The next destination on our journey was Hakone – so no more Tokyo for us this time (from Hakone we were planning to head towards the south of Japan). So we said our goodbyes and thanks to Satoko, and headed down to catch our train (Andy, who had taken a couple of days off work, joined us to Hakone). The journey to Hakone allowed us to experience the famous Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) for the first time. It whisked us down to Odawara in a mere 40 minutes or so. From there, we purchased a Hakone day pass, and took the local train towards Hakone.
Hakone makes a very good day trip from Tokyo, for a couple of reasons. The main one is that Hakone offers great views over Fuji-san (Mt. Fuji). The other reason is that it’s a great place for onsens (more about that later). Getting around Hakone is kind of interesting as well, thanks to the large variety of modes of transport one has to use to “do the tour”: train, mountain train, cable car, pirate ship and bus. We started off by taking the mountain train from Hakone town up to Miyanoshita, where we got off to check into Taiseikan, our Ryokan (Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn). Having dropped off our luggage, we got back on the train and continued onwards, changing for a cable car which took us yet higher up, to Owakudani. At Owakudani it was time to try the famous Hakone black eggs, which are cooked at the sulphurous boiling hot water at Owakudani. Apparently having one of these eggs adds 7 years to one’s life expectancy – not bad value for money considering one can have 5 eggs for 500 yen (about 4 euros). I had two, myself.
The other cool thing about Owakudani is that it’s a great place from which to view Mt. Fuji. In spite of some clouds dotting the sky, we got a pretty good look at the majestic and iconic dome. Apparently we were quite lucky, since quite frequently; Fuji-san only reveals itself early in the morning, when the skies are clear….
We then took another cable car, this time heading down to Togendai, by Lake Ashinoko. The thing to do here is to cross the lake on a pirate ship, to Hakone-machi. All good fun, if just a tad tacky ;-) We quickly crossed Hakone-machi town to the main sight in town, a reconstructed checkpoint from the Edo period (that’s the period when the Tokugawa’s clan united and ruled Japan, from 1603 to 1867). In those days Hakone was in a very strategic position, being located on the Tokaido road which, which connected Tokyo and Kyoto.
Having done enough tourism for one day, we said our emotional goodbyes to Andy (who was heading back to Tokyo). It was great to meet up after all these years; hopefully we’ll meet again in the not-too-distant future, in Japan or elsewhere. Andy, if you read this, a big thanks to you and Satoko for putting us up and showing us around this wonderful country! We then jumped on the bus which took us back to Miyanoshita, where our Ryokan was located.
The Ryokan was actually in the valley below the village, so we had to take the Ryokan’s private cable car to access it. A scenic walk through the lovely garden and past the river running through the valley took us to the hotel. Being a traditional inn, we had to take our shoes off at the reception and put slippers on. A lady (dressed in a kimono, naturally) escorted us to our charming room; very traditionally Japanese (shame about the telly, it nearly spoilt the image). She then ran us through the rituals and rules of the traditional Ryokan, and showed us how to put our kimonos on.
Before the evening meal, we had the opportunity to try out another Japanese must-experience; an Onsen. Onsens are Japanese hot spring baths, which are a result of the volcanic activity present all over (or under, rather) Japan. It’s one of the favorite pastimes of Japanese people (like our friend Matsuoka, for example). Normally onsens are divided into sections for men and women, but our Ryokan had a private onsen, which just the two of us could use. I really loved the experience; it reminded me a little bit about the Finnish sauna. A very relaxing experience after a busy day…
The meal was extraordinary; no other way to describe it. Ryokans serve Kaiseki; which is Japanese haute cuisine, prepared according to very strict rules and traditions (all using in-season, locally produced fresh ingredients). It’s made up of a collection of small plates containing various delicacies – mostly fish (a lot of it of the raw variety – so a Kaiseki meal is not perhaps for everybody…). A Kaiseki meal is almost like a work of art; Michelin restaurants in Europe could learn a lot about presentation from the Japanese… I didn’t know what the ingredients were in half of the dishes I ate, but pretty much all of it was delicious! Matsuoka (who had booked the hotel for us) also made the meal that little bit special by having pre-ordered a wine bottle for us. So thank you Matsuoka, if you read this. Your attention is most appreciated!
I finished off the evening with a visit to the public onsen, where I had a nice chat with a “salaryman” and his son – he had traveled around quite a lot (not sure I agree with his analysis about London though – he says the highlight of his visit was “fish and chips”).
