Japan Chrismas 2027

Hi there Holly, I lived in Tokyo for 7.5 years & my company had a vacation house at Kawaguchiko, which is a lovely lake-side town for relaxing, but not much else going on except a view of Mt Fuji! I wouldn't go to both Hakone & Kawaguchiko. This Forum member has great first-timer suggestions & trip report from December visit, including what sounded like a fabulous stay at an onsen (hot springs) resort in Hakone, but not cheap. They also talked about shipping their luggage ahead, I use to do this to the airport when I was going straight from the office & didn't want to be burdened with it on the subway. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/japan-trip-report-dec-2025-thru-jan-2026. Note - a LOT of places will be closed January 1st, and many places will be open December 25th, in fact we WORKED on Christmas day.

Could you fly into & out of HANEDA, which is much closer to downtown Tokyo than Narita, OR perhaps out of Osaka so you don't have to back track to Tokyo?

Be sure you get a Suisa card for Tokyo metro, (you can download it onto your iPhone or Android) it's so much easier than dealing with all the different subway lines that don't accept each others' tickets.

Nazu Shrine was surprisingly wonderful, zero foreign tourists, only Japanese pilgrims. Have a fabulous trip!

Thanks Sandancisco,
The trip report you referred to is very helpful.
It's really similar to my itinerary
If i can only do one, should we do Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko.
I think i am leaning towards Hakone.
Both have onsen.

If i can only do one, should we do Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko. I think
i am leaning towards Hakone.

Hmmmmm, that's a great question. If Kawaguchiko has better transport, I'd pick that. Going where MANY Japanese will go on their December holidays like Hakone, which is very famous, will not be fun. And traffic will be awful, DO NOT take the bus. Maybe a better question is what sort of experience are you looking for? There are SO many hot springs, you don't actually need to go to Mt Fuji to experience one!

The link I shared with you seemed to have some quite expensive hotels - We stayed at Mitsui Garden Hotel in Gotanda (there are several with same name, be sure this is the right one), breakfast was AMAZING and the service was equally wonderful. They spoke excellent English, impeccably clean & on the top floors, great view from the lobby. IF you do decide to stay there, LMK & I will try to look up an amazing 'Farm to Table' restaurant next door in a nondescript shopping arcade. Gotanda is on the Yamanote circle line, will get you around Tokyo in an overhead circle & it connects to the subway system. It's nice to be above ground & see the views. And if you do fly to/from Haneda, it's only a short taxi ride away.

Kyoto - I have NOT stayed here, but it's top of my list - a Buddhist monastery! I know they have "Western' style rooms, so you don't have to sleep on a tatami mat on the floor, hahaha. It might be a bit too much for you culturally, but if you wanted a unique experience, this would be it! I would definitely spend some time learning about what's expected. https://youtu.be/hS4d7i6Mr_E?si=Ydg1IqDyGzQE0Jmx

Hey Holly,

Your breakdown of nights looks really well-paced! A few quick thoughts on your Fuji options:

1. Is Hakone too similar to Kawaguchiko?

There’s definitely some overlap, but they have different vibes. Kawaguchiko is mostly about that giant postcard view of Mount Fuji across the lake. Hakone is more about the sights—the ropeway, pirate boat cruise, art museums, and staying in a traditional ryokan with onsen baths.

1. Is 1 night in Hakone worth it?

I agree with your husband here. Moving hotels for just a single night adds extra packing and luggage drag, which steals time from actually relaxing.

1. The Kawaguchiko to Kyoto shortcut

You don't need to backtrack all the way to Tokyo if you skip Hakone! Just catch the Fujikyu highway bus from Kawaguchiko Station straight down to Mishima Station (~90 mins), then hop directly on the Tokaido Shinkansen to Kyoto.

My suggestion:

Skip Hakone to avoid the extra hotel transfer. Add that night to Kawaguchiko so you can slow down and enjoy a ryokan stay there instead.

One quick heads-up: Dec 29 to Jan 3 is the major New Year holiday period in Japan (Shogatsu). Train tickets for the Shinkansen book up fast, so make sure to reserve those as soon as the 30-day window opens!