Chad and I flew from Hanoi back to Japan in mid-April and spent a few days in Tokyo, which I’ll discuss in a future post when we make our last trip to Tokyo for this leg for Chad’s birthday at the end of May. When planning the leg, we wanted to take some time between Tokyo and our long stay in Osaka to see a little more of Japan outside these major cities. One area that kept coming up was Hakone.

Hakone is located southwest of Tokyo and is in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The main attraction of the area is Lake Ashi and the mountains surrounding it. At some point, different modes of transportation were developed to travel between the various mountain towns. This evolved into the Hakone Loop, an experience of traveling around Hakone using five different modes of transportation: bus, boat, ropeway, cable car, and train. The mountains provide a beautiful setting and on clear days you can see Mount Fuji. 

Hakone is also known for its natural onsens (hot spring baths), which the Japanese love. Many people visiting Hakone take the opportunity to stay at a traditional Japanese inn called a ryokan, which usually has onsens onsite. However, these are expensive beyond our budget for this trip and as much as I love being in water, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the full onsen experience (most are segregated by gender and fully nude). We were most interested in seeing and walking in the beautiful nature and doing the five modes of transportation in a single day.

Staying at Jemsty Inn

Our two-night hotel stay in Hakone was a particularly interesting experience (review and link below). Although we didn’t stay in a ryokan, we really splurged to be able to stay within Hakone rather than the nearby city Odawara and commute in as had been my original intention. Even choosing the cheapest option I could find, booked about 8 months ahead of our stay, we paid about $200 per night for our basic accommodations. However, this is compared to more like $500 per night on up to thousands per night at the ryokans, so not a bad deal. 

The hotel, called Jemsty Inn, has four rooms, some Japanese style (with tatami mats on the floor) and some Western style, with real beds. We booked the Western style. While it sounds neat to do a traditional Japanese experience, I think our bodies are too old to not have a real bed. 

The hotel is run (and I think likely owned) by an older Japanese man who goes by MaC. He lived in the US for several years in the 1970s and traveled there regularly on business for decades working for a US company, so his English is very good. He was very friendly and helpful, though was also very opinionated and had definite ideas on how things should be done (similar to my Grandpa, Chad and I both thought). But he was interesting to talk to and full of tips for what to see in the area and navigating around. And he definitely made our experience memorable! 

Travel to Hakone 

Odawara Station, the main hub for Hakone, is on the Shinkansen line, but Odakyu Railways sells 2-day and 3-day transit passes for Hakone that includes roundtrip fare from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Even though we wouldn’t be returning to Tokyo, this was still a better deal than buying the pass (which is a must for doing the Hakone Loop) and train fare separately. In addition to the 6,300 yen ($45) for the 3-day pass with transit from Shinjuku, we also paid 1080 yen each for reserved seats on their Limited Express Romancecar, which is a faster train and guarantees a spot to sit for the scenic ride. We booked early enough to get seats on the right side of the train, which is the Mount Fuji side. The train was very comfortable and I enjoyed a little ekiben bento box that was sold next to the tracks as my breakfast on the ride. It was a clear day so we did get a view of Fuji.

The train actually goes all the way to Hakone-Yumoto Station, which is closer to Lake Ashi, but MaC recommended getting off at Odawara to be able to get seats on the only bus to Hakonemachi station across from the hotel. By the time the bus stopped at Hakone-Yumoto it was very crowded, so this was great advice. The busride worked out really well and we enjoyed our first views of the mountains around Hakone on the 75-minute ride. 

We needed to get to the hotel by 12 p.m. in order to drop off our backpacks before he closed for the afternoon until the 3 p.m. check-in time. We made it by 11:30 as planned by taking the 8:30 Limited Express train and catching the 10:15 bus from Odawara. 

Our big luggage was sent from our hotel in Tokyo directly to our next hotel in Atami using a luggage transfer service. This is very common in Japan because many trains don’t have a lot of space for luggage. We chose it because the buses we’d need to take to and from our Hakone hotel have virtually no space for big luggage. It cost about $30 to send our two suitcases and they were waiting for us in Atami as planned. Our Tokyo hotel helped us with the paperwork and took our payment by credit card using Yamote Transport, the largest of these companies. It was a good experience and I’d use Yamote again if we need to transfer luggage in Japan in the future.