After another amazing meal for breakfast (a bit similar to the dinner, except with fewer dishes), it was sadly time to leave the Ryokan. I have to say it was a very special experience indeed, if not light on the wallet… After a peaceful walk around the area surrounding the Ryokan, it was time to take the cable car back up to the village, and take the train back to Odawara, from where we were catching the Shinkansen to our next destination; Hiroshima…
Hakone makes a very good day trip from Tokyo, for a couple of reasons. The main one is that Hakone offers great views over Fuji-san (Mt. Fuji). The other reason is that it’s a great place for onsens (more about that later). Getting around Hakone is kind of interesting as well, thanks to the large variety of modes of transport one has to use to “do the tour”: train, mountain train, cable car, pirate ship and bus. We started off by taking the mountain train from Hakone town up to Miyanoshita, where we got off to check into Taiseikan, our Ryokan (Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn). Having dropped off our luggage, we got back on the train and continued onwards, changing for a cable car which took us yet higher up, to Owakudani. At Owakudani it was time to try the famous Hakone black eggs, which are cooked at the sulphurous boiling hot water at Owakudani. Apparently having one of these eggs adds 7 years to one’s life expectancy – not bad value for money considering one can have 5 eggs for 500 yen (about 4 euros). I had two, myself.The other cool thing about Owakudani is that it’s a great place from which to view Mt. Fuji. In spite of some clouds dotting the sky, we got a pretty good look at the majestic and iconic dome. Apparently we were quite lucky, since quite frequently; Fuji-san only reveals itself early in the morning, when the skies are clear….
We then took another cable car, this time heading down to Togendai, by Lake Ashinoko. The thing to do here is to cross the lake on a pirate ship, to Hakone-machi. All good fun, if just a tad tacky ;-) We quickly crossed Hakone-machi town to the main sight in town, a reconstructed checkpoint from the Edo period (that’s the period when the Tokugawa’s clan united and ruled Japan, from 1603 to 1867). In those days Hakone was in a very strategic position, being located on the Tokaido road which, which connected Tokyo and Kyoto. Having done enough tourism for one day, we said our emotional goodbyes to Andy (who was heading back to Tokyo). It was great to meet up after all these years; hopefully we’ll meet again in the not-too-distant future, in Japan or elsewhere. Andy, if you read this, a big thanks to you and Satoko for putting us up and showing us around this wonderful country! We then jumped on the bus which took us back to Miyanoshita, where our Ryokan was located.
The Ryokan was actually in the valley below the village, so we had to take the Ryokan’s private cable car to access it. A scenic walk through the lovely garden and past the river running through the valley took us to the hotel. Being a traditional inn, we had to take our shoes off at the reception and put slippers on. A lady (dressed in a kimono, naturally) escorted us to our charming room; very traditionally Japanese (shame about the telly, it nearly spoilt the image). She then ran us through the rituals and rules of the traditional Ryokan, and showed us how to put our kimonos on. Before the evening meal, we had the opportunity to try out another Japanese must-experience; an Onsen. Onsens are Japanese hot spring baths, which are a result of the volcanic activity present all over (or under, rather) Japan. It’s one of the favorite pastimes of Japanese people (like our friend Matsuoka, for example). Normally onsens are divided into sections for men and women, but our Ryokan had a private onsen, which just the two of us could use. I really loved the experience; it reminded me a little bit about the Finnish sauna. A very relaxing experience after a busy day…
The meal was extraordinary; no other way to describe it. Ryokans serve Kaiseki; which is Japanese haute cuisine, prepared according to very strict rules and traditions (all using in-season, locally produced fresh ingredients). It’s made up of a collection of small plates containing various delicacies – mostly fish (a lot of it of the raw variety – so a Kaiseki meal is not perhaps for everybody…). A Kaiseki meal is almost like a work of art; Michelin restaurants in Europe could learn a lot about presentation from the Japanese… I didn’t know what the ingredients were in half of the dishes I ate, but pretty much all of it was delicious! Matsuoka (who had booked the hotel for us) also made the meal that little bit special by having pre-ordered a wine bottle for us. So thank you Matsuoka, if you read this. Your attention is most appreciated!
I finished off the evening with a visit to the public onsen, where I had a nice chat with a “salaryman” and his son – he had traveled around quite a lot (not sure I agree with his analysis about London though – he says the highlight of his visit was “fish and chips”). After another amazing meal for breakfast (a bit similar to the dinner, except with fewer dishes), it was sadly time to leave the Ryokan. I have to say it was a very special experience indeed, if not light on the wallet… After a peaceful walk around the area surrounding the Ryokan, it was time to take the cable car back up to the village, and take the train back to Odawara, from where we were catching the Shinkansen to our next destination; Hiroshima…
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