Hakone and Mount Fuji

 

If you travel to Japan, of course it won't be complete if you haven't seen the famous Mount Fuji. Well, actually Mount Fuji can be seen from Tokyo, just climb the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Observatory on a clear day. But if we want to get closer, we have to get out of Tokyo.

The most correct way is hiking up Mount Fuji. But of course this cannot be done by everyone because it requires planning and bringing hiking equipment.

There are 2 ways that most people use to travel: to Hakone in the south of Mount Fuji or going to The Fuji Five Lakes (富士五湖, Fujigoko) in the north. Both offer close-up views of Mount Fuji and if you photograph Mount Fuji you can see it in full frame. If I finally decide to go to Hakone.

Fuji Five Lakes

Fuji Five Lakes is an area of ​​5 lakes at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, consisting of Lakes Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanakako, Shojiko and Motosuko. This place is popular as a starting base for those who want to hike. The easiest and busiest is Lake Kawaguchiko, there are many onsen and the Fuji-Q Highland theme park.

Lake Kawaguchiko

This lake is the most accessible and famous. If you take the Chuo Line train from Shinjuku (covered by JR Pass and Tokyo Wide Pass), you will arrive at Otsuki Station, then change to the Fujikyu line train to Kawaguchiko Station (free if you have a Tokyo Wide Pass).

From this station you can buy a retro-bus pass, unlimited 2 days touring this area by bus. There are 2 lines: Kawaguchiko Line and Saiko Line which surround Lake Saiko which can be ridden.

Don't miss taking the Kachi Kachi Ropeway cable car ride here.

Fuji-Q

Imagine a cool air theme-park with Mount Fuji as a backdrop:

The most efficient way to get to Fuji-Q is to take the Chuo Highway Bus from Shinjuku Station West Exit, about 100 minutes. Meanwhile, if you also use the train from Shinjuku: take the JR Chuo Main Line train (60 minutes by limited express, ¥2570, free if you have a Japan Rail Pass) to Otsuki Station. Transfer to Fujikyu Line train to Fuji-Q Highland (50 minutes, ¥1380).

Fuji-Q theme park tickets can be purchased online via the official ticket agent Voyagin, with a 7% discount. The ticket is in the form of an e-ticket, you can buy it directly without printing it, and the good thing is that it has an open date of 30 days from purchase.

Hakone

In the end I decided to choose Hakone which has a more classic feel. I stayed one night at a ryokan around Hakone.

People say that a trip to Mount Fuji via Hakone is more fulfilling because you can enjoy 5 modes of transportation: by train, cable car (train pulled using a cable), ropeway/gondola, cruise/boat, and bus.

This entire loop can be completed in 1 day as long as you reach Hakone around 9 o'clock.

How to get to Hakone

Even though taking the bus may seem cheap, we should just take the train. There are 2 types of trains that can be used from Shinjuku Station: Odakyu Romance Car and regular Odakyu trains. The difference is that the Romance Car has a sleeker design and has a panoramic roof, direct to Hakone-Yumoto 85 minutes, of course the price is more expensive.

If you use the regular Odakyu Line, from Shinjuku Station take the Odakyu (limited express) train to Odawara, then change trains to Hakone-Yumoto, total 115 minutes.

Pay attention to the trains to Odawara, there are Express (fastest) and there are Semi Express and Regular. If possible, take the Express to save more time.

Hakone Yumoto could be a base for residence because it is a small town with quite complete facilities.

Hakone Pass

To enjoy Hakone, it is recommended to buy a Hakone Free Pass starting from Shinjuku (¥5140) or one that only starts from Odawara (¥4000). With this 2 day pass, transportation around Hakone is covered (gondola, boat, cable-car, bus) including return trains from Shinjuku or Odawara. Buy this pass at the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center (Shinjuku) office or via Odakyu's ticket machine. For me, I bought it when I arrived at Odawara station, because I only needed a one-way Shinjuku-Odawara ticket so I bought a normal ticket for this route, whereas from Odawara-Hakone I just used the pass.

Meanwhile, Klook sells tickets that include Odakyu train tickets from Shinjuku via this link. Use the discount coupon code: NEWLEVELUP or LEVELUPKLK. The physical ticket must still be exchanged at the Odakyu office.

