Situated Between Tokyo And Yokohama Is An Authentic Coastal Japanese City That Tourists Overlook

While most travelers dream of visiting Japan, Tokyo is unfortunately not the most affordable destination one can visit. Luckily, for budget-conscious travelers who still want to visit Tokyo, it's cheaper to stay in neighboring Kawasaki, an authentic coastal city within the Greater Tokyo Area.

Kawasaki is located along Tokyo Bay between Tokyo and the walkable hub of Yokohama. The city is a great home base for your Japanese adventure, as it has easy access to both Tokyo and Yokohama. Three major train lines go between Tokyo and Yokohama, stopping at Kawasaki Station. The journey from Kawasaki to Tokyo takes less than 20 minutes, and trains leave every five minutes.

But don't just stay in Kawasaki because it's convenient — along with its proximity to those two cities, Kawasaki is a great destination in its own right. The city is filled with excellent museums, traditional temples, and one of the most interesting skylines in Japan.

Kawasaki is recognizable for its futuristic industrial architecture around the city's waterfront and along the Tama River that separates Kawasaki from neighboring Tokyo. One of the best ways to see the cyberpunk-esque skyline is on a nighttime tour on a traditional Japanese houseboat, known as a yakatabune, departing from Mikawaya Pier near Keikyu Kitashinagawa Station. Yakatabune cruises will show you all the sights along Tokyo Bay and the Sumida River, and booking with a shared cruise or private chartered cruise includes dinner and unlimited drink options.

If you're interested in seeing a different side of Kawasaki, head over to beautiful Ikuta Ryokuchi Park. This park is a green oasis filled with trees and thousands of seasonal flowers and is an amazing place to relax inside the city. Visitors in February and March will be able to see the plum and cherry blossoms here. The park is also home to some of the city's best museums. Definitely stop by the Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum to learn about the country's traditional architecture. The museum is the site of 25 historic thatched-roof buildings that were relocated to Kawasaki as a way to show traditional architecture from around the country in a single location. The museum also features a soba restaurant and sometimes offers craft workshops that teach visitors indigo-dyeing.

Also located in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park, a great place for art buffs is The Tarō Okamoto Museum of Art. The museum is dedicated to the work of avant-garde artist Tarō Okamoto, who was born in Kawasaki in 1911 and made a name for himself as one of the most prominent Japanese artists of the 1960s. The museum is the perfect place to enjoy some of the renowned artist's original sketches and paintings.

Kawasaki has several Buddhist temples worth visiting, especially the Kawasaki Daishi Temple in the city center. While initially built in the 12th century, this gorgeous Buddhist temple was reconstructed in the 1950s after it was destroyed during World War II. The reconstructed temple was built to resemble its original style from the Heian Period. Today, the temple is the headquarters of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism.

If you're in Kawasaki in the spring and looking for an unusual experience, you're in luck! Kawasaki is the site of Japan's renowned Kanamara Matsuri, or Festival of the Steel Phallus, sometimes just known as the Penis Festival. The annual celebration, which takes place on the first Sunday in April, takes place at the city's Kanayama Shrine; historically it was a time when sex workers prayed for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Nowadays, it's become a popular festival where people pray for fertility and marital bliss. Though aspects of the celebration are sacred, internationally it's attracted attention for its parade, where people carry large penis statues on movable shrines.

Affordable stays in Kawasaki include Richmond Hotel Premier Musashikosugi, located near some great shops at Musashikosugi Plaza; Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel, which has a bar and lounge and won a 2024 Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice Award; and Kawasaki Nikko Hotel, another award-winning hotel, which is located just outside Kawasaki Station and is near both the Kawasaki Azalea shopping center and Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium. Though Kawasaki has plenty of activities to keep you busy on vacation, don't forget to take advantage of the city's access to nearby Tokyo and Yokohama.