Shinkansen, Onsen, Ryokan – the best (non-Tokyo) bucket-list experiences in Japan 🇯🇵

Shinkansen, Onsen, Ryokan – the best (non-Tokyo) bucket-list experiences in Japan 🇯🇵

fun game I’m trying to play. Trying to capture with my iPhone a picture of the Shinkansen as it goes past. That was so quick and it makes such a loud noise. Blink and you’ll miss it. Hey team, welcome to the Lens Cap Chronicles and thanks for joining in this adventure where we travel the Shinkansen aka the famous Japanese bullet train all the way to Odawara station where we connect via coach to the stunning mountain village of Hakon. Stay in a traditional Japanese inn called Ayokin and bathe in soothing hot steam bars called Onsen and all beneath the striking figure of Mount Fiji. There’s a lot to know about the ticketing, logistics, and etiquette of these bucket list experiences, which are possible in a variety of Japanese village towns. So, I’m here to share with you all the things I learned in the process, as well as entice you to this gorgeous country. If you’re keen to explore Hakane specifically, then click the link above for more details. This morning was my first experience on the Shinkansen, the famous Japanese bullet train which reaches speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour. Traveling on a bullet train in Japan has become an essential bucket list experience in itself. Make sure to be there on time because the Shinkansen departs at the exact time it says on your ticket. Top tip, allow plenty of time to catch the Shinkansen. If you’re new to the process and unfamiliar with the train stations, I’d actually recommend arriving 30 minutes early to navigate the station and the ticketing process. In addition to impeccable punctuality, Japanese people are respectful and thoughtful. So, once on board, make sure to keep your noise levels down, clean up after yourself, and make use of the free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and tray tables. Eating on the bullet train is acceptable, and it’s common to see locals buying bento boxes from the station to enjoy once seated and when the train is on its way. If you’re looking for extra comfort, then consider a green car, which is similar to business class, which offers more legroom, wider seats, and a more serene environment, or the Grand Class, which is effectively first class. Seat reservations are recommended, especially during peak times. I took the Shinkansen from Tokyo station to Odawara and I booked my tickets through the click application which was incredibly straightforward. However, if you plan to use the Shinkansen on multiple occasions, it’s probably worth purchasing a JR pass for unlimited travel and free seat reservations. However, do note that some services are not covered on various Shinkansen lines with the JR pass, but you can purchase a supplement for these. So, be sure to look up your anticipated itinerary ahead of time. At the time of filming, JR passes could be bought for 7, 14, or 21 days, depending on the duration of your stay and travel plans. I’d say it’s worth it if you plan to travel to Kyoto and Osaka as part of your trip. The experience within the Shinkansen is reasonably comfortable. It’s very clean. Uh there’s no rubbish anywhere. so much leg room, but because there’s no air flow, it’s a little bit stuffy and there’s no smoking anywhere on a Shinkansen. But obviously, people still come in with smoke on their jackets and their clothes and so it does still get into the cabin. In any case, I’ve only had a 30-minute ride here to Odawara, and it was certainly an incredible experience. It’s worth considering your luggage because there are tight restrictions on what is or isn’t allowed. Each passenger is allowed two bags free of charge. I’d recommend checking the official website for the latest inclusions. I have a mediumsiz luggage and they fit it in the compartment above the seat quite reasonably. If you have got large luggage, then you need to buy a ticket with the oversized baggage allowance. This section is still close to your reserve seat. For small and mediumsiz luggage, you can fit this in the overhead compartment space of the Shinkansen without paying for the heavy luggage option. I’m preparing a video on what I packed for my time in Japan. So, if you’re keen to know how to pack efficiently, yet still have enough options to feel comfortable and inspired with your wardrobe on a daily basis during your trip, then stay tuned for this. A lightning quick 33minute train ride later and I was in Odawara Station. But now we are catching a complimentary coach to Aryoken, a traditional hotel in Japan called Ryaguren. It’s very luxurious with multiple onens available to its guests. But I specifically booked a room with my own private onen. After the craziness of Tokyo, I wanted to do something that was refreshing and pampering. And that’s exactly why I’ve booked this incredible looking room with Japanese style bedding. Not cheap, but definitely worth it if you have a few extra pennies in your back pocket and you want a really nice treat for yourself. Let’s go check it out. I’m expecting great things. Very nice. The next few days is all about relaxing. 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. I’m staying in a reoken called Ryaguren which has epic onsens and onsens are the thermal baths traditionally are thought to have healing properties. They can relieve muscle, joint aches etc. And I have a personal onsen in my suite with a view of Mount Fuji. So what is a riyoken? Well, a riyoken is a traditional Japanese inn and you’ll find them dotted around Japan, especially in hotring resort towns like the one I’m staying in here in Hakon. Riokokans are more than just a place to sleep. They are somewhere you can experience Japanese hospitality and have an immersive cultural experience. Traditional yoken will incorporate elements like the tatami mats, the bamboo grassy mats on the floor, futon bed. So if you’re not a fan of sleeping on the floor, then perhaps request an Englishstyle rioken or a western style rioken with a higher bed, Japanese style baths, and local cuisine. The other great thing about a rioken stay is that they also provide halfboard. So, if you check in around 2:00 p.m., you’ll be treated to a lavish dinner in the evening, a buffet of all of your favorite Japanese foods, and in the morning, a hot breakfast. Rioans vary in so many ways. They can be small family lodgings with only a couple of rooms to huge sprawling resorts like the one I’m staying in with hundreds of rooms. They vary in their location and in the inclusions within the actual booking themselves. So, how did I choose this one? How did I choose Rya Guruden? I went on to booking.com and typed in Hakon. I knew I wanted to come here. It’s a lush green, beautiful valley uh up in the mountains and so different from Tokyo where I’ve just come from. And then you can actually filter for Riokoken. So, I just clicked that box and it came up with a list of Rioans I could stay at. Hakone was very close to Tokyo and also easy to get back to the airport when I need to leave in a couple of days. But if you’re staying in Japan longer, then you can find these resorts in so many places. Overall, staying in Rioin would definitely cost more than your average hotel. But that’s part of the charm. You’re paying for Japanese hospitality and serenity and a nice hot bath. In addition to being easy to get to, allowing me my first ride on a Shinkansen or bullet train, a private onen traditional layout to my suite with tatami maps and a futon bed, and my glorious window overlooking Fujisan. There’s also a ropeway nearby which if you ascend will take you to the top of a mountain overlooking Mount Fuji. So, you’ll be able to get some incredible photos and views of one of the main attractions in this region. But other than that, it’s all about just relaxing, taking in the fresh air, and having a very hot bath, which comes with some rules and etiquette that I will explain shortly. It’s so traditional that I have a huge sized key and the door is a little bit low down for me. That’s super cute. I’ve just walked in the door. There are two ways to go. I can go left or right. Let’s go right and we’ll explore the main section. The attention to detail here is second to none. Can see my slippers there for later on when I attend the onson or dinner. This is all part of my lodging of my room. This is all for me. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s so calm and serene. You’ll see the bamboo mats as we go through. Look at the main window. And who do we have out there? Up there in the clouds is Mount Fuji. The room has traditional seating on the bamboo mats and a beautiful black resin table that’s reflecting all of the outdoor greenery and nature. The very helpful man at Concierge said that when I go to dinner tonight, they’ll lay my bed for me at the base of the picture window. So, I’ll be waking up with Fuji in my sights. It’ll be a traditional Japanese style mattress on the floor. The surprise of the show is the tiny old school sharp TV in the room, but nevertheless, who wants to be watching TV in a place like this? We have our safe and over here. Okay. Well, before I go any further. Well, that’s much better. I’m properly relaxed. Let’s continue our tour. Another little seating area. This place goes on and on and into kitchen. Wow, this place is absolutely unreal and huge. It’s so calming and quiet in here. I feel like I can’t yell or get overly excitable. Moving into the second part of this retreat. What could be down here? bathroom. Special Japanese toilet and a lovely powder room. Well, hello to this area. Oh my gosh. Private onen. In onen land, a lot of services do close in the Rioans between 10 and two. Uh, at least a lot of the onens close, the public one. So, that was part of the reason why I wanted my own personal onsen, so that I could use it at any time of day or night. I promised myself that this was going to be a super relaxing, calming retreat for a couple of days, but it is a glorious day today. And the Hakona ropeway is right outside the Rioen, which promises epic views of Mount Fuji. Let’s go check it out. [Music] 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. Visitors can follow a simple track with some steps leading up to the shrine on top of Mount Hakone and then circle back down to the magnificent views of Lake Ai. 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 track leading to the shrine stops off at various viewpoints. So there’s incredible places and vantage points to see along the way. It is definitely worth holding out for a clear day when visiting Fujian. The views are absolutely incredible. 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. There are lots of cute little shops in the village right next to the hotel The Rioen, which makes it super easy. There’s a supermarket. There is a couple of other restaurants so you can get some cheaper meals. But I have a lavish buffet waiting for me tonight at 7:00 p.m. I think I can wait. After climbing the steps to the shrine on Mount Hakona, there can only be one thing left to do. An onen is traditionally experienced completely naked. This includes in the public baths. One is not permitted to wear any kind of swimwear. And so in the public shared onens you will be having a bath in the nutty with complete strangers. Now obviously having my own private onen I don’t need to do that and for YouTube purposes I am covered. But that is why I also wanted to have my own onen in my own room. I can bathe at the time I want to and I can also enjoy and relax in the nude without having to worry about anyone else. Onsons actually have a lot of etiquette rules. Make sure you have a good scrub before you enter. So you’ll see lots of little boos lined up in a public onen where the premise is that you’ll scrub head to toe including washing your hair before you get into the bath. And that’s for cleanliness and complete freedom amongst gender equivalents. So there is a male and a female bath that are separate. There are a few rules that must be adhered to as well. One is no tattoos. Now, there are a select few rioken onens that will allow tattoos being covered up, but many will just completely buy you from entry if you have got a tattoo. The reason is they associate tattoos with a Japanese mafia. And unfortunately for the many many people on the planet with tattoos, it precludes them from these onsons. Before you book your expensive onen experience and you have a tattoo, just make sure that you’re allowed in the bath. There’s obviously no kids allowed in diapers for obvious reasons and the general premise is that you are sparkly, shiny, clean before you enter the yonsen. There’s a few other rules that I’ll put on the screen now, but for me it’s time to relax and enjoy this incredibly warm, soothing water. Wow, my legs feel all weird and wobbly. I feel so relaxed. That bath was amazing. Normally I would bath after dinner, but tonight we’re doing things in reverse. Let’s go check out the epic buffet dinner at Rayoken Rayogen [Music] and Ken and Snapper. Ross, tuna, and macaro. [Music] Don’t feel like I can talk too loud in here, but the food is amazing. [Music] This one goes in here. In here. Okay. The shell goes in here, too. Yes. Okay. Then use this chopstick. Okay, the next dish is a bit of a hot pot soup where we add prawns and vegetables into the hot pot. And then we have some abalone to enjoy as is. Like to Yeah. Yeah. I just like it. It’s like a steaming noise. Yeah. [Music] That is so good. Soy, spring onion, vegetables, and prawns. What could be better? We have been served our main dish, which is beef stew with rice, pickles, eel, and miso soup. One of my all-time favorites. That is very soft, a little bit stringy, but textural, still flavorsome, coated in cheese, really lovely main dish with a tiny carrot and a tiny bit. The last time I had eel, I was in the market in Tokyo and it was incredible. So, I’m looking forward to this right now. That is really good. Soft but grilled fishy but salty. It’s really a nice balance. Last drops. Okay. Yes. Dessert. This is a melon. This is a blue sky jelly. Dessert has been served. We have a melon with a blue jelly that has got yogurt trapped inside it. So you can see these little swirls of yogurt inside the jelly. M. Wow. So juicy. It’s like the most juicy melon I’ve had in a long time. And let’s try this crazy blue jelly. A very refreshing light dessert to cap off an amazing five course menu here in Hakona. Japanese food always wins me over. A special shout out to all of the fabulous ceramic pots that featured in tonight’s meal. So cute. Different colors, different shapes and sizes. Loving it. Japanese red wines. Japanese red wines. Thank you. So, Japanese wine. So, very sold. Old wine. Well, what a delicious meal. I didn’t speak too much out of respect for the other diners, but I’m now back in my suite and I do believe they’ve set up my bed. So, let’s go check out what they’ve been up to in my room while I’ve been having dinner. Oo, the door’s closed. What will we find behind here? Oh, wow. Oh, that’s lovely. Oh, the lighting. mood lighting. Here’s my bed, my traditional Japanese bed. That looks really comfy. And they’ve left my little setup. I made this seat out of cushions earlier so that I could watch Mount