It is one of the ten most populated cities

in the entire world.

Streets are constantly buzzing,

people are always on the move,

and there's hardly a moment of silence

in between the chaos.

But did you know that the Greater Tokyo Area

is comprised of the seven surrounding prefectures as well?

It's true that Tokyo Metropolis is an exciting place to be,

but an hour away in any direction

will bring you to wide open spaces, fresh air,

small communities and old-fashioned towns

that are still largely untouched by tourism.

Today weʼre going to take a laid-back look

at some of the scenery that lies

one step beyond Tokyo as we think we know it.

(typewriter clicking)

- [Micaela] Hey guys, how's it going, it's Micaela,

and I'm currently on a four day trip

exploring the the Greater Tokyo Region.

These are the suburbs of Tokyo

that tourists don't normally come to,

so it's pretty interesting to get out here

and see what it's actually like.

So, day one we're here in Tsuru City in Yamanashi Prefecture

and it's a small town near the foot of Mount Fuji.

The really defining thing about this area

is the natural spring water

that it sources from Mount Fuji itself.

They're these gorgeous waterfalls

and crystal clear rivers flowing throughout the city.

(water flowing) (grooving music)

(water rushing)

We're catching a beautiful sunset tonight.

After an overcast day,

it's nice to see some color in the sky, it's so gorgeous.

We've got this giant waterfall right here too.

(sighs) Fresh air, beautiful scenery.

(typewriter clicking)

I love little farming towns like this.

So we're on a very bumpy dirt road

and we are heading into the mountains

here in Otsuki City. - Yes.

- We're going to have lunch.

- Great. - At a Yakuzen place,

like a medicinal, herbal lunch, and I'm really excited.

We have gone deep into the forest.

- [Norm] Yeah.

- [Micaela] And this is like a bumpy dirt road,

and it's so,

what's the word?

It's like narrow. - It's a pretty wild ride.

- Yeah. - It's pretty wild.

- [Micaela] This is a place that you would never

think to come to on your own. - No.

I would stop driving.

- Yeah. - Way down there.

- I wouldn't be brave enough to

try to find this place - No.

- without a tour guide.

So I'm really glad that we're getting brought out here.

- [Kim] Yeah.

(dog barking)

("Guessing Game" by Justnormal)

- So, this is Yakuzen-Ryouri.

It's medicinal food that

according to today's menu is based on the Libra horoscope,

which is very interesting.

And it's supposed to have medicinal properties

that are good for like your back and your liver, and,

stuff like that. - All in general.

- Yeah, probably in general.

- Yeah. - This is probably

the healthiest meal I've had in awhile,

but I actually, I love stuff like this.

I love food. - I don't think I've ever

had a meal this healthy.

- Really? - At like, ever.

This will be new experience

all in it's own. - You're gonna be

a brand new man.

- Here we go. - You're gonna walk out

of here 10 years younger.

- I'm about to eat a vegetable.

(group chuckles)

- [Man] Don't do it.

- These are real things that are happening.

(Micaela laughs)

- From what I can see,

Otsuki City is a very traditional town,

which quietly reflects on days gone by.

Itʼs attractions are mainly the outdoor type

with hiking trails, mountains, and rivers,

with a few historical monuments scattered around as well.

("Pullen Park" by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist)

So, now we're heading down to Saruhashi Bridge,

Monkey Bridge.

And it's one of the spots

that I've been looking forward to most

during this trip to Otsuki City,

just because it looks to be like

one of the more photogenic spots here in the area.

So, we're gonna see if we can get down on the river.

This water, oh, my God, the color is just gorgeous.

I love stuff like this.

I love vibrant, natural colors. (laughs)

(water rushing)

I hope I don't fall.

(camera shutter clicking)

So, we've left Yamanashi Prefecture,

we've entered Kanagawa,

and now we are driving through this winding, twisting road

in Fujino Art Sanctuary where

you can actually pass multiple art sculptures

and things, on the way.

It's kind of interesting.

If you like art.

("Teenage Lullaby" by Ooyy)

So, another thing that Sagamihara is famous for

is the JAXA,

space exploration campus.

Lots of displays here where you can learn about

things that Japan is doing

to move forward in space exploration.

Kim thought this was a missile.

(both laughing)

It's a rocket.

- It's a rocket.

They look the same, okay?

And I'm tired, so. - I understand, they do,

they do look the same.

They look, I don't know.

