Throughout the few months in Japan, I've gone outside of Tokyo to explore other cities. I traveled to four areas, Yokohama, Hakone, Hiroshima, and Hokkaido. Each place was different from the rest and were a great way to break the pace of busy Tokyo. I'd like to go over a short overview of the experience I had of each city.
Yokohama
Starting with Yokohama, it is the closest area to Tokyo being an hour train ride away. Yokohama is known for its Chinatown and the Red Brick Warehouse. It's a nice place to go if you're interested in going shopping or eating Chinese food. There are also other areas in Yokohama that are of interest like Yamashita Park and Carnival Street.
Hakone
Hakone is a small town in the Kanagawa Prefecture that lives off of tourism. Hakone is a great place to go if you want to get away from the busy life of the city and enjoy nature for a few days. Spending 2 or 3 days in Hakone is the perfect amount of time to do everything the town provides since its relatively small. I recommend booking a hotel since there are many to choose from. Additionally, try find one that offers a public bath Hakone's Lake Ashino is beautiful and large, along with it's Torri gate of peace. On a clear day, you can get a good view of Mount Fuji from Hakone. Morevoer, the JR Railroad company offers a travel pass that lets you take most of the local transit without needing to pay an additional fee. The pass also lets you ride the ferry that goes across Lake Ashino along with a ropeway that connects to points of the town.
Hiroshima
I spent 3 days in Hiroshima with a friend and went to Miyajima Island along with Saijo. We went in early July and it was very humid, equivalent to the weather in Tokyo at the time. Hiroshima being known as the city that was struck by the nuclear bomb during World War II, there are a few places that remind people of the events that happened. This includes the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Park, the Children's Peace Monument, and the Atomic Bomb Dome. I think that people that visit the city should go to the museum at least once to learn and understand the history of the city. When it comes to food, you should try the local specialties of Okonomiyaki and oysters. The oysters are served fresh and restaurants serve them in different dishes.
Miyajima Island is a small island close to the city where people need to take a boat to get to. Miyajima island is known for its old temples, shrines, and one of the largest Torri gates in Japan. The island is a tourist attraction similar to Asakusa in Tokyo. I recommend trying their local deserts of Momiji Manju. Momiji Manju are small buns that are filled with different types of fillings. I recommend trying a few different flavors and finding some that you enjoy.
Saijo is a small town in-between Hiroshima city and the airport. A town known for its renown sake breweries. If you are interested in Sake or other traditional Japanese alcohol, come for a day and taste some of their sake.
Miyajima Island is a small island close to the city where people need to take a boat to get to. Miyajima island is known for its old temples, shrines, and one of the largest Torri gates in Japan. The island is a tourist attraction similar to Asakusa in Tokyo. I recommend trying their local deserts of Momiji Manju. Momiji Manju are small buns that are filled with different types of fillings. I recommend trying a few different flavors and finding some that you enjoy.
Saijo is a small town in-between Hiroshima city and the airport. A town known for its renown sake breweries. If you are interested in Sake or other traditional Japanese alcohol, come for a day and taste some of their sake.
Hokkaido
Hokkaido is the second largest island of Japan and houses the city of Sapporo. Hokkaido gets a large amount of snow in winter and becomes a ski resort during the season. But when it's in the summer, it's a great place to escape the heat as its not as humid compared to Tokyo. If you are of age, I recommend trying out the beer in the city as it is one of the many things its known for. Named after the city, Sapporo beer is a nice drink and Hokkaido sells Sapporo Beer Classics, only available in Hokkaido.
The JR Rail Company also offers a rail pass that lets you travel to different cities and is great since it also covers the train ride from the airport to Sapporo. Some places that are good to visit are Otaru and Asahikawa. During the summer you can visit Furano and see the lavender fields in Tomita Fields. I've also heard that Hakodate is a nice place to visit. I think that Hokkaido is a great place to visit if you've already visited Japan a few times before.
The JR Rail Company also offers a rail pass that lets you travel to different cities and is great since it also covers the train ride from the airport to Sapporo. Some places that are good to visit are Otaru and Asahikawa. During the summer you can visit Furano and see the lavender fields in Tomita Fields. I've also heard that Hakodate is a nice place to visit. I think that Hokkaido is a great place to visit if you've already visited Japan a few times before.