Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo – Best Mt Fuji Views, Cable Cars, Onsen Baths & Sakura! 🇯🇵

Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo – Best Mt Fuji Views, Cable Cars, Onsen Baths & Sakura! 🇯🇵

Welcome to Hakona. [Music] Hi guys, welcome to the Lens Cap Chronicles. My name’s Amanda and welcome to the beautiful country of Japan. I’ve just spent 5 days in the crazy, chaotic Tokyo, which was absolutely so much fun and I got up to so many activities. I’ve created an epic 5-day itinerary that I’ll put up here in a link for you. But for the next few days, we are in the tiny lakeside village town of Hakone, which is so beautiful. And I am looking out the window constantly because Mount Fuji is right there. Hakon is a gorgeous little town on the shores of Lake Ashi that deserves to be visited in its own right. It’s quite popular with tourists because it’s reasonably close to Tokyo, but at the same time, it’s not overrun with tourists in any sense. The appeal is that it is so much quieter than Tokyo and it’s a lot more rural and rustic. If you’re like me, then you’ll be wondering how you can make a trip to see the iconic active volcano of Mount Fuji during your trip. And I’m here to show you that even if you’re in limited time and you want to take a day trip from Tokyo that you can do that. The town of Hakone lies west of Tokyo about a 1-hour trip and you can do that either by the bullet train the fast crazy Shinkansen bullet train or via the Odaku romance car. If you do have a little bit of extra time then I’d highly recommend staying longer in Hakon. I’m here for two nights in a royoken, which is a traditional Japanese inn that generally provides halfboard and is usually located in a hotring town, which Hakone is. For those of you who are staying overnight, it’s worth considering the Hakone free pass, which can be downloaded as a digital card from their website. It includes a reserved seat on the romance car departing from Tokyo. In this video, we’ll be traveling around Hakone, seeing some of the natural sites, the viewpoints of Mount Fuji, what you can expect on a day trip here, and it’s my hope that this video will encourage you to take a day trip to Hakoneia or to stay here for a couple of nights because it is stunning. It’s all about just relaxing, taking in the fresh air, and having a very hot bath. One of the must dos when visiting Hakona is the ropeway or cable car up to Mount Hakona, which promises epic views of Mount Fuji. Let’s go check it out. [Applause] 2,000 yen for a ticket. Yeah. [Applause] Well, it’s a tad windy, but the views from up here on the top of Mount Hakona, overlooking Lake Ashie and the village below are simply stunning. It’s quite chilly, about 8° on top of the mountain. There’s a shrine up here, but this is the best place to come for pictures of Mount Fuji. Visitors can follow a simple track with some steps leading up to the shrine on top of Mount Hakone and then circle back down again to the views, magnificent views of Lake Ashi. [Music] [Applause] It’s quite still up here. The only sound I can hear is the wind rustling through the bushes and the sound of my feet on the stones. But other than that, it’s so quiet. The truck leading to the shrine stops off at various viewpoints. So, there’s incredible places and vantage points to see along the way. No wonder it’s chilly up here. We are 1,356 m above sea level. [Music] Double cut. [Music] Well, it is definitely worth holding out for a clear day when visiting Fujian. The views are absolutely incredible. Mount Fuji is an active volcano and it is the highest peak in Japan at 3,776 m tall. It lies roughly 100 km from Tokyo and it last erupted 300 years ago. If it does erupt again, which it can, it is said that it will decimate Tokyo. That is how farreaching the devastation would be. Mount Fiji is one of three sacred mountains in Japan and a popular site for pilgrimage, but it’s only open a couple of months a year for climbing. At the top of Mount Hakone is this popular touristic photograph site. Be sure to get your photo up there if you do come here and to check out these incredible views. [Music] Many of the hotels in this region will have complimentary shuttle buses that will take you to the main town in Hakona. There are actually a few villages dotted around the lake, but the main one where the boats leave from is Moto Hakone. The hotel I’m staying at in Ryen has a shuttle to Moto Hakone and that is where we are headed now. Visitors to Moto Kon can enjoy a peaceful walk along the foreshore overlooking Lake Ashi, which is sparkling today in the sun. And there’s a variety of boat options that you can try paddle boats. Most of them shaped as large colorful birds, which would be a very interesting and fun activity on the lake. However, my first port of call is to head to the Hakona Shrine because the red Tory gates here that lead to the shrine is one of the most popular tourist attractions and occasionally can carry up to a 2-hour wait to get your photograph with it. Nope, not those ones. The ones I’m going to show you are amazing. [Music] Well, the good news is it does not look like a 2hour wait today and I’m here at midday. [Music] While the temple shrine buildings are hidden in the dancers behind me, these red Tory gates stand proudly on the shores of Lake Asheneo. After 52 minutes, it was my turn at the red Tory gates. And now to visit the shrine itself. Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] These leisure ships can take guests along the Ashoka Lake. However, we are going to catch a pirate ship. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. First class, baby. [Music] We are aboard the illustrious pirate ship Victory and we’ll be going on a 25-minute ride up the gorgeous Lake Ashie right to the off to the northern tip and we’ll get off at Togandai station to catch yet another roadway for some more incredible views of Mount Fuji. Passengers can buy a oneway ticket or a return ticket up Lake Ashie. And just be careful because the last returning boat leaves at 4:25 p.m. [Music] We’ve made it to a Wakuani where there is a distinct suluric smell in the air. Rotten egg gas. And that is the sulfur created by these volcanic steam vents that we can see in front of us here. This region is famous for its black eggs. So if you do make it here, tradition is that you have to try a black egg. It’s black because it’s cooked in these steam vents in the bubbling sulfur. And it’s said to give you an extra 5 to seven years of life expectancy. I could do with that. Let’s go try it out. They come in this very cute Fuji sand bag. And they’re served hot. So, four eggs for 500 yen. I was getting hungry. It’s around lunchtime. Here we go. Black egg. Doesn’t actually smell. Wait till I open it. [Music] Oh gosh darn it. They’re white inside. Is the Japanese way of saying let’s eat. It actually means I’m ready to receive my food, which I definitely am. Let’s give this a try. Basically, just a boiled egg with a black shell. The yolk is very yellow, very creamy. So, very delicious boiled egg, but effectively that is what it is. The black does not change the flavor at all. And just had a thought. Is the time extension on life seven years per egg? Is this cumulative? Am I going to be eating four eggs and living another 28 years? Because that could be an issue. In any case, I’m doing two. We’ve got 14 extra years, I hope, of life. Bottoms up. [Music] [Applause] The next station after Awakadani is Sumzan. And here guests can enjoy incredible views across the valley and across the beautiful mountainous region. There’s also another surprise waiting up here for guests and that is a hot foot spa. It’s very hot, so make sure if you remember to bring a towel to wipe your feet off, but if not, they’ll dry pretty quickly. It’s incredibly soothing and one way to allow your feet at least to enjoy the healing properties of the water in this region. Well, my feet feel silky smooth, very soft, and I’m ready to continue my journey. The ropeway continues further down to Gora where guests can enjoy the Hakona Open Air Museum which showcases dynamic art installations that change throughout the course of the year. The Hakona Outdoor Museum allows visitors to experience the seasons, life, and art in nature. The spacious grounds have indoor and outdoor installations, sculptures, and paintings. [Music] Cheers to an amazing day, Hakona. [Music] Well, it would be remiss and probably downright sacriiggious not to visit an onen when in Hakon. And an onen is a traditional Japanese thermal bath with healing properties. You can heal your aches and pains in all your joints and come out with squeaky clean feet. Fortunately, the hotel I’m staying at, the Riokoken, has an outdoor onsen with views of Mount Fuji. And even better, it’s available to day trippers, which is very unusual. There are many onen in the region who do not offer day trip passes. You have to stay in the hotel. Bathing in an onen does come with some rules and etiquette, which I’ll explain in my next video. But yes, these are the famous naked public baths of Japan. So unless you pay additional for a private onson, you’ll need to be prepared to bear it all with the other bathing patrons if you wish to enjoy this relaxing experience. As well as the places I’ve shown you on the video today, there are also other incredible places to see in the region if you have the time. They’re a little bit less accessible, so that’s why I haven’t included them in my trip. One of these places is the Hakonei checkpoint. Now, this dates back to the Edo period where travelers were checked at this place. The site now is a museum and cost 500 yen for entry. It’ll explain why passengers were checked and who checked them, what their lives were like. There’s also the Hakonea Glass Museum, which is exquisite both inside and out. And you’ll see bushes made of glass shimmering in the light when the sun catches them. Also in the region is the incredible Amaz. This is famous for its sweet fermented rice drink called amazake, which has no sugar, is alcoholic free, and has been served since the period. It’s especially refreshing in the summer where it’s served chilled and in the winter it’s served hot. Remarkably, it’s been run by this same family for 13 generations. Another very special thing to keep an eye out for in Hakuna Al Sakura, the beautiful Japanese cherry blossoms. The Sakura only lasts for 2 weeks. They only bloom for two weeks. So, you really have to be present at the right time to catch them. But in Hakon, due to the various environmental conditions, they actually last a lot longer. So I’m here at the end of April, beginning of May, and they’re still in bloom. I’m sitting here on the banks of Lake Ashi before heading back to Maroken. Considering some final thoughts for you all as a day tripper to Hakone and what would be some of my top tips for the day? Definitely wear comfortable walking shoes because you will do a lot of walking today. And dress in layers. Some parts of the day will be extremely cold, especially up on the mountains, and you will want a nice warm jacket, yet down on the ground level and on some of the ships and boats. It’s reasonably warm. Secondly, the views of Mount Fuji are incredible. So, this is a great way to see Mount Fuji on a day trip from Tokyo. When you get to the ropeway, the ropeway from Togandai, there will be a lot of people. And if you can position yourself in the cable car to the back left corner as you enter, you’ll have prime views of Mount Fuji. For all of you photograph and videography enthusiasts, today was really a day spent in lines. There were so many lines to everything. They generally did move quite quickly, however, except for the line at the Tory gates of the Hakona shrine. That was 52 minutes spent in line. Was it worth it? I’m not sure. I got a picture. So, if you are in limited time, you may want to skip that photo opportunity and spend it elsewhere. Particularly if you plan to do the ropeway all the way to Gora. That will take you some time. It’s roughly 10 minutes between each station. So just try and consider your departure times. And also for me getting back on the pirate ship, the last return boat was at 4:25. So I needed to be back from the ropeway at Togandai station at 4:25 to get the ship. It is best to start the day early if you can. Ideally, pre-plan your tickets so that you have them purchased ahead of time. Well, thanks for joining me in this incredibly fun tour of Hakone. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and please add it to your bucket list when visiting Japan. I’ll catch you in the next adventure. Bye for now. [Music] [Applause] [Music]

