Hakone - Day Trip, Tokyo

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the mountain in hakone area with views of Mount Fuji. Again a mount fuji day tour from tokyo includes either this mount komagatake aerial tram to mount komagatake or the hakone ropeway to owakudani. Mt Komagatake is in the Hakone region of Kanto. On its western side is Lake Ashi. On a clear day, there are excellent views of Lake Ashi and surrounds from the summit of Mt Komagatake. The summit of Mt Komagatake can be reached via the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway, an aerial lift that rises from Hakoneen at the edge of Lake Ashi and the view of mount fuji from here is sometimes blocked since the area is usually cloudy as you will have just minutes of a window of oppuotunity to have a mount fuji picture taken from here so be on a lookout. In addition to an observation point, the summit of Mt Komagatake also features part of the Hakone Jinja Shrine.

Hakone is one of the many famous hot spring areas in Japan. Our ryokan room comes with a private bath attached (at the balcony), and it also has communal baths. It was blissful to be able to soak in the hot spring water after visiting places of interest in the winter cold.

One thing to note: soaking in the onsen should be done at most 3 times a day, each session should not exceed 30 minutes. This would allow the body to recover after the bath. The hot water bath is good for improving blood circulation.

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We took a 2-day trip to Hakone. Using our JR Pass, we took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara, then used the Hakone Freepass (we bought the 3,900 Yen ones, valid for 2 days, between Odawara and Hakone) to get to and around Hakone.

After reaching our ryoken, we left our bags there and headed for Owakudani via the Hakone Tozan Train, Cablecar and Ropeway. Owakudani is also known as "hell valley", and was formed by volcanic explosions before Christ. We could smell the sulphurous fumes even when we were travelling in the ropeway. The smoking volcano was a sight to behold.

At Owakudani, we bought the specialty product - "Black Eggs". These eggs were cooked in the hot springs and tasted real yummy! It was said that eating one egg would extend one's lifespan by several years.

The eggs are sold in packages of 5 each, costs 500 Yen per pack. Best eaten hot!

There are a few spots to see Mt Fuji in Hakone. One viewpoint is from the Hakone Ropeway, between Owakudani station and Ubako station. We managed to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji from the ropeway, but couldn't see the whole view as it was a cloudy day.

Other Mt Fuji viewpoints are:
from the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise on the lake, between Hakonemachi and Moto-Hakone.
from the observatory in the Hakone Detached Palace Garden in Hakonemachi.

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Using the Freepass, we boarded the Sightseeing Cruise from Togendai to Moto-Hakone. The Cruise lasted for about an hour. The sightseeing cruise boats are modeled after European pirate ships of the 17th and 18th centuries. We stayed on the upper decks (no shelter!) throughout the cruise, which was actually very very cold, but the scenery we saw was worth braving the cold!

Going for the sightseeing cruise is the best way to see Lake Ashi, which is 725 m above sea level and the main attraction of Hakone. Lots of local people enjoy angling (for black bass and trout) and boating on the lake (you can see these people in the picture). On a clear day, Mt Fuji can also be seen from the lake.

Hakone Shrine is loacted at the foot of Mount Hakone, along the shores of Lake Ashi. The shrine buildings are hidden in the forest. The torii gates stand in the lake. This shrine is one of the most well known attraction of Hakone, and pictures of its torii gate in the lake, together with Mt Fuji as the backdrop, are used in lots of tourism materials.