Tokyo to Hakone – Recalculating, Romance and Finally Mount Fuji!

Yesterday was a travel day, and it was always going to be a bit tedious.

All the travel books and websites recommend sending your luggage ahead in Japan, which sounds like a great idea until you realise it means being without your luggage for a day. When you're only staying in places for three or four days at a time, that's a bit tricky.

So we decided to wing it!

What could possibly go wrong?

Our first challenge was getting from the hotel to Shinjuku Station. It's a 14-minute walk, and although a taxi would have been easier, with all the construction work going on around the station, it would actually take longer and couldn't drop us exactly where we needed to be.

So walking it was.

Now, I've mentioned before that John has a tendency to recalculate when navigating, but I don't think I've properly explained what this looks like.

You have to picture this.

John standing in the middle of the pavement, iPhone held out in front of him like a laser beam, pointing straight ahead. He then turns himself around, phone still pointing forward, trying to work out which direction he's facing on Google Maps.

You see, some people still insist on having their maps pointing north rather than in the direction they're actually travelling.

And so begins the recalculating.

John spots what he thinks is a shortcut which will make it easier dragging suitcases, makes sense, right?

Well, not when your clever shortcut takes you all the way back to exactly where you started!

More recalculating.

Out comes the iPhone, pointed straight ahead. John spins around trying to establish our position, accompanied by a few choice expletives.

And off we go again.

Then there were the stairs.

Up stairs, down stairs, more stairs.

And I have to say, John was an absolute trooper. He carried both our suitcases up and down all those stairs. We would probably still be there if I'd had to carry my own!

I won't bore you with every wrong turn, but suffice to say there was a lot of recalculating, a fair amount of swearing and quite a bit of suitcase hauling.

And then, finally, we found where we needed to be.

Yippee!

And we were on time!

The Romancecar to Hakone

We were travelling to Hakone on the Odakyu Romancecar.

Romancecar! I know. Sounds rather lovely, doesn't it?

Apparently the name goes back to the original romance seats, which were two-person seats without an armrest separating them, a bit like the love seats in old cinemas. The trains are also known for their large windows, designed to make the most of the scenery.

But first, we had to work out where to stand on the platform.

There were red numbers and brown numbers, and we couldn't quite figure out which ones applied to our carriage.

Fortunately, we met a lovely young lass from Leicester whose boyfriend lives in Hakone. She travels this route regularly and speaks fluent Japanese.

Perfect!

She told us exactly where to stand and, even better, assured us that we were in for some beautiful weather.

Now that was good news.

Will We See Fuji-san?

One thing every guidebook and website warns you about is not getting your hopes up about seeing Mount Fuji.

Apparently, she's rather shy and spends an awful lot of time hiding behind the clouds.

In fact, observations from Fuji City show that the entire mountain is visible on only about one in three mornings over the course of a year. Your chances are much better in the cooler months, particularly winter, but there's never a guarantee.

So we were trying not to get too excited.

But then, on the bus, we caught our first proper glimpse!

There she was!

Mount Fuji!

Well, that settled it. We decided to check into the hotel and, rather than waste the beautiful weather, head straight out to the Hakone Ropeway.

Up, Up and Away!

The Hakone Ropeway is a cable car that takes you up into the mountains, with spectacular views across the surrounding countryside and, if you're lucky, Mount Fuji.

The section we travelled took about seven minutes, and the scenery was very Queenstown-esque. Mountains, valleys, beautiful greenery and that wonderful feeling of being suspended high above it all.

By now the sun was starting to set, and it was getting rather hazy, so the photographs weren't going to win any awards.

But who cares?

We could see Fuji-san in all her glory!

After all the warnings about clouds, poor visibility and not getting our hopes up, there she was, right in front of us.

Absolutely magnificent.

We'd finally seen more than just the base!

Mr Oh, Mrs Oh and a Very Uncomfortable Husband

After our travel adventures, suitcase hauling and mountain exploring, we decided we deserved a massage.

Between the long flight, dragging heavy suitcases around Japan and sleeping on unfamiliar pillows, we were both feeling a little stiff.

So we booked a dry Japanese massage for 9pm, with the therapists coming to our room.

John had Mr Oh, and I had Mrs Oh.

Mrs Oh didn't speak English, but Mr Oh could talk for Japan! He was quite the character, full of little jokes and clearly enjoying himself.

