Day 8
The Hakone Loop, Part. 1: Getting There….
So I skipped something from yesterday’s entry, before we went to the totally excellent Himawari Sushi, we had to go to the Odakyu Sightseeing Center in their section of Shinjuku Station. Luckily this part was really straightforward. Find the big Odakyu building (not the HALC!) go in, and look for the counter marked “Sightseeing Service [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 2: Up the Mountain
So we got on the bus for Moto-Hakone, which would finally get us to where the real scenery was. The bus ride up was uneventful, mostly locals getting off fairly close to Hakone-Yumoto. By the time we reached Moto-Hakone, we were the only ones left!
The road up the mountain is pretty wild. Lots of hairpin [...]
The Hakone Loop: Part 3, Moto-Hakone and the Old Cedar Highway
We got off the bus at Moto-Hakone, and stopped to take in the beauty of Lake Ashi, and the majesty of Mt. Fuji in the distance. We’d spotted the tip of Fujisan here and there on the train to Hakone-Yumoto, but it was more visible over the Ashi valley now. Wow. A few of the [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 4: Lake Ashi
Once we got to the end of the old cedar highway, we had to walk the rest of the way to Hakone-Machi, and find the sightseeing boat docks. It was a bit of a walk, but not bad. We found ourselves going through an open air exhibit of some kind, that I think we were [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 5: The Ropeway and Cable Car
Having exited the shuttle bus at Owakudani, we were now in a totally different world. Surrounded by rocky landscapes and sulfurous smoke, we were in the volcanic area, ready to hop on the ropeway. Basically you’re riding in a little pod suspended by cables some 100’s of feet in the air. The Mrs. wasn’t too [...]
Odawara Castle
Just to the south of Odawara station is Odawara Castle, a reconstruction of an Edo-style castle. I’d say its about a 10-15 minute walk, depending on how tired you are, and given the size of the station. Admission is ¥400 for adults, which gets you a tour of the museum inside, and up to the [...]