One of the things I love recommending to people

when they visit space exhibitions, is to try the space food.

In Japan you can find flavors like takoyaki or mochi,

and ice cream, and even canned bread.

- (laughs) I'm kinda nervous

about this one. - Yeah.

Well done. - That's literally

can-shaped bread. - Yeah.

- Oh no. - Into the can.

Ooh, okay.

Well, I'm just gonna break off a little bit

and try it. - Yeah.

- I mean...

(laughs)

- [Micaela] Itʼs definitely an experience.

Just one hour from Central Tokyo is the Akikawa Valley,

one of the closest natural retreats to Tokyo Metropolis.

Autumn is the perfect time to visit,

especially if youʼre a fan of hot springs.

Whoa, you guys.

It has been an incredibly long day

and I'm feeling wrecked, and like,

I know that I don't look that cute right now,

and I don't really wanna be on camera,

but I want you to see how excited I am for this room.

I have not had cottage,

like an actual legit cottage,

like this in Japan, ever.

(gasps) I have a kitchen?

You serious, how do I turn it on?

How do I turn on the kitchen?

I have a kitchen.

I have a kitchen.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Oh, my God.

Oh, wow, this is beautiful.

And so spacious, you don't get spacious rooms like this

in the city anywhere in Japan.

This is the type of stuff

you gotta come out to the countryside for.

All right guys, it's about 10 p.m. at night.

Dead quiet, we're in the middle of of the mountains,

it's like, you can hear the river.

- Yeah. - The running water.

- It's beautiful. - And that's about it.

And we're all dressed up in our--

- What would you call this?

- Onsen attire, I guess. - Onsen attire, yeah.

- [Micaela] Yeah, I got changed too.

There's a public foot bath out here

where you can just come and warm your feet.

You don't have any tattoos do you?

I don't think you do.

- [Kim] Me? No.

- [Micaela] You don't have any diapers either? (laughs)

- [Kim] Um, I mean.

(both laughing)

- [Micaela] Diapers and tattoos aren't allowed, so,

sorry Kim.

- Sorry, I'll take my diapers off.

(both laughing)

Hi.

- So, it's been three days,

and we've been traveling around the suburbs of Tokyo,

and like, Yamanashi and Kanagawa,

exploring the countryside out here.

And it's nice that,

for all the busyness that happens in Tokoyo City,

in Central Tokyo.

Just a few hours away, you can come out

and have a really relaxing experience just like this.

- [Kim] I actually didn't think that there would be

one step like this around Tokyo,

because I've been to a few before

but they were really busy and touristy.

This town, it's kinda out of the way,

but it's really amazing.

- And like the cabins that we're staying in

are really nice too.

It's crazy, I think this is the kinda place

I'd wanna bring a bunch of friends out too

on the weekend.

Good morning, so we are here in Hachioji City this morning,

and we've gotten up really early.

We're at the 599 Takao Museum.

We're waiting to get everybody together,

and then we're gonna head up mountain.

- Takao. - Takao.

- Takao. - Takao, Takao.

- Takao. - Did you talk about

how popular it is?

- No. - It's like one of the most

climbed mountains, like,

in the world. - Oh, yeah, they did say that.

- I think that, well that was going off

what the tour guide said. - Yeah.

Every year roughly 2.5 million people visit Mount Takao.

To reach the top,

you can either challenge one of the eight hiking courses,

or you can take the cable car,

which has the steepest incline in all of Japan,

and it's actually quite thrilling.

("Tommy" by Homebody)

Out of all the places weʼve visited,

this is definitely the most touristy,

but itʼs also the most accessible,

and you donʼt even have to be a avid hiker to enjoy it.

We're all, we're just eating,

we're eating our way up the mountain.

- I mean, we can eat,

and then walk and burn some calories

and eat some more, right?

- True.

On clear days,

this mountain becomes a very popular lookout spot.

From the very top viewpoint,

you can see all of Central Tokyo,

as well as Mount Fuji in the distance, if youʼre lucky.

Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world,

but if youʼre feeling a little suffocated,

you donʼt have to travel too far to take a break.

Donʼt be afraid to spread out and explore,

whether youʼre into hiking, eating, relaxing,

or just wandering somewhere new,

adventure is just a short train ride away.

Thank so much for watching.

I hope you enjoyed this video.

Donʼt forget to subscribe

if you wanna see more videos about Japan.

Bye!