Experience Japan - Hakone - Best Place To See Mt Fuji

Hakone is famous with the hot springs and its beautiful view of Mt Fuji. To gain a close sight at my beloved Mt Fuji, I decided to take a detour to Hakone as the first train journey from Tokyo. It's about 35 minutes journey from Tokyo Station (Most of the time, Shinkansen departs from Tokyo Station) to reach Odawara.

It's our second day in Japan. We started our JR Pass to make use of the Japan railway system. I am getting very excited because this is my first time taking the Japan most advanced train –Shinkansen. Shinkansen can speed up to a maximum of 320km/h (200m/h)! You will be drawn to it when you get closer!

Ms Z’s Ekiben

We dropped off at Odawara Station. From there, we bought Hakone 1-Day Free Pass at the self service vending machine. (If you are not familiar with the machine, you can try to get help from Mr. Station). There are many different kinds of Hakone Free Pass for you to choose. (Tip: You should buy the Hakone Free Pass because eventually separate tickets added up will be more than the free pass).

There are many options you can take to reach Owakudani (The Sulfurus Valley, unfortunately it is closed right now due to the recent volcanic eruption activity). 

From Odawara, you can either choose to take Odakyu Railways (which departs from Shinjuku, it is slower compared to Shinkansen) to Hakone-Yumoto and start your journey. Another option is by Hazone Tozan Bus. The last option we took was by taking Hakone Tozan Railways.

Fyi, Hakone sight-seeing transportation is built to travel around the Mount Hakone, so you don’t have to worry about missing any spectacular views!

A day trip to Hakone requires early planning as you might have to choose which destinations to visit. We went for the full journey except the museums as we had an appointment at Hakone Yuryo Hot Springs at 3pm. 
You can learn how to make a booking at HakoneYuryo Hot Springs through their website.

After reaching Gora, we took the Hakone Ropeway ride to Owakudani. Along the ropeway ride, we managed to set our first sight on full Mt Fuji view. I was stunned by the size of Mt Fuji as I've never been so near to Mt Fuji before. Owakudani is the platform station where there are ramen shops, souvenir shops and some basic facilities. There is another extension for you to take closer look at the volcanic area as well.

We had our lunch at Hakone Spicy Ramen shop. You have to purchase the ticket in front of the shop to order a food.

Enjoying my black squid ink spicy pork ramen!

The most famous food in Owakudani is the black eggs. What are black eggs? Black eggs are eggs boiled through hot springs water. According to Japanese myth, consuming a black egg can prolong your life for another 10 years! We tried it and it tasted really delicious compared to the normal onsen egg.

Moving further, we took the Hakone Ropeway down to another side of the Owakudani Valley, we stopped at Togendai. It is the mini jetty to cross Lake Ashi. There are two routes for you to choose, one is to Hakone-Machi where you can take your return ride back to Hakone-Yumoto. Alternatively, you can choose another route which is to Moto-Hakone where you will find Hakone Shrine over there. 

Cruising over Lake Ashi from Togendai to Hakone-Machi is one of the best experiences in Hakone, you can enjoy the beautiful surrounding of Lake Ashi and the stunning view of Mt Fuji at the same time.

Right after we reached Hakone-Machi, we hopped on Hakone Tozan bus and begin our journey back to Hakone-Yumoto station. We were trapped in a heavy congestion and almost late for our spa appointment at the onsen resort.

Right at that moment, mr許 estimated that we were not far from the resort. So, we decided to drop off and walk directly to the resort. Miraculously, we reached Hakone Yuryo Resort on time! We were given 2 sets of bath robe and clean towels to start of our first hot spring experience.

We spent quality time and enjoyed so much at the hot spring. After spending 2 hours in the resort, we went back to Hakone-Yumoto station. We took Hakone Tozan Railway back to Odawara and took Shinkansen back to Tokyo.