In this adventure we discover the magical lakeside town of Hakone, hidden in the forest yet brimming with activities and serene nature. This town is one of Japan’s gems and is a nature lover’s paradise.

Nestled on the doorstep of Lake Ashinoko (or Lake Ashi as it is fondly known), visitors can day-trip from Tokyo to this delightful town, or stay a few nights, to soak in even more of the fresh air, mountain-top views and mesmerising Mount Fuji backdrop.

We visit some of the best viewpoints across Mt Fuji and Lake Ashi (mostly by cable car) which left me speechless. There’s some quaint fun things to try along the way including black eggs, foot spas and soothing hot spring baths. Keep a look out for the famous sakura, which bloom for a longer period of time in Hakone compared to most of the rest of Japan.

Along the way I’ll (as always) give you my tips and suggestions and what pitfalls to avoid.

I hope you enjoy this adventure in one of Japan’s most beautiful towns. Stay tuned for my upcoming video which shows where I stayed and why… and how it became one of my most favourite solo escapes.

Love, A xx

Contents:
00:31 Intro
02:41 Hakone Komagatake Ropeway
04:24 Hakone Motomiya Shrine
04:46 Mt Fuji Panoramic Photo Frame
06:05 Motohakone
06:39 Hakone Shrine
07:33 Torii Gates, Hakone Shrine
08:41 Pirate Ship, Lake Ashinoko
09:39 Togendai Station
09:45 Hakone Ropeway
09:53 Owakudani
10:07 Trying a Black Egg
11:43 Sounzan Station & Foot Spa
12:30 Hakone Open-Air Museum, Gora
13:26 Onsen Experience
14:35 Hakone Check Point
14:56 Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
15:04 Amazake Chaya Tea House
15:21 Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
15:48 Final Thoughts / Tips for Travellers

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