Don't worry about which route and train to take while in Hakone. If you are used to taking the train in Tokyo, taking the train in Hakone looks very simple.

Ryokan

To feel the atmosphere of Japan, I stayed overnight at a ryokan, a Japanese-style inn, in Hakone. Ryokan rates in Hakone are as cheap as ¥20,000 a night for a 6 tatami room, two with Kaiseki style half-board meal (dinner+breakfast). Don't think it's expensive, because the price for a kaiseki-style dinner at a restaurant is around ¥2000-3000 per person.

I booked Kisyunso Ryokan. This ryokan is located not far from Ohiradai train station, 10 minutes by train from Yumoto. The location of the ryokan is a bit difficult to find, even for those who have a map. Please contact me if you want directions.

The advantage of this ryokan is that it has a private onsen, aka hot spring bath. So we can use this pool alone without having to worry about sharing the naked view with other people. Even though it's private, you still have to follow the procedures for soaking in an onsen.

Since we arrived around 11am, we just left our bags and got ready to explore Hakone.

Hakone Tozan Train

The first transportation we used from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto was the Hakone Tozan train network. This red train has very frequent intervals so you don't need to look at the schedule, just wait on the right platform.

Until Hakone-Yumoto changed to a smaller train but had the ability to climb towards Gora. At several points this train will make a switch-back, aka change the direction of the train without turning its head.

Arrive at Gora station, exit the train station, then take the Hakone Tozan Cable Car. You don't need to be confused about finding directions because almost everyone who travels to Hakone takes the same route. The Cable Car looks like an ordinary train carriage, running on rails, the difference is that because of the extreme incline, this train is pulled by a rope uphill, up to Sounzan station.

Gondola

Continue with the Hakone Ropeway or gondola. The size is quite large compared to the Gondola in Ngong Ping HK, it can accommodate 10 people sitting. So, this time you need to choose a strategic place because from this Gondola we can see Mount Fuji.

Get off at Owakudani station, this is a resting place and sells typical Owakudani souvenirs: Black Eggs (Kuro-tamago). Eggs boiled in hot water are full of sulfur content which is often found in Owakudani.

Here is also our opportunity to rest, eat, or just take photos with Mount Fuji in the background.

Lake Ashi Cruise

Continue with the Gondola again from Owakudani to Togendai, usually the number of tourists decreases drastically on this route. Yes, it seems like people only play until Owakudani (because it is the base for tourist buses).

In Togendai we will take a cruise on Lake Ashi. This lake has calm water and is quite scenic. The ship used is also very cool, pirate-style. The ship has indoor chairs with heating, and there is also an outdoor one for taking photos. Unfortunately, because it's December, you have to put in extra effort to withstand the cold wind.

The boat trip is about 30 minutes, and all passengers get off at Hakone-machi.

Because it was getting dark, I had to go home. Actually, if it's still light, you can continue walking directly to Hakone Shrine, which I will visit the next day.

The last leg from here is taken by bus. The name of the bus is Hakone Tozan Bus. There are several routes, but generally people will take the one that goes back towards Hakone-Yumoto. Well, this part is a bit unpleasant; The roads wind up and down the mountains, be prepared for those who are not strong enough to get dizzy and drunk.

Dinner and onsen

Returning to Kisyunso Ryokan, we went straight to our room and changed into kimono clothes to get ready for dinner. An old woman who prepared everything, then brought our food into the room.

After eating, go straight to the outdoor onsen behind the building. So good and relaxing!

Hakone Jinja Shrine

One place I didn't have time to visit, so I visited Hakone-jinja Shrine the next morning. Just take the bus from Hakone-Yumoto towards Hakone-machi, still using the Hakone Pass so no need to pay.

What's going on here? Let the photos do the talking

Next trip

Unfortunately, I only spent a day and a half in Hakone, so not everyone was visited. For example, Gotemba Premium Outlet, Gora Park, and Hakone Open Air Museum are not included in the itinerary. So if you want to be satisfied, you should spare 2 nights and 3 days.

From Hakone, I returned to Odawara. From Odawara I took the Shinkansen to Kyoto.