0:00 Japan Adventure Series: Part Thirty-six—Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
0:15 Boarding the Royal II “pirate ship”
0:30 Crossing Lake Ashi
0:40 Togendai to Hakonemachi
1:22 Ships modeled after famous historic vessels
1:46 Beloved part of the Hakone Round Course Loop
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With the wind in our hair and the feeling of adventure in our hearts we cross lake Ashi aboard the Royal II. One of three Hakone Sightseeing pirate ships.
The “Hakone Sightseeing Cruises,” travel between the port of Togendai, on the north end of Lake Ashi, and the ports of Hakonemachi and Moto-Hakone on the southern end of the lake.
On clear days, you can see Mt. Fuji from the ports on the south side of the lake – which is part of the reason why the one-hour round trip journey is called a sightseeing cruise.
Even on cloudy days, the sights from the ships (which are motor-powered, despite their sails) are well worth seeing–especially during foliage season.
Some of the ships are modeled on famous historical vessels: the Royal II…which we were privileged to experience, is a scale model of the 18th century French gunship Royal Louis (which served as the flagship of the French navy at that time).
The ships have sailed the lake over a dozen times a day for several decades, and have become a beloved part of the “Hakone Sightseeing Loop,” which also involves a ride on one of Japan’s oldest electric trains, a cable car, and a ropeway (gondola) over the mouth of a live volcano at Owakudani.
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