By admin Hakone is a sprawling mountain town outside of Tokyo. It is known for its hot springs and onsens (essentially, Japanese spas), and also features views of Mt. Fuji if you’re in the right place at the right time, when the skies are clear.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was an epic journey to get to Hakone from Miyajima Island. I almost considered cutting Hakone out of my original itinerary, but Lauren really wanted to visit and it did seem like a very nice, relaxing end to our trip. Plus, we’d have to travel over six hours to get to Tokyo from Miyajima anyway, so I figured we may as well chill out in Hakone first, and then have a shorter trip to Narita to catch our flights to New York (Lauren) and Singapore (me).
Getting to Hakone
We weren’t upset when we woke to cold, gloomy weather on the day we’d be making the long trek to Hakone. Our route had us taking the ferry to Hiroshima, then a local train, two bullet trains and a bus. All in all, it would take just over six hours. With all the connections required, we decided to finally take advantage of Japan’s convenient luggage concierge services, and arranged to have our luggage shipped from Miyajima to Hakone. We would still need to carry an overnight bag with us, as our bags wouldn’t arrive in Hakone until the following afternoon. However, we rejoiced at handing over our gargantuan checked luggage in Miyajima. For less than $20/bag, the luggage would be transferred room-to-room, and we wouldn’t need to haul it around with us from ferry to train to train to train to bus.
As we checked out of Kurayado Iraho, the manager presented us with some hand warmer packets to help keep us warm during our travels. “It is very cold in Hakone,” she said. Great, because my leather jacket was still the warmest thing that I had. Then they offered to drive us to the ferry terminal so we wouldn’t need to walk in the rain. It was only a ten minute walk (maybe even less), but I didn’t feel like starting the long day by getting soaked so I was all for it. Japanese hospitality for the win.
The beginning of the trip was uneventful. We were on the second Shinkansen en route to Tokyo, with one more stop to go when we ran into a wrinkle. The conductor walked down the aisle of the train, asking everyone for their tickets. We dutifully handed him our JR passes.
“These don’t work on this train,” he told us. What? It was a bullet train. Why wouldn’t they work? He opened up the pass and pointed to a couple lines of fine print. Apparently, Japan had a couple of private Shinkansen lines that weren’t part of Japan Rail, and thus weren’t included in the JR pass.
“We only have one more stop. Can we just pay for our ticket?” we asked him. He didn’t speak much English, but we interpreted that paying for the ticket at our destination didn’t seem to be an option. Then he walked away. Maybe we could get away with just staying on the train? We did only have one extra stop after all, although it was nearly an hour between the two final stops.
Then the conductor came back with a piece of paper, printed with the number of the platform where we’d need to go to catch the train that was included with our JR pass. As the train pulled up to our second-to-last stop, he watched us to ensure we gathered our things and got off the train. F**k. No way we were going to get away with staying on the train.
It turned out that a solo female traveler from the UK was sitting on our car and was also in the same metaphorical boat, so we all huddled on the platform and strategized our next move. Google Maps was telling us something else than what the conductor had instructed us to do, and it wasn’t clear that the train he had told us to take was going to get us to Hakone. It was also pretty confusing to determine which train lines on Google Maps were covered by our JR passes and which were not. After some deliberation, we decided to play dumb and get back on the next train on the same line where we had just been kicked off. If they called us out again, we’d pretend we still didn’t know that we couldn’t ride that line with JR passes, and we’d gladly be escorted off at our final stop. This was one of many times of the trip that I was happy to not be traveling solo, as it was much easier to make the decision to knowingly break the rules when I had two accomplices with me.
We waited for the train on the cold platform (I was very thankful to have my hand warmer packet) and exchanged stories about other mishaps we’d experienced while traveling in Japan. The British girl was a bit quirky and anxious, and I marveled at how she’d been able to get around all on her own for the past two weeks. She told us a hysterical story about testing out a Japanese bidet for the first time (she called it the “bum cleaner,” which I found even more hilarious). She had pressed the button, then decided to look into the toilet bowl, at which point she was shot in the face with a stream of water. Gross, but so, so funny.
The next train arrived and we shuffled on with the other passengers, acting like everything was cool. And… we made it to the next stop without any issues! Phew.
Finally, we needed to figure out how to find our bus. Google Maps typically displayed train and bus names in English alongside Japanese, but this was the first and only time that I was just seeing Japanese characters for the bus. We tried to match the characters in the app to what we were seeing listed overhead. We saw one that seemed to match and headed in that direction, but that turned out to be a different train (the “Romance Car” of all things). We showed a train worker our route and she pointed us in the right direction. Once we found the buses, we then asked the one bus driver parked which bus we should be taking. After a minute or so interpreting our map, he pointed us to a nearby stop. “Arigato gozaimasu!” we told him.