The massages were fantastic.

Although I think John might have a slightly different description of parts of his.

At one point, Mr Oh had him twisted into a stretch that his body hadn't experienced since about 1985.

The groans and grunts coming from John's side of the room were absolutely hilarious.

And Mrs Oh thought so too!

She kept bursting out laughing every time John let out another noise as Mr Oh attempted to bend him into yet another impossible position.

I was trying to enjoy my own massage, but it was rather difficult with all the entertainment happening next to me.

Poor John!

Still, when it was all over, we both felt absolutely amazing.

All the travelling, stairs, suitcases and recalculating had been worth it.

We'd made it to Hakone, seen Mount Fuji and finished the day with a wonderful massage and a good night's sleep.

Not a bad result for what was supposed to be a tedious travel day!

And another successful day for Thommo's Tours. Even if the navigator did need recalibrating!

Hakone – Mount Fuji, Mossy Forests and Far Too Many Steps!

What a wonderful surprise to wake up to another beautiful sunny day, with a perfectly clear view of Mount Fuji!

We really have been so lucky with the weather. After reading all those warnings about how difficult it can be to see Fuji-san, here she was again, in all her glory.

First things first, breakfast. The usual hotel buffet with plenty to choose from, but no crispy bacon.

Very disappointing!

Then it was time to explore.

We're staying in Hakone-en, and today's plan was to head towards Moto-Hakone, a lovely little village on the shores of Lake Ashi.

Our first stop was an art gallery with one of those very Instagrammable spots where you can take a picture with Mount Fuji perfectly framed in the background.

And what a view!

The sky was clear, the mountain looked magnificent and we couldn't believe our luck. We had been hoping for just one decent glimpse of Fuji-san, and here we were getting another spectacular view.

Then it was time for a walk around the lake towards Onshi-Hakone Park.

Now, this sounded lovely, and it was. Beautiful tall trees, moss-covered trunks, old stone steps and traditional Japanese lanterns. Just the sort of scenery you imagine when you think of Japan.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

But then came the steps.

About 200 of them.

Up and up and up and up.

Finally, we reached a level section and I thought, thank goodness for that.

But no.

Then came another 200 steps.

Down and down and down and down.

A little more level walking, and just when I thought we'd finished with the hills, there they were again.

Another 200 steps!

Up and up and up!

Oh my goodness, I was absolutely exhausted.

And to make matters worse, I'd dressed for the cold.

I had on my cashmere undergarment, my cashmere jumper and my lovely new Uniqlo puffer jacket.

Well, by the time I'd climbed all those steps, I was so hot I might as well have been in Kashmir in the middle of summer!

I was practically melting.

So much for being prepared for the Japanese autumn weather.

Eventually, we made our way into Hakone-machi, another little village on the shores of Lake Ashi.

We visited the old Hakone Checkpoint, which was used during the Edo period when the shoguns ruled Japan. Travellers moving along the historic Tokaido road between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto were required to pass through these checkpoints, where officials inspected travel permits and monitored who was coming and going.

The checkpoint was particularly important for controlling the movements of feudal lords and their families.

All very interesting, and quite extraordinary to imagine how much effort travelling through these mountains must have involved hundreds of years ago.

We then wandered around the village, enjoying the little shops and the lovely atmosphere.

By now we'd worked up quite an appetite, so we stopped for lunch at a tempura restaurant, which was lovely.

And just as well we'd made the most of Mount Fuji earlier in the day, because by lunchtime she'd disappeared behind the clouds.

Gone!

The weather had also turned extremely cold, which was quite a contrast to the beautiful sunshine we'd enjoyed that morning.

Suddenly, my cashmere and puffer jacket didn't seem quite so ridiculous after all.

What a day! Beautiful scenery, a magnificent Mount Fuji, a little Japanese history and enough steps to last me a week.

And another successful day for Thommo's Tours, although I think someone needs to explain to the tour operator that a gentle walk around a lake shouldn't involve climbing a small mountain!

Interestingly, Mount Fuji is traditionally associated with a female goddess, Konohanasakuya-hime, so I've decided Fuji-san is a she. And apparently she's rather shy, spending much of her time hiding behind the clouds. Fortunately, she's been very accommodating for Thommo's Tours, showing herself off in all her glory for two days running!

