A Perfect Day in Hakone, Japan
Friday, September 27, 2019
Given our Japanese trip was a little bit hectic, we mixed the bustling big cities with smaller pit stops and visits to the countryside. One example of this is Hakone: a town distinguished by its hot springs, natural beauty and a stunning view of Mount Fuji. It’s also a popular stop for anyone wanting to briefly escape the liveliness of Tokyo and can be covered as a stopover on the way to Osaka or Kyoto, although we decided to stay the night.
In keeping with the theme, our itinerary was relaxing and with
plenty of sightseeing. Here’s what we got up to:
Owakudani: We visited this active volcanic valley full of sulphuric
geysers on a gondola – better known as the Hakone Ropeway. The area is not only
famous for the vents created by volcanic eruptions, but also for its black eggs.
They may sound grim but they’re just the usual hard-boiled eggs, but black in
colour from being boiled in the valley’s steaming, mineral rich water. They say
the eggs are lucky and give people a long life, but I’ll let you decide if that’s
true or if they’re just famous for the novelty. This is a great spot to take some photos, enjoy the black eggs as well freshly made rice crackers, I could eat ton of these!
Lake Ashinoko: After a visit to Owakudani, we continued the adventure
by hopping back on the ropeway and heading to Togendai station. Here, we jumped
on board an Edo era warship for a tour of Lake Ashinkono. A big plus of this
trip is seeing Mount Fuji, but luck wasn’t on our sight and the cloudy skies
hid even the tiniest trace of the mountain. We did get lucky the next day though and spotted Mount Fuji from the train on the way to Osaka.
Yunessun Hot springs: To wind down after a day of sight-seeing, we
headed to this hot spring theme park of sorts. You’ll find everything from
baths full of wine, coffee, herbs to water slides for those seeking a slight
thrill. But before you plan a visit, remember this is a co-ed swimsuit wearing
onsen. So, for those who are a little shy when it comes to shedding off all
their clothes for the traditional Japanese onsen experience, this is the perfect spot.
There is much more to do in Hakone, such as the Hakone shrine as well as several hikes and trails in the area. We kept our trip short and sweet though since our Japanese trip was quite hectic filled with shrines in other parts of the country.
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