackers and manju buns.
Takahata Fudosan is considered one of the Kanto Three Greatest Fudoson, after Narita Shinshoji Temple, which sees over 300,000 visitors at New Year’s each year.
The sprawling grounds boast a 99,300 square meter area, which include the surrounding area and neighboring mountain forests. Inside you’ll find plenty of spots to explore like Joroku Fudo Sanson, the reported largest in Japan and the Crying Dragon.
After seeing the different areas you may even try the Yamauchi Eighty-eight Places Pilgrimage, following a walking trail that leads away towards Atagoyama. It’s said that if you visit the statues of Kobo Daishi in order from number 1 to 88, part of the Yamauchi Eight-eight Places Pilgrimage, your worries and needless desires will melt away into good fortune.

After enjoying your visit to Takahata Fudoson, return to Takahatafudo Station and take the Keio Line for about 20 minutes to Takaosanguchi Station. When you arrive at Takaosanguchi Station, take the shuttle bus to the Japanese restaurant Ukai Toriyama.
The traditional Gassho-zukuri buildings from the Etchu Gokayama area, standing in the backwoods of Mt. Takao, are truly reminiscent of a traditional Japanese landscape.
The quintessentially Japanese space is simply brimming with coveted Japanese vibes, inside of which you can enjoy "Irori” hearth charcoal grilled cuisine, where seasonal, select ingredients are grilled deliciously right in front of you. All while being surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the season.
From June to August, during the "Firefly Hunting" and "Evening of Firefly Viewing" events, not only can you view the lights of fireflies flying around the garden from inside the room, but you can also enjoy the twinkling fireflies while strolling around the wildflower garden on the grounds.
Reservations fill up quickly during the event season so be sure to make a reservation early.

After returning to Keio Takaosanguchi Station by shuttle bus from Ukai Toriyama, take a moment to relax and unwind from the day's fatigue at the day-trip hot spring facility Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu, which is adjacent to the station. Inside the facility, you can enjoy various hot springs such as a cypress bath filled with the scent of wood and an open-air bath where you can soak in natural hot spring water that springs from 1,000 meters underground. A pleasing point is that lukewarm water is prepared for those who aren’t accustomed to hotter water temperatures.

It takes about an hour to get back from Takaosanguchi Station to Shinjuku Station, but why not stay overnight and enjoy the Tama area the next day as well? If you're staying in the Tama area, a failproof option is "Hotel Takaone", set right in front of Keio Takaosanguchi Station. All accommodation plans come with firewood, so you can enjoy a bonfire in the facility. In addition, you can have unique experiences in Takao, such as pottery making and crafting with leather. Breakfast is TO GO style, so you can eat it at any time and place you like. You can also use it for your lunch box when you go hiking on Mt. Takao the next day.

Mount Takao, located in Hachioji City, Tokyo, is a mountain that towers at an elevation of 599m. It's popular for its easy access and the fact that it can be casually climbed, making it a coveted destination for tourists. Each year it sees almost 3 million visitors from all walks of life, from young children to the elderly, making it one of the most famously climbed mountains in the world. Mount Takao has a total of 7 hiking courses, ranging from paved roads to mountain trails, each one easy to walk and full of highlights to explore.

Home to over 50 hectares of space, this sprawling zoo is one of the largest in the world, all while boasting over 300 different specials of animals. The zoo is located in Tama Hills, all while keeping a 60-meter difference in altitude between the main gate and the orangutan forest. With so much greenery, walking around the zoo feels more like a casual hike through a nature park. The zoo is divided into four areas, the Asian Garden, African Garden, Australian Garden, and Insectarium, all of which focus on housing the animals in as free of an enclosure as possible, using ditches and moats instead of cages.

Sanrio Puroland is an indoor theme park operated by Sanrio, the same brand behind world-famous characters like Hello Kitty, Gudetama and My Melody. Here you’ll find shows and parades featuring Sanrio Characters, as well as full-fledged performance with stories, dance, and music. Across the park you’ll find a number of different photo-op spots, some of which you can use to stage a picture with your favorite character.

Yomiuriland is a historic, iconic Tokyo amusement park that spans the areas across Inagi City in Tokyo and Kawasaki City in Kanagawa. It’s located only about 30 minutes from Shinjuku by train, making access incredibly easy. Inside you’ll find a number of rides, pool facilities in summer illumination events in winter, and more than enough all year round for both children and adults to love.

Opened in 1917 as the first suburban park in Japan, Inokashira Park is a vast park surrounded by green trees, centered around the Inokashira Pond. In spring, around 200 Somei Yoshino cherry trees bloom around the pond, making it a famous spot for cherry blossoms. Inside the park, you can enjoy the Inokashira Park Zoo, which is full of plants and animals, as well as the Inokashira Benzaiten, the Ghibli Museum Mitaka (reservation required), and a sports field.