Destinations– category –

Jigokudani's onsen-bathing macaques are real — from December to March, per the park itself. The official facts most guides miss: admission is now ¥800 (not the ¥500 everyone quotes), the approach is a 2 km unpaved trail with no strollers allowed, autumn visits often meet no monkeys at all, flash photography is officially fine — and online ticketing was just announced.

Kamakura's sights sit on two different railways, and one of them doesn't stop at the temples everyone photographs. Here's which station serves what, why the day pass usually loses money, and what the city's manner ordinance actually says — quoting the city's own denial.

Hakone is one numbered chain of stations from Odawara to Lake Ashi, ridden by five different vehicles. Here's where everything sits, what each leg costs, the 17:55 cable car that ends your day — and the ropeway closures coming in December 2026 and January 2027.

Nikko is a real day trip from Tokyo — about 1 hour 50 minutes each way. But the famous Akechidaira Ropeway is closed until at least August 2027, the combined shrine ticket is suspended, and the temple's set ticket stops selling at 14:30. Here's the plan that works.

Yokohama's headline observatory has been closed since January 2026 and won't reopen before 2028, and the giant Gundam left in 2024. Here's what is genuinely open, with official prices — plus the ¥2,000 smoking fine that catches visitors in exactly the areas they walk.

Hakone's famous loop is one ticket and five vehicles — but Owakudani is a designated volcanic warning zone, its walking trail is reservation-only with helmets, and the guided tour is explicitly Japanese-only. Here's what's actually open, with official prices.