Hakone
Hello, travelers. This is Kumi. Picturesque Japan Blog welcomes you to Hakone.
This website will be very helpful when you visit Hakone.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/
We started our Hakone tour from Shinjuku station which is certified as the world's busiest station by the Guinness Book of World Records. The official site says "An average of 3.64 million passengers per day pass through the station."
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/busiest-station
Anyway, at Shinjuku station, we bought Hakone Freepass and got on the express train called Romance Car at 8:53.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/
People are rushing to work while we are relaxing on a luxurious train. Feeling privileged. :P
We arrived at Hakone-yumoto station at 10:36. Then we got on the Hakone Tozan Bus at 10:48. What a perfect timing!
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/traffic/transportation/tozanbus/
After 30 minutes or so, we arrived at Lake Ashi. Yay!
We took the Hakone Sightseeing Ship (pirates ship) at noon. (approx. 30 min)
http://www.hakone-kankosen.co.jp/foreign/en/port/index.html
The first class cabin is very comfortable.
The red torii gate on the water is the entrance to the Hakone Shrine.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5204.html
We arrived at Togendai and got on a gondola to Owakudani. (16 min)
This kind of gondola is called "ropeway" in Japan. So this is called Hakone Ropeway.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/traffic/transportation/ropeway/
I know! Hakone is really photogenic. You can't stop taking photos.
Lunch at Owakudani.
We enjoyed looking at amazing views at Owakudani.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5203.html
(*Owakudani area will be sometimes closed due to volcanic gases, so please check out the latest information when you visit this area.)
Yup. You really need your cameras or phones!
We visited Hakone GeoMuseum.
http://www.hakone-geomuseum.jp/english/
A photo with Mt. Fuji.
Say "Cheese!"
The black eggs are popular here, but... Oh no! It says "SOLD OUT."
Luckily, we found the other shop still selling the eggs.
The shell is blackened by the sulfur. Let's peel it!
Hmm... it looks like a regular egg, but it is said that if you eat one, your life will be prolonged by 7 years. What if a 90-year man ate ten of them!? :P
After the egg party, we took a bus to Sounzan. On this day, the ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan was closed due to maintenance and it was supposed to restart the next day. However, we saw some people already on the ropeway. Was that a test run!?
Anyway, we came to Sounzan station and then got on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car. (10 min)
http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/
We came to Gora where we saw this cat.
Hey, kitty!
Cat: "Hey, foreigners. Oh? Are you Japanese? Why do you speak English?"
From Gora, we took Hakone Tozan Train. If you're interested in trains, this may be really interesting because the line has three switchbacks for going up steep sections. You'll see the motorman (train driver) and the conductor switch positions three times during the ride.
http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/
Say "Cheese!"
We came back to Hakone-yumoto area.
They tried some steamed buns with sweet bean paste. I found someone's blog about Hakone's sweets.
http://createeathappy.blogspot.jp/2014/05/souvenirs-from-hakone.html
Wow! Now we're taking a very traditional Romance Car from 1980s!!
The train left Hakone-yumoto at 16:49. And this lucky family happened to see this beautiful sunset!
The traditional Romance Car brought us to Shinjuku station at 18:19.
It was such a fun family trip and I felt as if I were an aunt of the three girls. :)
*Please feel free to comment below with other experiences or information! Also, if you find any errors in content or grammar, please let me know.
This website will be very helpful when you visit Hakone.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/
We started our Hakone tour from Shinjuku station which is certified as the world's busiest station by the Guinness Book of World Records. The official site says "An average of 3.64 million passengers per day pass through the station."
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/busiest-station
Anyway, at Shinjuku station, we bought Hakone Freepass and got on the express train called Romance Car at 8:53.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/
People are rushing to work while we are relaxing on a luxurious train. Feeling privileged. :P
We arrived at Hakone-yumoto station at 10:36. Then we got on the Hakone Tozan Bus at 10:48. What a perfect timing!
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/traffic/transportation/tozanbus/
After 30 minutes or so, we arrived at Lake Ashi. Yay!
We took the Hakone Sightseeing Ship (pirates ship) at noon. (approx. 30 min)
http://www.hakone-kankosen.co.jp/foreign/en/port/index.html
The first class cabin is very comfortable.
The red torii gate on the water is the entrance to the Hakone Shrine.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5204.html
We arrived at Togendai and got on a gondola to Owakudani. (16 min)
This kind of gondola is called "ropeway" in Japan. So this is called Hakone Ropeway.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/traffic/transportation/ropeway/
Goodbye, Lake Ashi!
Say "Cheese!"
I know! Hakone is really photogenic. You can't stop taking photos.
Lunch at Owakudani.
We enjoyed looking at amazing views at Owakudani.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5203.html
(*Owakudani area will be sometimes closed due to volcanic gases, so please check out the latest information when you visit this area.)
Yup. You really need your cameras or phones!
http://www.hakone-geomuseum.jp/english/
A photo with Mt. Fuji.
Say "Cheese!"
The black eggs are popular here, but... Oh no! It says "SOLD OUT."
Luckily, we found the other shop still selling the eggs.
Ta-da!
The shell is blackened by the sulfur. Let's peel it!
Hmm... it looks like a regular egg, but it is said that if you eat one, your life will be prolonged by 7 years. What if a 90-year man ate ten of them!? :P
After the egg party, we took a bus to Sounzan. On this day, the ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan was closed due to maintenance and it was supposed to restart the next day. However, we saw some people already on the ropeway. Was that a test run!?
Anyway, we came to Sounzan station and then got on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car. (10 min)
http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/
We came to Gora where we saw this cat.
Hey, kitty!
Cat: "Hey, foreigners. Oh? Are you Japanese? Why do you speak English?"
From Gora, we took Hakone Tozan Train. If you're interested in trains, this may be really interesting because the line has three switchbacks for going up steep sections. You'll see the motorman (train driver) and the conductor switch positions three times during the ride.
http://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/
Say "Cheese!"
We came back to Hakone-yumoto area.
They tried some steamed buns with sweet bean paste. I found someone's blog about Hakone's sweets.
http://createeathappy.blogspot.jp/2014/05/souvenirs-from-hakone.html
Wow! Now we're taking a very traditional Romance Car from 1980s!!
The train left Hakone-yumoto at 16:49. And this lucky family happened to see this beautiful sunset!
The traditional Romance Car brought us to Shinjuku station at 18:19.
It was such a fun family trip and I felt as if I were an aunt of the three girls. :)
*Please feel free to comment below with other experiences or information! Also, if you find any errors in content or grammar, please let me know.