We spent about ten minutes waiting in the cold for our bus to arrive. For the record, the bus ride was over 30 minutes and would take about just as many stops to reach our hotel, the Hyatt Regency. We probably could’ve taken a taxi, but it wouldn’t have saved us much time, and would’ve cost a lot more, so we decided to suck it up and do the bus. It finally arrived and we grabbed seats, watching as fellow travelers boarded repeatedly to ask the bus driver if they were on the right bus (most of the time they were not). At least we weren’t the only ones confused by the Hakone bus system.
Then we started the winding route through the mountains to our stop. I was pretty impressed that these buses were able to make their way through the hilly, windy terrain without issues, and I tried not to think about the possibility of an accident. At least we were on the home stretch.
Fortunately, we didn’t need to stop at every single stop on the route, but it still took us over 30 minutes to reach our destination. Then, we had a quick walk (less than ten minutes) to the Hyatt. It was still raining, and very cold (just above freezing), but at least we didn’t have our large bags, and the walk was downhill. I was nearly running with my phone in hand, navigating the path until I finally spotted the sign for the Hyatt. YES!
Night in at the Hyatt
I had selected the Hyatt Regency because it was highly rated, and although it wasn’t close to the train station, it was close to the main attractions in Hakone. It also offered a number of convenient amenities, including its own onsen, two on-site restaurants and (most exciting) complimentary free-flow champagne, wine and beer daily from 4-7pm. All day it had been our goal to arrive in time for a glass of champagne. After the long, cold and stressful day, we felt that we had earned it.
After checking in, dropping our stuff off in our well-appointed room and freshening up, we beelined for the elevator to the ground floor, where the living room area was buzzing with others who had the same idea that we had. “What time is it?” I wondered as we stood waiting for the elevator. 5:45pm. “Enough time for two glasses of champagne!” Lauren and I both said gleefully in unison. Oh yes, great minds think alike.
The living room was packed, but also very large, featuring high ceilings and a cozy fireplace. Of course, all the seats by the fire were taken, but we nabbed two seats close by and told the server that we wanted to move as soon as something opened up by the fire. In the meantime, let the free-flowing champagne begin.
We did eventually get to move to the fire, where we started to chat with a retired couple sitting next to us. They were from Long Beach, California and did quite a bit of traveling in all their spare time, and we talked a bit about some of their trips, as well as our experiences in Japan. The still had just started their trip in Japan, but had already been in Hakone for two days, so they also gave us some tips about what they had already done. As they got up to leave, they handed us the transportation passes they had purchased to cover all transport in Hakone for three days (ropeway, pirate ship, buses, trains). Since they were leaving the next day, they didn’t need them anymore, so they happily gifted the passes to us. Amazing.
There really did not seem to be much to do in Hakone at night, especially not by our hotel. And there was no way we were venturing out again in the dreary weather after our day of travel. So, we planned to have dinner at the western restaurant at the hotel on our first night, and then at the Japanese restaurant for our final night. Might as well go out with a bang.
Dinner was just the comforting meal that I needed: salad, French Onion soup and red wine. The food at the Hyatt was expensive, but it was all very good, and we were paying for convenience. While we waited for our food to arrive, I called the spa to try to make appointments for the next day. We were very excited to end our trip with a relaxing massage. “We have one opening left for tomorrow: 3:30pm for 30 minutes.” Damn it, that wasn’t going to work. Disappointed, we drowned our sorrows in red wine, which we finished in our room with the various chocolates we had collected from turn-down services during all of our recent hotel stays.
Day in Hakone: Ropeway, Pirate Ship, Open Air Museum
At first we weren’t sure if there was much to do in Hakone besides the various onsens. Between our online research, chats with fellow travelers in Japan and discussion with the Hyatt staff, we came up with a game plan for our only full day: we’d take the free shuttle to the ropeway, take the ropeway to the pirate ship (where we’d hopefully be treated to views of Mt. Fuji), take the pirate shop across the lake to a bus stop, take the bus to a train to the Open Air Museum, then take the train one more stop to the station where the Hyatt would once again pick us up. It may sound like a lot, but it is actually a well-coordinated route that many people take when visiting Hakone, and we estimated that we’d be able to complete the circuit in about five hours.
We started our day with a wonderful buffet breakfast at the Hyatt. One thing that we had discovered at the St. Regis buffet that the Hyatt also offered: delicious, fresh salads. The salad bars gave an option of several types of greens that you could top with shaved radishes, julienned peppers and/or cherry tomatoes. And the most amazing sesame dressing! I typically don’t eat salads for breakfast, but it became a staple for me in Japan. No wonder these people were so thin. Of course, I was also including an omelet, fruit, yogurt and toast with my breakfasts, so don’t get the idea that I was on any kind of diet for this trip.
