Despite typhoon No. 8 approaching, I took the Romance Car from Odakyu Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto, which took 1 hour and 30 minutes. Strong winds and heavy rain soaked my clothes. The Hayakawa River seen from the Ajisai (hydrangea) Bridge is also very rough.
Yumoto Fujiya Hotel is located just a 3-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station and is surrounded by greenery and the murmuring of the Hayakawa River. In addition to its excellent hot spring facilities, the hotel has one of the largest convention halls in Hakone at 1,400 m2, which can be used for conferences, weddings, parties, and other multi-purpose events. A variety of dining options are appealing, including Japanese, French, and Chinese cuisine, taverns, a lounge where you can taste the famous Fujiya Hotel curry, and a lunch buffet featuring a variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes.
At the hotel, I relaxed from my room, watching the train traffic and the Hayakawa River flow in the midst of a typhoon, or taking a dip in the hot springs.
At the foot of the Ajisai Bridge, there is a bakery directly operated by the hotel called Picot, which sells bread, raisin bread, curry bread, and walnut bread. The hotel’s traditional curry bread is especially popular.
Neon Genesis Evangelion,” which began airing on TV in October 1995, is an animation work that is popular worldwide. Hakone, the model for the fortified city of “The Third New Tokyo City” where the story takes place, is familiar to many fans as a place associated with Evangelion. Located on the first floor of Hakone-Yumoto Station, Hakone-Yumoto Eva-Ya is a souvenir store of Evangelion goods. There are a wide variety of sweets and sundries, and I bought a few myself.
Eva-Ya
Yumoto Fujiya Hotel
https://www.yumotofujiya.jp/