[50 GREAT ESCAPES & STAYCATIONS]
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Shinjuku Station
Tokyo Station
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The closest station to Tatadohama beach in Izu is Izukyu-Shimoda Station. Getting there takes two-and-a-half hours by shinkansen and about an hour longer if you take the Tokkaido line through to Ito and then change to the local Izukyu line. Don’t be put off by the longer train ride – it’s a treat for the senses with views of the glistening sea and forestry.
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Ueno Station
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The quickest way to get to Oarai beach in Ibaraki is to take a Super Hitachi train from Ueno Station – it takes about one hour and 40 minutes. Otherwise, you can save money by taking the Joban line from Ueno Station to Mita and then changing to the Kashima Rinkai Testudo line – this will take around two-and-a-half to three hours depending on transfers.
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You can reach Onjuku beach in roughly 90 minutes if you take the express Keiyo line train Wakashio from Tokyo Station. Otherwise, for nearly half the price, you can take local trains but this increases travel time to around two-anda-half hours – and that’s only if you don’t miss your connections. Make sure you’ve got a bento for the journey!
Most major train stations have ekiben (train bento box) stores that sell supercharged versions of the common lunchbox. Shinjuku Station’s ekiben is near the south exit and stocks a wide range of options. Get in the mood for the sea with their Anago Oshizushi (saltwater eel sushi) bento (¥720). Anago is similar in taste and texture (though less rich) to the more popular unagi (freshwater eel).
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Take the Shonan Shinjuku line to Zushi from Shinjuku Station and you’ll arrive in just over an hour. When most people head to Zushi Station for the beach they usually have the station’s namesake in mind as the destination, but take a short 20-minute bus ride (get off at the Sangaoka stop) to HayamaIsshiki and you’ll find a more beautiful escape.
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The bento
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Shinagawa Station
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Check out Tokyo Station’s EkibenyaMatsuri store (tinyurl.com/ TOTekibenya), which is located just inside the ticket gates and stocks an array of about 170 different kinds of bento from all over Tokyo. They often invite regional bento makers to add variation to the selection. The Kani Meshi (crab rice) box (¥1,140) is ideal for a seaside trip – it’s served in a crabshaped box and features boiled crab meat with miso flavouring.
Gyudon (beef on rice) is a popular comfort fast-food in Japan. We recommend a Gyuniku Domannaka bento (¥1,150). It comes with Yamagata rice, topped with juicy beef and plenty of vegetables on the side. It’s a good choice for meat eaters and less of a risk for those who tend to be picky eaters.
It’s a long ride so we advise tucking into a Nagoshi bento (¥1,080). Nagoshi can be translated as ‘summer passing’, which basically means managing to survive the hot summer months without too much suffering or, in traditional terms, without losing farm crops to bugs. The Nagoshi bento’s varied selection of food provides plenty of energy to power you through – with a mixture of seafood, beef, summer vegetables and a small serving of jelly.
Note: bento photos for illustrative purposes only.
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