Hakone – Art in the Clouds

Well, our luck with the weather finally ran out today. Instead of beautiful sunshine and clear views of Mount Fuji, we woke to a rainy day, completely surrounded by clouds.

It was atmospheric and moody, and a chilly 8°C.

First stop was the Hakone Open-Air Museum.

Yeah, I know. An open-air museum on a cold, rainy, misty day doesn't sound like the greatest plan, but we decided to give it a go, and I'm pleased to say we had absolutely no regrets.

Sometimes you need to experience what the weather is normally like in these parts to appreciate just how special the past two days have been.

We started with a pretty long taxi ride, winding up and up into the hills. By now we were well and truly in the clouds, with the rain coming and going.

We arrived just as the museum opened and were the second people through the gates, so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Perfect!

Hakone Open-Air Museum

A little background on the museum. It opened in 1969 and was Japan's first open-air art museum. It's set in the mountains of Hakone, within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, with around 120 sculptures spread across 70,000 square metres of gardens and hillsides.

The idea was to bring art out of traditional galleries and into nature, where the landscape and changing seasons become part of the experience.

There are works by some very famous artists, including Henry Moore, Rodin and Miró, as well as a Picasso collection housed in its own pavilion.

And what a setting!

Normally you'd have beautiful mountain views behind the sculptures, but today everything was disappearing in and out of the mist.

Actually, I think the weather made it even more special. The sculptures appearing through the clouds, the wet gardens and the almost complete absence of other people gave the place a completely different atmosphere.

We absolutely loved it.

I'm going to let the photographs speak for themselves here, because there are a lot of them. And believe it or not, this is the edited version!

I hope you enjoyed those photos as much as we enjoyed the experience.

The Moss Garden

From there it was onto the train to Gora, followed by the Hakone Tozan Cable Car, which is actually a funicular railway, up to the Hakone Museum of Art.

This is a different museum from the Open-Air Museum, and although the main exhibition was closed for renovations, that wasn't really a problem because John was here for the moss garden.

The museum opened in 1952 and is particularly famous for its beautiful Japanese gardens. The moss garden has around 130 varieties of moss growing beneath approximately 200 Japanese maple trees.

And wow, it was gorgeous!

The paths wind through these beautiful mounds of moss, with maple trees overhead and everything looking so peaceful and green.

The autumn colours haven't fully turned yet, but you can just imagine how spectacular it will be in another few weeks when all those maples turn brilliant shades of red and orange.

And I have to say, the misty, damp weather was rather appropriate for a moss garden!

A Little Bit of France in Hakone

Then it was a short walk to Hakone Gora Park, a rather lovely French-style garden in the middle of the Japanese mountains.

Quite a contrast to the moss garden we'd just visited.

After a wander around, it was back onto the funicular and up to Sounzan, where we changed to the Hakone Ropeway.

Into the Clouds and Over a Volcano

Now, this was going to be interesting.

The ropeway travels from Sounzan across the volcanic Owakudani Valley, an area known for its active sulphur vents, steam and yellow-stained volcanic ground.

On a clear day, the views are apparently spectacular, with Mount Fuji in the distance.

Today?

Clouds. Lots and lots of clouds.

We were seriously in them!

At times we could barely see anything, but every now and then the clouds would part just enough for us to catch a glimpse of the volcanic landscape below.

Yellow sulphur-stained ground, steam rising from the valley and this rather eerie landscape appearing through the mist.

It was quite something.

I think the clouds actually added to the experience, although a little more visibility wouldn't have gone astray!

We then changed to the connecting ropeway and headed down towards Togendai Port on Lake Ashi.

All Aboard the Pirate Ship!

And what better way to finish our little circuit of Hakone than aboard a pirate ship?

Yes, an actual pirate-themed sightseeing boat, complete with all the elaborate decorations you'd expect.

Only in Japan!

We boarded at Togendai and sailed across Lake Ashi towards Moto-Hakone.

Sadly, there was no Mount Fuji to be seen today. She was well and truly hiding in the clouds, but after the wonderful views we'd enjoyed over the past two days, we certainly weren't complaining.

From Moto-Hakone it was a taxi back to the hotel.

What a day!

We'd travelled by taxi, train, funicular, ropeway and pirate ship, explored two completely different art museums, wandered through Japanese and French gardens, and floated above a volcanic valley in the clouds.

Not bad for a day that started with us wondering whether going to an open-air museum in the rain was such a good idea.

Another successful day for Thommo's Tours!\

An Onsen, a Bit of Modesty and a French Finale!

We finished off a perfect day with an onsen, the traditional Japanese hot spring bath.

Now, this was quite an experience! Men and women are separate, and everyone is completely naked. And I mean absolutely everything!

Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as awkward as I'd imagined. Everyone seemed to be feeling a little shy and politely looking the other way, so after a while you just relaxed and enjoyed it.

And it really was lovely, particularly after a cold day wandering around in the rain.

The Japanese believe that bathing in the mineral-rich hot spring waters has all sorts of health and beauty benefits, so hopefully we'll both be looking considerably more youthful the next time you see us!

Hakone – Monet, Modern Art and a Museum in the Clouds

Our last day in Hakone today, and the weather was much the same as yesterday. We were well and truly in the clouds, with drizzle pretty much all day.

Only one stop planned today, the POLA Museum of Art.

And what a lovely surprise this turned out to be!

The museum opened in 2002 and is tucked away in the forested hills of Hakone. It houses an extraordinary collection of art assembled over some 40 years by Tsuneshi Suzuki, whose family was behind the Japanese cosmetics company POLA.

The main exhibition was called The New Vision: Monet and the Contemporary Gaze, marking 100 years since Claude Monet's death.

What was really interesting was the way the exhibition brought together Monet's original paintings with works by contemporary artists exploring similar themes.

You would see a Monet and then several modern interpretations of the ideas behind it, often using completely different techniques and materials.

It was fascinating to see how artists working more than a century apart could approach light, colour, reflections and nature in such different ways.

The museum actually owns 19 Monet paintings, apparently the largest collection in Asia, and all 19 were included in the exhibition.

There were also works from the museum's permanent collection, including some very familiar names such as Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and Renoir.

Quite an impressive collection to find tucked away in the mountains of Hakone!

And then there was the building itself.

A Building That's a Work of Art

The architecture was almost as interesting as the artwork.

The museum was designed by Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei and built largely underground so that it would blend into the surrounding forest. In fact, the building rises no more than eight metres above ground level, deliberately keeping it below the height of the trees.

Inside, there's an enormous glass atrium with natural light pouring in and beautiful views of the forest.

But the really clever part is what's underneath it.

Being in Japan, earthquakes are obviously a serious consideration, particularly when you're housing priceless works of art.

So the architects designed the museum with a special seismic isolation system. The building sits on rubber isolation devices installed within a huge circular trench, approximately 74 metres across, which help reduce the movement transferred to the building during an earthquake.

The idea is to protect both the people inside and the artwork, while also helping to control moisture and protect the surrounding environment.

How clever is that?

And when you think about it, it's rather extraordinary that they've managed to build such a substantial museum in the middle of a forest, with most of it underground, while making it feel so light and spacious.

Another wonderful example of the Japanese combining art, architecture, technology and nature.

And actually, with the clouds hanging over the forest and the rain coming and going, it was quite a lovely setting for our last day in Hakone.

We really have been spoilt with the art and architecture on this trip, and POLA certainly didn't disappoint.

One of the most fascinating installations looked like an enormous carpet of little blue stones covering the floor.

But they weren't stones at all. They were thousands of individually wrapped sweets, and visitors were actually encouraged to take one!

The artist, Félix González-Torres, was known for creating these installations, some of which were deeply personal tributes to his partner, who had died. In one of his best-known works, the original weight of the sweets represented his partner's healthy body weight. As visitors take a sweet, the pile gradually diminishes, representing loss, but it can also be replenished.

Such a simple idea, but what a powerful and rather moving way to express love and loss.

And quite extraordinary that you could actually take a piece of the artwork home with you!

A Walk in the Clouds – Or So We Thought!

The POLA Museum also has a lovely woodland walk through the surrounding forest, so despite the rain, mist and absolutely freezing weather, we decided to give it a go.

Poor John was in shorts, which wasn't exactly ideal for the conditions, but we weren't going to let a little cold and rain stop us!

Off we went into the forest, surrounded by beautiful tall trees and the most incredible mist.

And then the clouds got thicker and thicker. At one point I could barely see John walking in front of me!

We were absolutely fascinated. Out came the phones, and there we were taking photos and videos of what was essentially nothing but thick white fog.

It was quite extraordinary, and we were getting very excited about just how atmospheric it all was.

Then we walked a little further and discovered a sign explaining that what we'd just experienced was actually an art installation called Fog!

Well, there you go!

We'd been so busy marvelling at Mother Nature that we hadn't realised someone had given her a helping hand.

And I have to say, it was incredibly effective.

What a clever way to make the forest itself part of the artwork.

Only in Japan could you find yourself standing in the freezing cold, photographing a cloud, and discover it was an art installation!

Absolutely loved it.

A Little Bit of Venice in Hakone

Where to next?

A little research and we discovered that the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum wasn't too far away, so off we toodled.

Well, that was the plan.

We were going to use public transport, but the buses just weren't coming, and we were getting colder and colder standing around waiting. Then a taxi appeared, so we hailed it and off we went.

Much better!

The Hakone Venetian Glass Museum, also known as the Glass Forest Museum, is Japan's first museum dedicated to Venetian glass. It opened in 1996 and is set in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone, with Italian-style buildings, gardens, ponds and views towards the Owakudani volcanic valley but we couldn't see a thing. We were still well and truly in the clouds!

The museum houses a collection of Venetian glass dating back hundreds of years, but for us, the real attraction was the garden.

And wow, what a garden!

There were crystal glass trees, including an enormous sparkling Christmas tree made from around 150,000 pieces of crystal glass. Apparently, it changes from sparkling in the daylight to being illuminated at night. I can only imagine how spectacular that must be.

Then there was a field of what looked like delicate glass feathers, which are actually inspired by the pampas grass that grows around Hakone. Thousands of tiny pieces of crystal glass attached to stems, moving in the breeze and catching whatever light they could find.

Absolutely incredible!

And then the rose garden.

Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful glass roses, all individually crafted, with the most extraordinary colours and detail. Apparently there are around 1,200 glass roses in the display, including 1,000 Venetian glass roses and another 200 made from crystal glass.

Who would have thought you could make a rose garden out of glass?

There was also a beautiful crystal archway over a bridge, made from around 160,000 tiny pieces of glass. The whole thing shimmers as the crystals move in the wind.

I can only imagine what this place must look like on a beautiful sunny day, with all that glass sparkling in the sunshine. And at night, with the lights on, it must be magical.

But you know what? We weren't complaining.

We'd had two glorious days with Fuji-san showing herself off in all her glory, so we could hardly grumble about a bit of rain and cloud.

And even in the miserable weather, the garden was absolutely gorgeous.

We did venture inside to look at the more traditional Venetian glass collection, with its ornate vases, goblets and decorative pieces.

Beautiful craftsmanship, I'm sure, but not really our cup of tea.

The garden, however, more than made up for it.

Another wonderful surprise in Hakone, and one we probably wouldn't have discovered if we'd stuck rigidly to the original itinerary.

Sometimes a little research, a change of plans and a conveniently passing taxi are all you need!

Frozen, Frustrated and Finally Home!

Well, getting home was another adventure, and not necessarily a good one!

We were cold, the weather was miserable and public transport was definitely not being our friend. Neither were the taxis, which seemed to have disappeared just when we needed one.

Eventually, after much waiting around, we managed to get a bus and then a taxi back to the hotel.

But not before another failed attempt at finding John some gyoza for lunch!

Honestly, I think there's only pork gyoza in Japan. Every time we find somewhere serving gyoza, it's pork, which of course John doesn't eat.

So another unsuccessful gyoza mission and no lunch for us.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was literally chilled to the bone. I just couldn't get warm.

Luckily, we have an onsen at the hotel, so off with my kit and straight into the lovely hot water for a good 30 minutes to defrost.

And I'm pleased to report that my body temperature has finally returned to normal!

No lunch today, so an early dinner is on the cards, followed by packing and getting ourselves organised for tomorrow.

We're leaving Hakone early, and Thommo's Tours has quite the journey planned. Lots of train connections and, most excitingly, our first trip on Japan's famous bullet train.

After our previous adventures with stations, suitcases, Suica cards and John's constant recalculating, what could possibly go wrong?

Fingers crossed for a smooth journey!

And that's Hakone done. We've had glorious sunshine, spectacular views of Fuji-san, beautiful gardens, extraordinary art and a couple of days wandering around in the clouds.

What a wonderful few days it's been.

Now, onto the next adventure!