Well-fed and caffeinated, we started on our day exploring Hakone. The weather had improved considerably; it was still a bit chilly, but the rain had stopped, and the sun was coming out periodically. I optimistically hoped that Mt. Fuji would make an appearance for us.
The Hyatt shuttle was quick and easy (we were the only people on it), dropping us off right at the entrance for the ropeway. We flashed our gifted all-inclusive travel passes, got in the short line and were in our car within a few minutes.
The ropeway made a couple stops en route to the pirate ship, and we got off at the first one to get a better view of Mt. Fuji.
This stop also included views of the volcanic Owakudani valley, known for its sulfuric stench and the delicacy of black eggs that are hard-boiled in the hot springs. Eating one of the black eggs is said to add seven years to your life, but we decided to pass.
We skipped the next stop and were at the pirate ship port about fifteen minutes later. You might be wondering, why do they have pirate ships in Hakone? Sorry, but I can’t tell you. I could find no information on the relevance of the pirate ships, so I’m guessing that they are just meant to be a cool-looking tourist attraction.
It was nice to be on the water, but cold, so after snapping some pictures and admiring the views, we ventured inside to be warm. Once again, I found myself thinking about how much more enjoyable this experience would be if the weather were better.
The pirate ship made two stops before returning to the ropeway, and we got off at the second one. This was where we’d catch the bus to the Open Air Museum. The bus stop was right next to the pirate ship landing, so it was a nice and easy transfer. We did have to take a quick train to get to the museum, but it was just one stop and very simple. I will say that having the Hakone Pass to cover all of our transportation made the day especially easy. We never had to think about buying tickets for the ropeway, the pirate ship, the bus or the train, which obviously would have all been separate tickets, and would’ve required additional time.
I had heard good things about the Open Air Museum, and was curious to see exactly what it offered. Well, it was the highlight of our visit to Hakone. If you find yourself in the area, you absolutely must visit the Open Air Museum! The museum features about 100 modern art installations (including some by Miro, Rodin, and Henry Moore) spread out across beautiful, well-maintained grounds. Some of the art is experiential, and some is just cool to see. There is also a small Picasso exhibit that shows a collection of his paintings and sculptures, and offers a good opportunity to learn more about his life.
We spent nearly two hours wandering the grounds, and were then ready to return to the Hyatt. Since we weren’t able to get into the spa, our plan for the afternoon and night was to simply relax, enjoy more complimentary champagne and eat dinner at the Japanese restaurant.
It was a nice final evening, albeit not the most exciting, as we were in wind-down mode. The sushi was quite good (I ordered the chef’s choice, which included five pieces of sushi and a roll). Lauren, who had snacked on a burger earlier (creature comforts), wasn’t very hungry, so she just ordered a couple items a la carte and then watched me eat. We also discovered that we liked a Japanese red wine, although I couldn’t figure out whether it was distributed to the States or not. Once again, we finished the wine up in our room and called it a night.
The next morning, we woke to a steady snowfall outside. Seriously? It was mid-April! Well, good thing we were leaving. Even though the weather hadn’t been amazing the previous day, it had at least been dry, so were thankful that we had been able to get out and see Hakone on the one day that we had in the area. One last buffet breakfast (complete with breakfast salads) and our trip was over. Now we just had to to navigate to the airport (which was not without some issues, but we made it in plenty of time) and get on our separate flights.
A Few Final Words
I feel like I need to wrap up the trip here in some way, so I’ll summarize my takeaways here:
-Japan was a fascinating place to visit. It felt very different from the western world, and it was a great place to experience culture shock while in a safe and friendly environment.
-I really appreciated the culture. Everything was orderly and precise, everywhere was clean, and everyone was polite with a strong attention to detail.
-Over time, I did find the emphasis on rules to have both pros and cons. While it was nice to know what to expect, it did become frustrating when there was no room for improvisation (especially when logistics were involved, and some flexibility would have been useful)
-I also appreciated the rich traditions of the country. It was neat to visit the shrines and temples, learn about the geisha culture, eat the traditional food and of course, experience the sakura season.
-Although the food didn’t always jive with my western palette, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the time and energy that the people put into sourcing fresh ingredients, carefully preparing food and creating beautifully presented dishes.
-The people weren’t always the warmest at first, but a lot of them would gradually open up with time, and it did seem to be genuine. While I think that people were generally being polite out of duty initially, I felt that the people that we did connect with on a deeper level were being genuinely friendly and thoughtful.
-Overall, I loved Japan and I hope to return in the not so distant future. I’d like to spend a lot more time in Tokyo (I didn’t get to experience as much of their nightlife or dining scene as I would have liked), and ideally I’d be able to experience the calm and beauty in a different part of the countryside as well. The fall looks like a particularly stunning time to visit, with all the foliage and changing colors. I’ll see what I can make happen!
