Hakone-yumoto 箱根 is a historical Hot Spring resort town that provides some of the highest quality Onsen in Japan. The hot spring waters of our Onsen flows directly comes from an underground geyser.
From Kyoto to Hakone 箱根, we took Hikari Shinkansen from Kyoto to Odawara 小田原 (2.5 hrs) then a local train to Hakone-Yumoto from there (Hakone-Tozan line,15 min).
Shinkansen price is ridiculous, cost us 11240yen each, around $350SGD for both.
Kakinoha sushi 柿の葉寿司 on shinkansen for breakfast, 1000yen (15SGD).
Kakinoha Sushi 柿の葉寿司 are wrapped sushi with persimmon, bamboo or cherry trees leaves to give a good aroma and preservatives.
We find it too cold too fishy, not to our liking.
Standing ramen bar
Arrived odawara station
Bought discounted "Hakone free pass" for travel between Shinjuku to Hakone, a two day pass cost us 5000yen each for transportation within Hakone.
Husband cannot resist his childhood bread melon pan.
Took a shuttle 100yen to the door step of our Ryokan.
Senkei Ryokan consist of three buildings, a luxury ryokan (around $1000SGD a day), high end ryokan (around $700SGD a day) and western style ($200SGD a day). Guest in all three building were be able enjoy the indoor and outdoor onsen in the premise.
Indoor onsen hot bath. They uses famous 马油 products, regret i didn't get some, couldn't find them in the other parts of Japan.
Outdoor onsen photo credited to Aliaaaa from flickr
Soba is said to be good in Hakone due to the supply of clean mountain dew. We settled our lunch at Hatsuhana はつ花, a well appraised soba restaurant in Hakone where they serve homemade soba made out of yam and eggs. Some blogs even mention that for a fuller flavors, Hatsuhana boil their soba then dry it before they serve, this is probably what made Hatsuhana stand out among other soba parlor in Hakone.
Beautiful view of river
Husband ordered cold soba. Soba here taste very different, it was left to dry before serve, they taste like our Chinese crispy noodle (Sheng Mian).
Signature dish cold yamaimo 山药 yoke soba. Japanese loves yamaimo, lady finger and natto, ingredients which produce sticky liquid. Ask me? I am still trying to like them.
Really smart vendor selling semi dried mackerel providing a BBQ corner for people to BBQ and try out their house's product.
Fish cake with solid seafood ingredient.
On our way up to Owakudani 大涌谷.
Owakudani (大涌谷, Ōwakudani) is the area around a crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone some 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced.
Additionally, Owakudani has good views of Mount Fuji on clear days.A short walking trail (about ten minutes one way) leads from the ropeway station into the volcanic zone to a number of steam vents and bubbling pools.
Here you can purchase eggs, cooked in the naturally hot water, whose shells are blackened by the sulfur and which are said to prolong one's life by seven years.
Mount Fuji 富士山
Collecting the sulfur eggs.
Sulfur egg, the Japanese called them kuro tamago which means black egg.
Ika sticks, cutter-fish.
I demand to eat expensive soft serve again!
Amazing charcoal ichigou (strawberry) ice cream, maxi love.
Sun set at 5pm, will continue to explore Hakone next day. We head back town for dinner before onsen in Ryokan.
Too much soba, we opt for don instead. Husband and his forever katsudon.
I tried 亲子棟
My habit, cider after onsen/hotbath before bed.
kuro tamago hello kitty
Supper. Only yoke chiffon cake, taste so good.
Impulse buy, loose powder purchased from 7-11. Unexpected surprise, ParaDo is good.
Disclaimer: Partial captions (location history) are credited to JapanGuide.com, this trip is heavily planned using JapanGuide.com, captions are for my reference to pictures i took.
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