Last week during the Golden Week holidays we went on a trip to the countryside north of Tokyo with our baby. It was beautiful!
Here is Part 1 of a three part series of our trip, including handy tips for those with a baby.
Trip to the Countryside of Japan
Part 1 – Catching the Tobu express train to Kinugawa Onsen
Kinugawa Onsen is a gorgeous hot spring town located in the Nikko area in Tochigi Prefecture, just 2 hours north of Tokyo. Departing from Asakusa Station, the train takes you swiftly away from the city, through rice paddies and villages, and up into the mountains.
Click here to see Part 2 and Part 3.
Tobu express train:
- Route: Tobu Asakusa station – Tobu Kitasenju station – Tobu Kasukabe station – Tobu Kinugawa Onsen station (2 hours)
- Cost: about 2800 yen one way
- Where can I buy tickets?: At the ticket counter at Tobu Asakusa Station. If you plan to go during a Japanese holiday period such as Golden Week or Obon, it is recommended to get there early to buy your tickets as it can get full quickly.
Accommodation:
- If you would like to stay in Kinugawa Onsen, there are lots of onsen hotels which can be booked online (we transferred to another train and continued on to our destination Aizu-Tajima).
Trolley comes along on the train with food and drinks.
Baby change table in the toilet on the train. It was very small and really smelly unfortunately, so we chose to do quick nappy changes at our seats.
The seats were too narrow on the train for our pram, so we had to tie it to the rail next to the train door.
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To see all Tokyo Urban Baby movies and YouTube tutorials see: