fugume
I had people and places to see in Tokyo, but I thought I'd be clever and relocate outside of Tokyo to someplace cheap, though still within commuting distance. I stared at the map and saw that Odawara was close to mountains and sea, and had major train lines running to both Tokyo station and directly to Shinjuku station. Sounds pretty good, eh?
Perhaps I should have rethought my plan when the travel agent I consulted told me that nobody goes to Odawara except for business, and that my only cheap options there were going to be business hotels. Business hotels are fine, but I was in the mood for more of an adventure, so I asked for a smaller establishment anywhere in the vicinity of Odawara, preferably someplace pretty, and preferably cheap. He delivered, and I found myself in Kowkidani.
Now, on the map Kowakidani is less than 1/10th as far from Odawara as Odawara is from Tokyo. But, it roughly doubles the travel time. Pictured here is a car on the Hakone-Tozan Line, that serves the last leg of the trip. This is not your major commuting line, but a slow climb into scenic mountains, complete with stops for switchbacks.
In addition to the length of the trip to Tokyo, there was also the expense. Had I actually gone into Tokyo on a daily basis, the train tickets would have cost much more than I saved by not being in Tokyo.