Alighted at Hakonemachi-ko, the first stop of Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. Apparently, Motohakone-ko is the stop that's nearer to Hakone Shrine but I somehow confused myself between the two since they sounded somewhat similar. I spontaneously decided  to trek from Hakonemachi-ko to Hakone Shrine anyway because I wanted to take photos of Mt Fuji with Hakone Shrine, a sight only available via trekking.

Anyway, I'm someone who prefers walking if I have the choice and I found myself walking around Japan a lot to admire its scenery and bask in Japan's winter climate, which I'll never get to experience in Singapore.

The corns smelled so good and fresh, especially in winter!

Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (Hakonemachi-ko Port)

Address
161 Hakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0521

Phone Number
+61 0460-83-7550

I expected the queue for Hakone Ropeway to be congested since it was the peak holiday season in January but it was surprisingly empty and I only had a group of people before me. I was hoping I could get the entire Hakone Ropeway cabin to myself but a group of tourists came after me and I had to share my cabin with them T_T Thankfully, they were well-mannered tourists, allowing me to enjoy the splendour of Mt Fuji in peace.

It was a blessing that I could see Mt Fuji the entire day I was in Hakone.

Hakone Ropeway (Owakudani Station)

Address
Japan, 〒250-0631 Kanagawa-ken, Ashigarashimo-gun, Hakone-machi, Sengokuhara, 足柄下郡箱根町仙石原１２５１−１

Operating Hours
9:00am to 5:00pm or
9:00am to 4:15pm (depending on season)
Further information here

Phone Number
+81 460-84-8437

I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I saw Mt Fuji. I couldn't believe my eyes. My eyes were registering the snow-capped mountain, a marvelous sight that still makes my heart skip a beat, but my brain was saying, no no it's impossible. Mt Fuji is known to be elusive; some of my friends stayed in Hakone for two days without even sighting Mt Fuji once — would my bad luck actually allow me to see Mt Fuji the first time, the very first hour, I was in Hakone?


Some Japanese ladies broke my train of thoughts, squiming to get a better view of the scene outside our bus, squealing, "Fuji-san! Fuji-san!" Then, I knew it — the snow-capped mountain I saw was Mt Fuji. My childhood dreams, completed at 21. It was surreal, just like when I first witnessed the A-bomb Dome in Hiroshima. My entire Japan travel was surreal.


In a way, I was glad Hakone Ropeway was suspended at Sounzan or I'd have never discovered Owakudani. There's something about Japan that caused me to be crazy thankful for everything, even the little errors that occured throughout my travel.


Owakudani is known for its black eggs — chicken eggs with black shells due to chemical reactions after being hard-boiled in Owakudani's hot springs. (I know this only because I googled.) It's rumoured to add seven years to your life when you consume a Owakudani black egg. Unfortunately, they only sold the eggs in a bulk of six and I was alone so I didn't have a chance to try the egg.

Hakone Tozan Train from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto

Due to the influx of people at Odawara Station, I eventually lost the couple I was following to Hakone and didn't get a chance to properly thank them for bringing me around :( With the delays I faced while travelling to Hakone, it was already 10am by the time I reached my first stop, Odawara.


The good news is because I got my Hakone Free Pass online, I didn't have to queue to top up my card or buy a one-way train ticket in Hakone. It was easy for me to travel around the whole of Hakone with my free pass.

Japanese queuing up in an orderly manner for the train

Hakone Tozan Railway is a 40-minute ride from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto. If you travel to Hakone during the cherry blossom season or autumn, you'll be treated to the magnificent views during the train ride. Because I was in Hakone during winter, most of the trees were barren. However, I got to witness the train changing conductor and moving backwards while climbing up the steep hills of Gora — a unique aspect of Hakone Tozan Railway.

Despite everyone's insistence on spending more than a day in Hakone — even the passes were two or three day bus passes — I decided to do just a one day trip to the outskirts of Tokyo, Hakone due to the lack of time. If I were to return, I'd definitely stay in Hakone for a longer period of time, and travel to Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) so I could witness Mt Fuji up close but time wasn't on my side back then and a day trip to Hakone from Tokyo was my best choice.

I initially planned to set out early in the morning to catch the earliest train to Hakone but I was too worn out by then (my 5th day in Japan), so I snoozed for an hour before finally making my way to Shinjuku to collect my Hakone Free Pass.


Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center

Address
Japan, 〒160-0023 Tokyo, Shinjuku, Nishishinjuku, 1 Chome−26−13
(1st floor — Ground Floor)

Nearest Metro Station
Shinjuku Station (West Exit)

Telephone Number
+81-3-5321-7887