Japan Day 3 - 5 Feb 2016

Woke up at 7am and rushed for the hotspring for my morning wash up!  It was so nice waking up feeling cold but moments later enjoying the heat surrounded by nature and the rays of the morning sun!  Walking stark naked outdoors with the road just below was interesting, and soaking in the outdoor pool made all my tiredness melt away.

When I returned back to the room, breakfast was again spread over the table.  Much simpler than dinner, it was still great with the main attraction the grilled fish.  There was a hotspot of miso clam soup and side salad with ham.  Grated Japanese yam, yam balls, fish cakes, wasabi paste, sour plum, pickles and chawamushi completed the meal with steaming rice! 

After breakfast, it was full gears all ready to tackle the Hakone region.  The Hakone Tozan bus stop was just a few steps from the hotel, which made life really easy!  It was a winding road all the way to Hakone, and the view changed from bare branches and landscape into that of a snowy wonderland!  And all of a sudden, Mt Fuji came into full view with clear blue skies and snow capped all dressed and ready to please everyone!  The bus driver was kind enough to stop for a short while for us to take pictures of Japan's most famous icon.  This was wish number 1 completed (to see Mt Fuji in clear blue sky)!!

The Tozan bus stopped at Hakone bus interchange and it was a short transfer via bus 1 to nearby Cedar Avenue.  It was 2 rows of giant cedar trees planted over 400 years that provided the small path with cooling shade.  The smell of fresh air was evident, and even though the ground was slippery with ice and snow, it was still a pleasant walk with the sound of nature serenading all senses.

Bus interchange

towering cedar trees

Just at the end of Cedar Avenue was the famous Lake Ashinoko (aka Lake Ashi for short).  This is a well photographed lake due to its stunning picturesque view of the Mt Fuji backdrop and the Hakone (Red) Gate in sight.  It was a leisurely stroll along Ashi lake before arriving at the pier to board the pirate ship for a cruise on Ashi lake.

Lake Ashi, Mt Fuji and Haknoe Gate - My 3-in-1 great photo!!

As part of the Hakone Pass, the Pirate Ship was included.  It was a nice 40 minutes cruise in Lake Ashi, allowing the sights of the surrounding rolling hills and mountains.  The water was clear and still, and the winter wind was gently toasted warm by the mid-day sun. 

The ship docked at Togendai-ko station where it was a scenic cable car ride up to Ubako station.  Along the cable ride, Mt Fuji can be seen again (partially).  The landscape was that of winter bare, but hot steam could be seen gushing out from the sides of nearby volcanic mountains.  It was a beautiful sight, but was also a downside as well.

Due to the on going volcanic activities, part of the cable car ride was suspended and a substitute shuttle bus was in place to deliver passenger to Sounzan station for the cable way ride to Gora station.  The bus ride was a rather letdown as I experienced motion sickness due to the winding road and stuffy cabin.  So it was a pleasant relieve when it stopped at Sounzan station for the cable way ride.  There, the station was perched by the slope, affording a view of the mountain range.


The cable way ride was a ride that transverse along a slope with some elevation that allowed some views  From Gora, it was a 40 minutes slow train ride to Hakone-Yumoto station, a popular city centre stop of Hakone.

Hakone Yumoto is a small town with two rows of shops alongside its 2 way street.  This is a very popular spot for most tourist though, as it has several onsen hotels within nearby vicinity.  However, it seemed too commercial with loads of tourists and souvenir shops.

I had a simple tempura soba for lunch before exploring the many small shops along the street. The fried prawn that came was so huge it was longer than the width of my face!  The broth was that of the Japanese soy with hint of saltiness and rather flavourful.  Seems its tough to get it wrong when it comes to Japanese food (unless it was truly terrible)!

 Around 4.30pm, it was time to head back to Ootaki Hotel for some hotspring soaking before another round of fabulous in room dining.

Today's dinner was so much better than the day before, with lobster and snow crabs as the main highlight!  I shall let the photos do the taking this time.

After dinner, instead of sleeping, I went up to the hotel onsen again for a night soak.  This would also allow the hotel staff to make the beddings.  Night soaking was fun and you could even see the stars in the inky skies while enjoying the hot spring waters!  What a nice cold and hot contrast!  

After the soak, it was back to bed again for the night's rest.