During our stay in Tokyo, we decided to take a day trip out to Hakone, a mountainous town located about two hours outside of Tokyo where one can enjoy natural onsen (hot spring baths) as well as majestic views of Mount Fuji.
Getting to Hakone
To get to Hakone from Tokyo by public transit, there are several ways: 1) Odakyu Limited Express (Romancecar), 2) Chuo Line Train (JR) and transfer to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, or 3) to take a bus. We opted for the Romancecar which conveniently leaves from the station we stayed near, Shinjuku station, for 890 yen per person each way.
If seated in the Observatory deck, you get a nice, gigantic window to observe the entire journey and maybe even a train crew member to act as your tour guide. On a nice clear day, you’ll see glimpses of Mount Fuji’s snowcap. We were seated in the 4th row of the observation deck and above is the view we saw as we approached Mount Fuji.
We booked a few minutes after release and ended up in the 4th row. If you’re not after the Observation Deck, you can easily purchase tickets at any other time prior to departure.
The Romancecar drops us off at the Hakone-Yumoto station where we took a free shuttle to the onsen resort we made reservations at.
Hakone Yuryo – Onsen Resort
We chose Hakone to visit because of the natural hot springs it was known for. The onsen resort we visited was called Hakone Yuryo. They offer both communal baths separated by gender as well as private baths.
Once we stepped in, we were greeted by the front desk which is where we check-in, pay and rent Yukatas (traditional cotton kimono for men and women) for 300 yen each (optional).
3 types of private baths are available for rental ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 yen an hour. Or for 1,400 yen you can access the communal bath. Check out their website for more details. We reserved the Type 2 Private Bath room for 1 hour.
The setting of the resort was very natural and traditional which is what we were going for, somewhere where we can really relax and breathe in fresh air.
We were given keys to access our reserved private room. The first thing we noticed upon walking in were slippers available for us to change into.
On the table were menus for guests to order food as well as some complimentary sakura rice crackers for sampling.
The bath area looked out to a hill covered by trees, a serene and relaxing surrounding.
The bath water was hot, much hotter than I expected. It was 30 degrees outside at the time but after just one dip, we could no longer feel the cold, even when we were outside of the water. Because the water was so hot, we can only stay in 10 minutes at a time before we needed to come out to cool down.
The experience was great and we felt refreshed from the hot spring bath.
Lunch at Hakone Yuryo
After returning our keys, we looked for a place to have lunch. We decided to try out the restaurant that was a part of the resort, Irorisaryo Hachiri. This restaurant serves traditional Irori cuisine, which is a traditional Japanese barbecue where food and skewers are cooked atop coal and wood.
We were limited in time so instead of opting for their popular grilled fish, we ordered two set meals. Allen ordered the Char-grilled Soshu Beef Steak Gozen for 2,900 (above).
While I ordered the Seafood rice bowl and soy milk stew meal for 1,800. From the taste, it seemed like it would have been more worth it to dine here if you go for a traditional Irori meal.
Mount Fuji and Hakone Shrine’s Torii Gate
After leaving the resort, we took the free shuttle back to the Hakone-Yumoto station where we transferred to a local bus to Motohakone-Ko or the Lake Ashi area. The bus fare was 960 yen for an all-day pass and the ride took 35 minutes.
Once we got off the bus, we found ourselves in front of this magnificent view of Mount Fuji graciously hovering over Lake Ashi which is also where the famous Hakone Torii gate stands.
We took a 10 minute hike around Lake Ashi to get in front of the Torii gate. There were a handful of tourists lined up for a chance at the perfect photo under the gate.
Hakone-Yumoto Station
After returning to the Hakone-Yumoto station, we had some time left before our train departs so we walked around the shops in there area. They were mainly snack shops selling local products and street food.
We were able to browse about a dozen stores before nightfall as stores began closing up shop at around 5:30 pm. Then we headed back to the station where we awaited our train back to Tokyo.
That’s it for our day trip to Hakone. It’s definitely a destination we would recommend and even revisit. Our goal for our next visit would be to try Hakone’s famous black eggs and maybe take a detour to Gora Park.