For those who find themselves in Tokyo during the blazing hot summer season one upscale alternative to the major nightlife districts might just be a visit to the pool. The largest outdoor pool Tokyo has to offer, Hotel New Otani's Garden Pool, is just like a tropical oasis where you can forget that you're in the middle of the bustling Tokyo.

Kanazawa is a city in Ishikawa prefecture known for its rich Japanese culture. Some people refer to the city as “little Kyoto”, and both the architecture and atmosphere of the city can remind visitors of the former Japanese capital. You can find many well preserved old districts within the city, making Kanazawa an ideal destination as a less tourist-filled alternative to Kyoto.

One way to get in the right mood while walking in the old streets of Kanazawa is to rent a kimono for the day. There are a couple of companies offering kimono rental in Kanazawa, but we had chosen to reserve with Kimono Rental Wargo, a Kyoto-based company I've previously used for sightseeing in Asakusa. The reservation was made in advance online, so it was easy to ensure that we got our preferred time.

In an area of Kanazawa called Nagamachi (長町) you can visit the Nomura Residence, also known as the “Samurai House” and home to the Nomura clan for as many as 10 generations. Most of the original samurai houses have either been destroyed or commercially developed, so it is quite unique to have the chance to visit a samurai house in its original shape. Even if you're not interested in samurais you can still enjoy the sight of the well-preserved Edo architecture and not to mention the beautiful Japanese garden.

This weekend the Japanese Sake Fair 2017 is being held in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City, and people participating in the event have the opportunity to try sake from more than 800 sake breweries from all over Japan. Yesterday I had the chance to participate in an exclusive opening event where we got a pre-taste of today(17/6)'s fair.

45 Japanese prefectures were represented at the fair, and among the sake you get to try at there are 430 award-winning brands from the Annual Japan Sake Awards. As you can imagine they all have their distinguished flavor and aroma, so whether you are a huge sake fan or not you might just find yourself a new favorite sake at this event.


The event lasts only for one day, and this year it is divided into two sessions lasting from 10 am - 2 pm and 3:30 - 7 pm so there's no time to wait for those who want to visit this year's Sake Fair!

For those who are interested in the event, check out my blog post from last year's Pikachu Outbreak here

One of the things that can be recommended as a cultural experience for people visiting Japan is to combine a day sightseeing with trying to wear the traditional Japanese clothing kimono or yukata. Even for Japanese people wearing a kimono is not something you have the chance to every day, and even most Japanese people only were kimono for special occasions a couple of times a year. 

But first, when you arrive at the tomin no mori area you'll find a souvenir shop selling local products. This is the last shop you get to before the hike so if you're hungry you might want to try out some of the food they sell.

After a few minutes of walking from the parking lot area there is a building called the shinrinkan (森林館) where visitors among other things can find information about the wildlife and flora in the area.



During the Edo period Mt. Mito was kept off limits to the public, and thanks to this you can find a wide range of large beech trees covering the mountain. This might have contributed to Mt. Mito's particularly varied flora with both rare plants and birds to be seen in the woods.

And don't despair if you didn't bring any hiking booths; At the Shinrinkan they have mountain boots available for rental. They also kindly offer maps of the area in foreign languages like English, Korean and Chinese.


For those who are looking for activities to do beside the hiking there is an area outside the Shinrinkan where visitors can try to use a saw to cut up logs, and you're even free to take the pieces of wood with you home.

For those with kids there are some playground equipment that they can enjoy.

In other words; lots of potential activities in addition to just the hike! When you're ready for the hike you can head for the pathway behind the building to the left of the mountain.


Above: On Mt. Mito you can see a number of birdwatchers who are out to spot some of the mountain's rare birds.

The first sight you'll get to is the Mito Otaki Waterfall, which you'll get to after around 25 minutes of walking. There is a suspension bridge leading to nowhere that has been made just for the sole purpose of getting a good view of the waterfall, so if you want to you can take the opportunity to walk out on it and take a closer look before heading back to the main path.

For the rest of the hike you'll pass by a couple of resting spots before reaching the summit of Mt. Mito. The trail is properly marked so it is easy finding the way, and there are not too many visitors either compared to more popular mountains.


Arriving at the summit of Mt. Mito you'll find - if you're lucky with the weather - a pretty spectacular view of Mt. Fuji. I recommend starting the hike early to increase your chances of seeing Mt. Fuji more clearly as it often gets increasingly clouded throughout the afternoon due to the heat from the earth.

Getting up to the summit took us around 1 1/2 hours and it was not a too tough hike. We had a lunch break on the top (again, make sure to bring your own lunch as there are no places to buy food at the summit) before heading back down again.

Above: On the way down you'll also pass by a couple of lookouts where you can enjoy the view of the nearby mountains.

Mt. Mito was a good alternative for a one-day hike from Tokyo. It is great to get out of the city and do some shinrinyoku (森林浴; lit. forest bathing) from time to time to release some stress! After the hike was over we visited a local onsen, which I would recommend as an addition to your hike if you have time (and preferably a car to get around). Hiking Mt. Mito was a great way to spend the day, and hopefully we'll get the chance to visit again soon.