Travel tips for 2020 Japan: Day trips & weekend trips from Tokyo

Based on where I have been so far here are my travel tips for day trips and weekend trips from Tokyo in 2020. 

Kusatsu

Kusatsu, in Gunma Prefecture, is a great place for everyone that likes onsen. Most hotels have hot springs and there are also a lot of hot springs that you can enter for a few hours for a small fee. There are also a lot of private hot springs in case you don't like to bathe with strangers or would like to bathe just with your partner. You can travel there throughout the year but winter and autumn in Kusatsu are especially nice. 

Besides enjoying the hot springs (onsen) you can look at the famous Yubatake, a traditional facility for cooling down hot spring water. They also do shows where you can see traditional techniques that were used to cool down the bathing water here. 

Around the Yubatake in the center of town you can also find a lot of souvenir shops for your omiyage needs. Kusatsu can be easily accessed by train and bus from Tokyo and as everything is within walking distance you will not need a car around here. I would recommend staying one or two nights so you can try several different hot spring baths.

Yubatake in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture

Nasu Kogen

The Nasu region in Tochigi Prefecture is also very nice for onsen lovers. It is not as focused on onsen as the above mentioned Kusatsu but you can find a lot of small pensions (B&Bs) that come with private hot springs. I personally have enjoyed the pension called Nemurin Oriental the most. They have four really nice onsen baths and all-you-can-eat Japanese beef for dinner.

The Nasu region can be reached by bus and train from Tokyo however as most tourist spots can only be reached by car I would recommend coming by car or coming by train and then renting a car nearby. Without a car even going to the next convenience store can be quite an endeavor. 

Besides the hot springs in Nasu there are several tourist attractions you can enjoy here. There is a zoo, a safari park, an alpaca farm, an amusement park, several museums and a lot more to discover. You can easily find enough activities for several days.

I personally like that the Nasu region is not as crowded as other travel destinations accessible from Tokyo so you can enjoy your time without too many other people and because of this you really feel like you are in nature.

Onsen bath in the pension Nemurin Oriental, Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture

Mother Farm in Chiba

The mother farm in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, is a nice spot to visit especially if you have children but it is nice for adults that like animals as well. The farm is quite huge and there are a lot of activities to do so you can easily spend a whole day here. If you take part in the farm tour that costs a little extra, they take you on the bus to see parts of the farm that are accessible for regular visitors and explain how the farm work is done. Besides that, that are several petting zoos with goats, bunnies, capybaras and other animals. You can also try riding a horse, watch a sheep show where different kinds of sheep from all over the world are introduced or attend a pig race and try to bet on the winning pig at Mother Farm. There is even a small amusement park within the farm, so I am pretty sure most kids will find something they enjoy. For food, you can choose from several restaurants but be aware that they might be crowded during meal times. 

Ashikaga Flower Park

Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture is a nice destination for everyone that likes flowers. It is especially popular in late April and the beginning of May as the wisteria flowers are blooming. The park is well known for its beautiful wisteria tunnels and light up events. During that time the park is pretty crowded, especially during Golden Week. The entry fee for the park changes every day based on the current state of the flowers. It is usually at its highest during the Wisteria bloom and gets a little cheaper later in May. Day and night tickets are available.

Ashikaga Flower Park can be easily reached by train as a new train station was opened directly in front of the park. Trains don't stop there as frequently as in Tokyo so you might want to check which train you want to take home beforehand.

Depending on how many photos you want to take, whether you want to see the illumination or not etc. you can spend a whole day or only a few hours. Food is available from several restaurants and food stalls. I would recommend the limited cold stone ice bars with flower decoration that are only available in Ashikaga Flower Park. There are also several souvenirs shops throughout the park where you can purchase your omiyage.