[For Chinese-speaking Travelers Staying During Lunar New Year / Spring Festival] Visit Power Spots and Popular Attractions Near Tokyo! A 3-Day New Year Good Fortune Model Course

Your journey begins at Haneda Airport.
After arriving at Haneda Airport, transfer between trains and head to Kawagoe.

Once you arrive in Kawagoe, start by filling up on food.
Enjoy eel at “Ogakiku,” founded in 1807 during the late Edo period.
The kabayaki, grilled with a secret sauce passed down for over 200 years, is exquisite.
Because eel is highly nutritious, it has long been considered a special food for special occasions.
To make this trip even more special and recharge your energy for the journey, enjoy eel for your first meal.

After enjoying eel, head next on foot to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is a historic shrine founded Approx. 1,500 years ago and in recent years has become known as a power spot for matchmaking and connections.
“Enmusubi,” or matchmaking, does not only refer to romantic relationships, but also blessings that connect you with work, money, opportunities, and many other things.
Pray here for good encounters on this trip and throughout the year ahead.
You should also try the tai-shaped “Ai Tai Mikuji,” a fortune slip said to tell your romantic luck for the year, and “ema,” wooden plaques on which you write your wishes to the gods and dedicate them.
The “Ema Tunnel,” filled with many displayed ema plaques, is also one of the highlights of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, so be sure to stop by.

After your visit to the shrine, walk to Koedo Kawagoe Ichibangai Shopping Street, Kawagoe’s main street.
The rows of traditional kura-style buildings and the lingering atmosphere of the Edo period are sure to excite you.
Koedo Kawagoe Ichibangai Shopping Street is lined with over 100 distinctive shops, ranging from long-established stores to the latest new shops.
Enjoy shopping for items that let you feel Japanese culture, and try sweets that are perfect for takeout as you stroll.
The Osawa Family Residence, built in 1792 and designated as a National Important Cultural Property, is also one of the highlights.

The “Toki no Kane” bell tower on Kawagoe’s main street is one of the symbols of the city.
Toki no Kane is a three-story wooden tower, Approx. 16 meters high. The bell rings four times a day to tell the time.
It is a perfect photo spot, so be sure to take some commemorative pictures where both Toki no Kane and the streets of Kawagoe can be seen.

For your first night, stay at Matsumuraya Ryokan, located very close to Toki no Kane.
This long-established ryokan has been in business for over 100 years, and its appearance alone conveys history and dignity.
Relax in soothing Japanese-style rooms and enjoy heartfelt hospitality as you experience Japanese culture and recover from the day’s fatigue.

Located close to Lake Ashi, where scenic spots such as Owakudani and Togendai are scattered around, Hakone Shrine is one of the most famous shrines in the Kanto region and enshrines the deity Hakone Okami.
It has long been worshipped as a god of opening the way to good fortune, with blessings for warding off bad luck, fulfilling wishes, victory, traffic safety, safety on journeys, and matchmaking.
There are also many sights to see, including the lakeside “Peace Torii,” which frames a beautiful view of Lake Ashi, and the “Yadate Cedar,” said to be Approx. 1,200 years old.
Pray here for good fortune this year while drawing energy from Hakone’s rich natural surroundings.

A 30-minute walk from Hakone Shrine, you can enjoy a slightly early lunch at Hakone-en, a multi-purpose resort facility.
There are various restaurants inside, but the especially recommended one is Donburiya.
The signature dish is the “Shirasu Tairyo-don,” a rice bowl generously topped with locally caught whitebait. There is also a wide variety of warming udon dishes, so choose according to your taste.
Eating thick, long udon is considered lucky, symbolizing a wish to live a long and prosperous life.
You can also travel to the next spot by motorboat.
It costs 2,000 yen per person, but since you can fully experience Hakone’s nature, it is well worth trying.

Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu, standing in the lush “Hakone Kuzuryu no Mori” by the shore of Lake Ashi, enshrines a dragon deity, the zodiac sign of 2024.
The dragon deity worshipped here is Kuzuryu Okami, said to be the guardian deity of Lake Ashi.
Since ancient times, it has been called “Kuzuryu-sama” and worshipped as a highly sacred dragon deity.
In recent years, it has also become popular as a deity of matchmaking.
On the 13th of every month, a ritual known as the monthly festival is held, so if the timing works out, consider joining.
Take a walk through Hakone Kuzuryu no Mori, enjoy the seasonal scenery, and pay your respects.

After visiting Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu, return on foot to Hakone-en, about 20 minutes away, and take the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway to the summit of Mt. Komagatake.
At the summit of Hakone Komagatake, 1,356 meters above sea level, there is an observation plaza where various seasonal flowers delight the eye.
From the observation plaza, on clear days you can see not only Mt. Fuji, but also Shonan, Sagami Bay, the Izu Peninsula, Suruga Bay, and even the Southern Alps in the distance, while below stretch Lake Ashi, Moto-Hakone, and the townscape of Hakone.

The final stop on the Hakone three-shrine pilgrimage, Hakone Motomiya, stands on the summit of Mt. Komagatake.
Hakone Motomiya enshrines Hakone Okami, the same deity as Hakone Shrine.
Mt. Komagatake is a site of mountain worship, where the mountain itself is revered as the sacred body of the deity.
There is also a legend that the gods descended riding a white horse, and the site retains white horse worship as well.
Pay your respects at this place where various beliefs remain, and receive the power of nature and mystery.

From Hakone Motomiya, take the ropeway and bus to your second night’s accommodation, Hakone Gora Onsen Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka.
This elegant Japanese-style hot spring ryokan welcomes guests with a magnificent Noh stage set in the center of the lobby.
All 158 guest rooms are equipped with open-air cypress baths, allowing you to fully enjoy the hot springs at your leisure.
The inn has two hot spring sources, and in addition to a charming large public bath with abundant free-flowing spring water, there are also three private open-air baths, all available free of charge.
For a luxurious dinner, you can choose between two dining venues with different atmospheres, “Kacho” and “Fugetsu.”
At “Kacho,” you can enjoy a Japanese kaiseki meal featuring abundant local seafood and mountain ingredients, while at “Fugetsu,” you can savor domestic beef shabu-shabu and sushi. Both showcase the skill and craftsmanship of chefs making the most of seasonal ingredients. End your second day with hot springs and a lavish Japanese meal.

Start your final day at Meiji Jingu, which attracts the largest number of New Year worshippers in Japan every year.
Meiji Jingu was founded in 1920 as a shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
The man-made forest, created by planting Approx. 100,000 trees donated from all over Japan, has grown into a rich woodland that feels far removed from central Tokyo and gives off a mystical atmosphere.
In the “Gyoen” garden on the south side of the grounds, there is Kiyomasa’s Well, said to have been dug by the Sengoku warlord Kato Kiyomasa. It produces an average of 60 liters of clear spring water per minute and is said to improve the luck of worshippers.
There is also the “Meoto Kusu,” a pair of camphor trees in front of the main shrine that appear to stand close together like a married couple, and they are said to bring blessings for good relationships and marital harmony.
Visit these power spots within the grounds while paying your respects.

Just a short walk from Meiji Jingu is Takeshita Street, a center of “kawaii culture” and a gathering place for trendy fashion and food.
Along this Approx. 350-meter street are many youth-oriented shops selling trendy fashion brands,雑貨, and purikura photo booths.
You can enjoy colorful and pop-style fashion and items, try trendy street food, and take photos at spots perfect for social media, making it a place with many different ways to have fun.
Enjoy shopping and snacking as you make your way to the next spot.

For your last lunch, try tonkatsu, which is considered lucky because “katsu” also means “to win” in Japanese.
Tonkatsu Nanaido is a famous tonkatsu restaurant that has also been selected by the Michelin Guide.
Enjoy the crispy coating and the soft, juicy texture and rich flavor of the pork.
In addition to pork tonkatsu, the chicken cutlet is also excellent.

After lunch, take the train to Tokyo Station.
Tokyo Station has various commercial facilities inside the station, bringing together specialty products from all over Japan, so you can enjoy shopping and choosing souvenirs.
At “Gransta Marunouchi,” a commercial facility outside the Marunouchi underground ticket gates, you can find thoughtful gifts that are perfect as travel souvenirs, such as Made-in-Japan leather goods and stationery themed on trains and the Tokyo Station Marunouchi building.
“Tokyo Station Ichibangai,” directly connected to Tokyo Station, brings together a wide variety of shops across six areas, including ramen, regional gourmet foods from around Japan, Japanese and Western sweets from famous and long-established shops, and popular character goods.
Enjoy shopping and picking out souvenirs right up until it is almost time for your flight home.