Arrival, Hakone Shrine, and Mishima Skywalk

After dropping off my backpack and supplemental bags with MaC, we walked from our hotel about 20 minutes to Moto-Hakone, one of the main hub towns within Hakone, also on Lake Ashi. It was a lovely walk through an ancient forest that had been part of the Tokaido Route connecting Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period. 

We walked another 10 minutes through town to the Hakone Shrine and briefly checked that out (and said a prayer for world peace and less tariffs, as MaC suggested – that was very much in the news at the time). Then we picked up konbini food from Lawson’s to have a little picnic near the Lake Ashi waterfront. It was quite windy and a little chilly, but pretty pleasant in the sun.

When we dropped off our bags at the hotel, MaC suggested we take a bus to the Mishima Skywalk, which was a unique attraction that also had good views of Mt. Fuji on such a clear day. Since we were saving the Hakone Loop activities for the next day, that seemed like an interesting idea. We were able to get on the bus at the terminus in Moto-hakone and arrived at Mishima Skywalk about 45 minutes later. The Skywalk is the longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge in Japan and we did see more of Mt. Fuji. We spent under an hour there and then got in line for the hourly bus back. We had to wait about 30 minutes because the bus was quite late but it showed up eventually. We made it back to Moto-hakone early enough to get a local craft beer at a little place called Coffee and Sausage Restaurant then checked into our room and rested until the 6 p.m. dinner.

MaC’s detailed instructions ahead of our stay included a warning that not a lot of restaurants in the immediate area are open at night. His hotel had a dinner option that must be booked two days in advance. We decided to do that for our arrival day and figure something else out the next night when we were more familiar with the area. The dinner was a chicken hotpot with a little appetizer. He also offered a full bar for an additional price, so we got a highball and sake with dinner. The hotpot was pricey but tasty and a good opportunity for us to finally try one. It also included homemade udon noodles, which were very good. 

Onshi-Hakone Park

A simple breakfast (scrambled egg, white toast, ham, and salad) was included in the room rate, to be served only at 8 a.m. We were still on Vietnam time, so we were up early enough to take a nice morning walk before breakfast each day to Onshi-Hakone Park, about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. This ended up being one of our favorite parts of Hakone and was so peaceful each morning. 

The first morning was very foggy (in fact, MaC worried at breakfast that the 9 a.m. ship may be cancelled), which created a magical atmosphere in the park. 

The second morning was clear and also very pretty. We were even able to see Mount Fuji from the park. 

Our Loop Adventure

By the time of the first boat departure, the fog had cleared enough. The boat was made to look like a pirate ship for some reason, but was actually pretty neat. There was a little bit of a line to board. While waiting, I noticed an ad to upgrade our boat ride to first class for just 700 yen per person (about $5). First class was a special seating area in the front of the boat but it seemed like a fun idea for very little cost (the boat ticket itself was included in our Hakone Pass). We were the only ones in first class for the short ride from Hakone-machi to Moto-Hakone, where many more people got on the boat, including plenty in the first class section. But it was still fun and a great view for crossing Lake Ashi.

The pirate ship took us to Togendai, where we hopped on the ropeway (gondola car) to take us up the mountain to Owakudani. The station route from the boat to the ropeway was well marked, so we kept moving rather than spending any time in Togendai. There were long lines to get on the ropeway, but they moved people through pretty quickly and it was a scenic trip to Owakudani.

Owakudani is on a volcanic geothermal spring and is known for its black eggs that are hard boiled in the hot springs there. The legend says that eating a black egg from Owakudani will add 7 years to your life, so of course we had to try some. They are sold in the gift shop in packs of 4 for 500 yen. We bought a single 4-pack but decided to get out of Owakudani before eating them because it was windy, cold, and smelled very sulphuric. 

The next stage of the journey was another ropeway gondola up to Sōunzan Station in the town of Gora. This time we had a car all to ourselves. This was an advantage of doing the loop clockwise, as opposed to counter-clockwise as more people do who start in Gora, which has more hotels and restaurants than Hakone-machi and Moto-Hakone. We enjoyed the peace and the views a lot.

Sōunzan Station had a small cafe and terrace so we got a cappuccino for Chad and took time to each eat a black egg. Then we got on our third mode of transportation, the cable car to Gora Train Station. We actually got out two stops before Gora Station, at Koen-Kami Station, so we could visit Gora Park, which was quite pretty and free with the Hakone Free Pass. We enjoyed the grounds very much and ate our remaining black eggs. 

