A day trip to Okutama

Recently I visited the Okutama region in western Tokyo. As this region is not so popular as a tourist spot, spacious and an outside location I figured the corona risk was acceptable. Nevertheless, I made sure to wear a mask and keep my distance. 

First stop: Kamameshi Nakai

My first stop was at a famous Kamameshi Restaurant, called Nakai. The Okutama region is famous for Kamameshi and according to some online top lists this restaurant is one of the best. Kamameshi is a Japanese dish where rice is cooked together with vegetables, fish and meat and spices and sauce are added for flavour.

The restaurant can be reached from the JR Kawai station but it takes about 20 minutes on foot. The food is slightly expensive but very good. On weekends the restaurant can get crowded during lunchtime so you might have to wait a bit.

Hatonosu Valley – Great View and Lost Places

After that, I took the train to the Hatonosu station where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Hatonosu valley. When going down the way from the station to the valley you come across a cute little café where you can enjoy a nice view while getting some coffee and a dessert.

Also along the way you can find the ruins of several abandoned hotels and Ryokans. Although entering is not allowed these are nice for taking photos and maybe taking a peek through the windows to see a bit of real-life history. If you like visiting lost places I would suggest this is a nice place to start in Japan.  

When I went there I also saw some people swimming in the river that goes through the valley however I would not recommend that as this area is not officially designated for swimming so it is probably not safe and there is no one coming to rescue you in case you get in trouble. 

Final Stop: Okutama Lake

My last stop for the trip was the Okutama lake. The lake can be reached by bus from Okutama station. The bus ride takes about 15 minutes. The buses are not that frequent so you might want to check the timetable ahead of time. On the day I went the lake was very clear almost like a mirror and great for taking photos.

Around the lake, you can find several souvenirs stands. The Okuma region is also famous for wasabi so you can buy all kinds of wasabi related products and plushies and figures of their wasabi mascot.

They even have wasabi icecream. I tried it and must say it didn’t taste as bad as expected but in general, I would prefer regular ice cream flavours. 

If you are looking for day trips from Tokyo and you like good food, nature and lost places I can recommend a visit to the Okutama region. While you can get around by train and bus I assume a car would be the more comfortable option as trains and busses are not as frequent as in central Tokyo. Also, a car would reduce your contact with other visitors to further decrease infections risks.