Hakone Japan Travel Vlog – Volcano, Lake & Shrine by Train & Boat

Hakone Japan Travel Vlog – Volcano, Lake & Shrine by Train & Boat

Hello everyone! Today, we’re taking a trip to Hakone. It’s known for hot springs and beautiful nature. Right now, we’re on the Odakyu Line
heading to Hakone-Yumoto Station. Let’s check where Hakone is on the map. Hakone is about two hours from central Tokyo by train. We’ll explore this area using public transportation. 8:38 a.m. Arrived at Hakone-Yumoto Station. We transfer to the mountain train at this station. Our first destination is a volcanic valley. Hakone is fun to explore with all its unique transport. Today, we’ll be riding
a cable car, a ropeway, a bus, and finally a ferry. This mountain railway stretches about 9 km It climbs around 450 meters. The fare to the final stop, Gora Station,
is 460 yen (USD 3.1) The line has only one track. So trains pass each other at stations. Like this. Climbing makes it slow. Passing other trains makes it even slower. We’ve finally arrived at the last stop—Gora. Here, we switch
from the mountain train to the cable car. Here it comes! The fare to the final stop, Sōunzan Station,
is 430 yen (USD 2.9) This cable car climbs 209 meters over just 1.2 km. Can you see how steep it is? Of course, it’s slow. Arrived at the final stop—Sōunzan Station. And now, onto the ropeway.
No rest for the traveler! The fare to Ōwakudani is 1,500 yen (USD 10) Alright, here comes our first highlight! Soon, Ōwakudani will appear before us. It’s a vast volcanic valley. Created by an eruption over 3,000 years ago. I’m pretty sure Lonely Planet refers to it
as the “Great Boiling Valley.” Just arrived at Ōwakudani. The smoke is volcanic steam mixed with sulfur gases. Magnificent!
You can really feel the earth is alive. Starting to feel a bit hungry. Oh, looks like people are gathering over there. Everyone’s here to try this, it seems. It’s a local specialty of Ōwakudani. You can buy it here. They’re boiled in hot spring water
heated by volcanic heat. It’s said that eating one can extend your life
by seven years. It comes with salt. It tastes just like a regular boiled egg, though. We each had two, so I guess we’ll live to be 100. Now, we’re heading to our next destination by bus. The bus to Hakone-en departs at 11:19 a.m. Hakone-en is a lakeside resort by Lake Ashi. Our plan is to ride the Komagatake Ropeway
from Hakone-en. The fare to Hakone-en is 660 yen (USD 4.4) Lunch first—then the ropeway. Let’s see what food spots are here. Not many places to choose from… so this it is. This is the kind of place you often see
at tourist spots in Japan. Plenty of options, but the taste is… well. Ramen: JPY 1,200 (USD 8.0) per bowl. Pork bone soy sauce flavor. I love pork bone soy sauce ramen.
This bowl… well. Soy sauce flavor. This is the most basic and common ramen broth. Standard noodles. Well, it’s not a ramen place,
so that’s expected. The chashu was fairly good. Let’s grab some tea after the meal. Barley tea: JPY 150 (USD 1.0) Alright, time to head up the mountain by ropeway! Round-trip to the summit
of Mt. Komagatake: JPY 2,200 (USD 14.7) 1,783 meters long, 590 meters up. Straight to the 1,356-meter summit. What a stunning view of Lake Ashi. The weather’s starting to look pretty iffy. Oh man… the weather’s gone bad. Well… it’s cool and pleasant, at least. Why does this mountain always end up like this? These scenic platforms seem to be trending
in Japan lately. Absolutely nothing to see! The station’s almost completely out of sight… Even so, it’s a safe hike—let’s visit
the two red-marked areas. Heading to a lookout with an ocean view,
and then to a shrine. No way you can see the ocean in this weather… Without this fog, the view would be stunning. I really do. This is the sea’s garden. Hmm… this is… Man, lying down at the summit feels amazing! Maybe this gloomy weather
was just right for the body. The real reason we climbed this mountain
was to see the torii at its peak. Still can’t see it… Barely visible… but it’s there. This is the torii gate of Hakone Motomiya. Annoyingly, the weather’s going downhill fast. This is Hakone Motomiya,
the inner shrine of Hakone Jinja. It’s usually a picture-perfect spot…
just not today. But hey, that’s travel, isn’t it? Back to the lowlands we go. Hey, that’s a pretty stylish ride! It’s an amphibious vehicle. It enters Lake Ashi from land
and takes you on a sightseeing cruise. It costs 2,500 yen which is a little pricey.
(USD 16.7) We use a more affordable boat. To Moto-Hakone Port: JPY 1,000 (USD 6.6) It departs from that pier. Until the ferry arrives, let’s spend a moment by the lake. Lake Ashi is a caldera lake
formed by a volcanic eruption 3,000 years ago. The weather’s gloomy,
but the water is truly beautiful. We’re all set and first in line! Here comes the sightseeing boat. Oh, the second floor feels quite luxurious. A swing? Out here? This boat’s got quite a sense of humor. What’s the third floor like, I wonder. The second floor looks better. Here it comes—the final highlight of the journey. The Torii of Peace. Now a popular Instagram spot. It was built in 1952 to mark the signing
of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Arriving at Moto-Hakone Port. We’ll walk to the Torii of Peace. Red—that’s the shrine color, isn’t it. It’s all about keeping away evil
and honoring the sacred. Lots of people here! Mostly young women in sight. The red torii and the lake—truly beautiful. Everyone’s lining up to take photos. It’s written that photo time per person
must be within 3 minutes. Isn’t 3 minutes per person kind of long? Not that it matters to us anyway… And now, to our final stop—Hakone Shrine. This cedar-lined path is absolutely stunning. Even the moss is lovely. The stairs are fairly long. Phew, we finally made it. This is the sacred Ryujin Water,
flowing from the dragon’s mouth. The komainu, guardian of the shrine. Its moss-covered form
adds a deeper sense of dignity. This is the main hall of Hakone Shrine. Bit noisy today—sorry, there’s construction nearby. We prayed for safe travels on the journey ahead. Ah, the leaves are starting to turn. The weather wasn’t perfect,
but we hope you enjoyed this trip to Hakone. If you liked the video,
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Travel Japan from Tokyo to Hakone! Ride the Hakone Tozan Railway, Cable Car, and Ropeway to Owakudani Volcano and try the famous black eggs. After lunch at Hakone-en, take the Komagatake Ropeway to the summit. Finish with a Lake Ashi cruise and visit the Peace Torii and Hakone Shrine. A perfect day in Hakone, though the weather was not the best.

Hakone Transportation Fares (per person)
・Hakone Tozan Railway (Hakone-Yumoto → Gora) ¥460 → $3.1
・Hakone Cable Car (Gora → Sounzan) ¥450 → $3.0
・Hakone Ropeway (Sounzan → Owakudani) ¥1,500 → $10.0
・Hakone Bus (Owakudani → Hakone-en) ¥560 → $3.7
・Komagatake Ropeway (round trip) ¥2,200 → $14.7
・Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (Hakone-en → Motohakone Port) ¥1,000 → $6.7
・Odakyu Bus (Motohakone Port → Hakone-Yumoto Station) ¥1,080 → $7.2
Total (approx.): JPY 7,250 → USD 48.3

Converted at a rate of USD 1.0 = JPY 150

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0:00 Introduction
1:19 Hakone Tozan Railway
3:35 Hakone Cable Car
4:52 Hakone Ropeway
6:00 Owakudani Valley
7:03 Black Egg
7:52 Izu Hakone Bus
8:47 Lunch (Ramen)
9:59 Komagatake Ropeway
11:11 Komagatake Summit
14:27 Lake Ashi
15:37 Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
18:04 Torii of Peace
18:54 Hakone Shrine

#Hakone #JapanTravel #HakoneDayTrip #TokyoToHakone #LakeAshiCruise #Owakudani #HakoneShrine