After the eggs, we weren’t super-hungry for lunch even though it was noon, so we decided to take the train from Gora station to the Hakone Open Air Museum. However, there was a long line for tickets and we decided we’d come back to the museum in the morning when there might be fewer people. Instead, we took a short bus ride to the Yunessun Onsen resort. I’d read about it in my research and knew it had a large mixed gender swimsuit area with themed pools that seemed kind of fun. We’d known it was a possibility we’d go there, so had our swimsuits with us in our backpack, as well as a couple of towels that MaC was kind enough to loan us (though the resort had towel rental). 

We spent about an hour trying the different onsen pools. Our favorites were the wine pool and the coffee pool. They also had a green tea pool, a sake pool, a rubber duck pool, and a lazy river we floated on for a bit. After that we were hungry so skipped their couple of outdoor pools. But we definitely had a fun time and got a little taste of the onsen experience.

Finding lunch at 2 p.m. was a bit of a challenge because restaurants either close for the day at that time or close between the lunch and dinner services, but the Gora Brewery had nonstop service so we took a bus there and had a very tasty light Japanese lunch with edamame, snow crab tempura, and salmon skin salad.

After lunch, we took the bus to Moto-Hakone to pick up snacks for later at the 7-Eleven and then walked through the forest path back to the hotel for a rest. We chatted a bit with MaC and he invited us to join him that night to drink some of his better sake. He said I’d made a mistake choosing to have it warm with dinner the night before! We decided it would be an interesting experience so accepted and he told us to join him about 8:30 p.m. 

We ended up finding dinner at a nearby Japanese restaurant that night and were able to try the tempura smelt that the area is known for. They were just so-so. We also had a very good soba noodle soup. And we tried shochu (Japanese liquor usually from sweet potato or barley) with hot water after seeing a couple of local gentlemen enjoying it. Our sake with MaC was interesting as expected and we enjoyed chatting with him about all sorts of topics. Conversations with locals definitely add a lot to our travel experiences.   

Hakone Open Air Museum

The next day, we went to the Open Air Museum as planned and it was a highlight of the whole trip. The museum is built into a really picturesque outdoor space on the mountainside and has dozens of interesting installations and sculptures. There’s also a building with a Picasso exhibit and a couple of smaller buildings with some other pieces. We had a great time walking around and taking too many photos. The fact that it was a really beautiful spring day made the museum all the more enjoyable.

We’d already checked out of our room before the museum and left part of our stuff in the lobby with MaC so his cleaner could turn over the room. We picked up some konbini food from the Lawson’s near the museum to have a quick picnic before our bus to Atami. The bus was just a little bit late, but it was a comfortable and picturesque ride through the hills. More on Atami in the next post.

Summary

There was a lot of hype around Hakone and I’m not sure it was quite worth all the hassle and expense it took to be there, but we really had a fun three days. It was very different from prior places we’d been to in Japan and although the nature wasn’t spectacular, it was quite pretty. We have no regrets about fitting Hakone into this trip, though it wouldn’t be a top recommendation we’d make to others and I don’t think we’ll go back. Despite it adding seven years to our lives!

Review of Jemsty Inn Hakone on Booking.com – A memorable stay – Liked · MaC, the proprietor, was so helpful before and during our stay. He gave us very clear instructions for arriving via bus from Odawara station and great advice for accessing the attractions around Hakone. He was also very friendly and interesting to talk with. Interacting with him was a highlight of our time in Hakone! The location is across the street from the Hakonemachi-ko bus terminal and a block away from Lake Ashi and the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise port, which allows you to board before the crowd of people get on at Motohakone. It is also just down the road from Onshi-Hakone Park, which is beautiful. We ate in the on-site restaurant the first night and really enjoyed the chicken hotpot. We were able to find a nearby restaurant the second night. The included breakfast was simple but provided a great start to the day. We had a Western-style room, which was a good size and comfortable. Disliked · We aren’t used to small establishments like this where everything happens at set times with limited flexibility (dinner only at 6 p.m., breakfast only at 8 a.m., limited hours for luggage storage). We were able to adapt and are still glad we chose Jemsty, but generally prefer more flexibility.