Fuji next to this lovely decorative panled lighting. This is so special. I think I’m going to have to try out this bed. Even though I’m not dressed for bed or ready for bed, I’m gonna have to check it out. See if it’s as comfy as they say. [Music] I love this. It’s like I’m camping in a beautiful room in a comfy bed. I’m going to wake up in the morning and Mount Fuji is going to be there. This is definitely a lot more comfortable than people have mentioned. It’s not like sleeping on the floor. The mattress is thick. I don’t feel the floor at all. And these covers are really comfy. I’m definitely going to have a good night’s sleep here. Wow, it’s morning in Hakon and I can see Fuji out my window. There’s no clouds. It’s simply so beautiful. The outline of the snow on the top just so crisp. Cuts a really striking figure. Okay. This is ham. And you can put your ham on here to heat it to steam. And this one is salah. and the sarah sauce. And today you have your chicken in your salah. And this one is a potato noodle. And this one is sea bing with sesame. And this one is the egg and the orange and peas. Thank you. Thank you. Ryuden’s interactive and delicious breakfast served in tiny pots and requiring a little effort on my behalf had me inspired to explore the local township of Hakane. Ryuden is located along Lake Ashi, a beautiful lake at the base of Mount Fuji. Fortunately, many riokans in the region offer free shuttles to the larger village of Moto Hakone, which has a variety of touristic activities on offer, such as bird-shaped paddle boats, pirate ships, and cruise ships along the lake. My first port of call was the red Tory gates of the Hakone shrine with the striking red gates situated on the edge of the river being one of the most popular places to score a photograph in Hakane. In fact, you may be expected to wait up to 2 hours for a photograph. For those of you wanting to channel your inner Jack Sparrow, you can catch the pirate ship along the entire length of Lake Ashi to Toandai station where you can then align the Hakone ropeway, a different one to that nearby the hotel I am staying in. This will take you past various stations and attractions including Awakani and the Hakone open air museum. Obakodani is an active volcanic valley known to locals as the valley of hell and is famous for its black eggs which are boiled in the sulurous waters to give the eggshells a distinctive color. The views from the ropeway will take your breath away. Further on, the Sununzan station will reward your tired feet with a quick foot spa until you find yourself at Gora Station, ready to explore the Hakone open air museum, which has an amazing collection of indoor and outdoor sculptures and artwork from all over the globe, as well as the Picasso exhibit. If you’d like more information on traveling to Hakane, either overnight or as a day trip from Tokyo, then I’ve made a video specifically on this. Fortunately for me, I was able to catch the free shuttle provided by my accommodation back to the safe haven and peace of Rya Guden, well in time to get ready for my next bespoke multicourse dinner. It was almost impossible to feel sad on my final morning at Ryud and Rioen with the sun glistening over the fur trees outside and Mount Fiji once again cutting an imposing shape on the skyline outside my window. The morning of course involved one final onsen bath, another colorful and exquisitly presented breakfast with a variety of traditional Japanese delights, all in different pots, and a leisurely stroll down by Lake Ashie where I came across a beautiful Sakura tree nearing the end of its season, but still a sight to behold. Mount Fuji behind me is almost completely covered in cloud, fittingly farewelling me from the region. I hope you’ve enjoyed this video and I’ll catch you in the next adventure. Bye for now.

These three bucket list items need to feature on you’re Japan itinerary! We are talking:
1. Catching the Bullet Train (Shinkansen)
2. Soaking in a hot spring bath with healing properties (Onsen)
3. Experiencing the hospitality and charm of a traditional Japanese inn (Ryokan)

If you’re wanting to enjoy the exquisitely beautiful countryside of Japan in your trip to this island country, then look no further. In this video, we travel to Hakone by the bullet train (shinkansen), bathe in the healing waters of the local hot springs (onsen) and stay in a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan).

Whether you want to stay close to Tokyo or travel further afield, I’ll show you how to get the most of your trip to this beautiful country, including my best tips for enjoying the lush green nature in just a few days… and all whilst enjoying the most incredible Mt Fuji views.

Japan is so much more than Tokyo and I found it enlightening and reviving to explore the country away from its capital. Enjoy!

A x

#onsen #ryokan #shinkansen #explorejapan #japanvlog #japantravel

p.s. In the video I refer to the traditional tatami mats being made of bamboo – however they are actually made from rush grass and rice straw! Thanks to the viewers who have pointed this out to me 🙏