When I travel, I like to see as much as possible. There are so many places in the world that I would like to see that I don’t know if I will ever get back. Famous places are good, but I also want to see a variety of things that maybe don’t appeal to the average tourist passing by with a video camera. So I did a fair amount of research before getting on the train early in the morning on my trip to Hakone.
Hakone
Shinjuku Station is overwhelming, but I found the Odakyu line and bought my Hakone Free Pass. Not only would it save money, but also a lot of hassle trying to find the correct fare getting on and off the different transportation I planned to use. My first ride was a limited express train with the embarrassing name “Romancecar,” though I do not see the reason for the appellation. The view out of the front is amazing but all window seats offer a great view during the trip.
Hakone Limited Express Train ‘Romancecar’
One thing about Japan, even a boring convenience store cooler somehow can be made to look cool with some artwork!
Cooler art
It was only about an hour and a half to Hakone Yumoto, where I hopped on the Hakone Tozan Train to go to Gora. After the busy cityscape of Tokyo, the cedar trees and mountains were peaceful and refreshing. I got off at Gora and walked to Gora Park and Craft House.
from hakone tozan train
There was no entrance charge with my Hakone Free Pass, which is one reason I decided to visit. Not really because I was excited about a French-style rose garden. However, the panoramic vista was stunning, complete with my first good view of Mt. Fuji. I strolled through the gardens and was quite impressed with the tropical greenhouse. I have no idea what all the flowers were, but there were some really stunning ones. I can guarantee there are none like that back home!
The Craft House was a gallery and workshop on the grounds. The Hakone area is known for its art glass, etching and blowing.
Hakone outdoor glass art
I’m not into shopping for souvenirs, so my plan was to take one of the short classes, get the hands-on experience, and have something that I had made myself. I was most interested in the glass blowing, and the instructor was very helpful and walked me through all the steps. It was not as easy as it looks! My little cup turned out lopsided, but I guess I could not expect much more for my first effort. I was impressed how well I understood considering the guy knew very little English.
He packed it up carefully in bubble wrap for my trip and I slipped it into my backpack and was on my way. Probably it is good that my piece had thick sides so I did not have to worry about it breaking!
Hakone dragon waterspouts
Back to the station, I took the Hakone Tozan Cable Car to Sounzan. Talk about steep! It seemed to go straight up the mountain. I am not particularly afraid of heights, but the view out the back window of the tiny rail sure gave me a bit of vertigo.
Cable car in Hakone
I didn’t stay in Sounzan, but transferred to the ropeway to Owakudani.
Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani
The ropeway was fun, rising over the trees and giving a different angle on things. It swayed slowly as it went along, like we were swimming in the sky. I was looking forward to Owakudani, and was not disappointed. The visitors center and shops made it feel a bit like a circus side show, but there was no denying the energy and stark beauty of the area.
Owakudani, or the Valley of Hell
First I walked up the trail to the hot springs. The photos had not done justice to the experience of being there, the increased heat, the smell of the sulfur, the latent power. It was a bit exciting and scary knowing that so much geothermal activity was right below my feet, and that the mountain could technically erupt again at any time. I heard that this used to be called Hell Valley, but that the name was changed when an emperor came to visit because it was inappropriate for him to go to hell. Even if the story were not true, it was easy to see where that name came from.
Hakone black egg (kuro-tamago) at Owakudani
I stopped at Tamago-Jaya for my bag of black eggs. That is the local delicacy, and they are said to add seven years to your life. The black shell color was unappetizing, and it was surprising to crack them open and find a regular-looking egg inside. It tasted like a regular hard-boiled egg, too, which was a bit disappointing after all the hype. Mostly I was impressed that the guys got that close to the steaming mire to cook the things. And I can’t say that the eggs made me feel like my life would be longer, but I guess snacking on hard-boiled eggs would be better for the life expectancy than candy and cookies.
Ōwakudani, Hakone: black eggs (eggs hard-boiled in sulphuric hot spring water) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After following the path through the valley, I stopped back at the information center, which had some interesting facts about the region. The signs for the restaurant were advertising “black curry,” so I was drawn in and had to try that. It was surprisingly delicious, spicy yet not too hot. The color made the dish look like a Halloween treat, and appealed to my inner child.
There was still plenty on my itinerary, so I hopped back on the ropeway to Togendai. My next step was a ship across Lake Ashi. It felt a bit silly to board a fake pirate ship, but it was all covered in the Hakone Free Pass and was actually a convenient way to get to the other side of the lake. Ignoring the decoration of the boat, the views of the lake, shrines, and Mt. Fuji were incredible.
Lake Ashi in Hakone ‘Pirate Ship’
I got off at Moto Hakone and walked up the hill to the Narukawa Art Museum. I thought a museum would round out the activities of the day, and there were several in the region to choose from. I settled on this mostly because it fit my agenda without having to stray far from the path. I was happily pleased with the choice. There was an interesting exhibit of Chinese art, but also a fantastic display of paintings of Mt. Fuji from different angles in the rotating exhibit.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
The Panorama Room did, indeed, have a panoramic view of the lake and mountain. It looked similar to the view from the lake, but being higher, it still felt new. I think it would be hard to tire of views of Mt. Fuji. The museum also had a decent enough garden, but I didn’t linger because it was getting late and I still had one more stop.
Edo-era checkpoint, Hakone
Continuing my walk, the path became an alley through tall cedar trees. Soon I came to the fences and gates of the Hakone Checkpoint. It was easy to imagine armed guards waiting to stop me and check my papers. The place was fresh wood and fluttering banners. I felt like I had stepped back in time, especially once I went inside and found the life-size mannequins.
Hakone Checkpoint trip
The mannequins were all white, supposedly because the correct clothing color is unknown. But instead, it gave the impression that the rooms were populated with the ghosts of officers at work. It was an impressive display, and probably one of the highlights of my trip to Hakone. I spent longer there than I had planned, which was OK since it was my last stop of the day.
Hakone Checkpoint mannequins
With evening approaching, I walked the short distance into the town of Hakone and caught the Hakone Tozan bus back to Hakone Yumato. From there, it was another ride on the Romancecar back to Tokyo. The cedar trees and mountains gave way to skyscrapers and neon. It was a busy day trip to Hakone, but packed with interesting sights and new things learned.
hakone-yumato
photos by:
Kabacchi &
Yoshimasa Niwa,
shokai,
sleepyneko,
Marufish,
Zengame,
MarkDoliner,
nicwn,
nicwn,
Rudy Herman,
Nguyen Vu Hung (vuhung),
SteFou!,
lesteph,
nicwn,
jencu
