The museums, shrines, and attractions in Tokyo are fine places to get a taste of Japanese culture, but if you’re looking to slow down and experience old-school Japan, take the shinkansen bullet train an hour outside the noisy city and stay overnight at Hakone Yumoto. Soak in the lush views while relaxing in the onsen hot springs, enjoy an elaborate kaiseki meal at your Japanese ryokan inn, and take the gondolas up the mountain to Owakudani, where you can get amazing photos with Mount Fuji and eat the black onsen tamago that are supposed to extend your life by seven years. Hakone is worth flying to Japan for.

You need to book the Japanese ryokan inns far in advance – preferably before you leave for Tokyo. The best way is to get a package through Odakyu Travel Service – go on the website or, if you’re already there, go in person to the Odakyu counter in Shinjuku station and pick from the ryokan available – these packages include the train tickets from Shinjuku station, as well as the elaborate kaiseki dinner and breakfast you enjoy in your Japanese room, which, on their own, can cost ¥10,000 and up, making the ryokan stay less expensive than it seems. Adding the freepass is useful for sightseeing in Hakone and is a good value. If you can only swing a day trip, go early to the Odakyu counter to book the train and entrance to a day onsen. If you have a tattoo, however, many onsen won’t let you sit in the hotspring tubs, as tattoos are associated with gang membership in Japan.
Though tipping is almost never expected or accepted, for eating, bellhops, etc – when visiting traditional Ryokan where they serve you meals in your room, it is customary to offer ¥2000-3000 in new bills, wrapped in tissue paper or in a Kokoroduke Bukuro envelope when first introduced to the room, per family.