Hakone - A Relaxing and Comfortable Journey

Traveling west from Kamakura on the JR line, it takes about an hour to reach Odawara Station. Odawara Station is also the gateway to the famous hot spring destination - Hakone. Odawara Castle itself is also of historical value, but unfortunately, due to time constraints, we couldn't visit it. Those who have been to Japan know that transportation costs are very high, so travelers should make good use of various transportation passes to save on travel expenses. Starting today, we will use the Fuji Hakone Pass from Odakyu, allowing us to travel from Hakone to Lake Kawaguchi without any hassle! ~ Hakone-Yumoto ~ We set off early yesterday morning, and today the most important thing is to rest well. So, the first day's itinerary is to visit Hakone-Yumoto for a hot spring bath. Hakone-Yumoto has a history of over 1200 years, and the hot spring street is quite well-developed. Among them, there are many 'day-use' hot spring facilities, which means you can enjoy a hot spring bath for one to two hours without staying overnight, making it very convenient for passersby. The hot springs can relieve nerve pain and muscle soreness and also have skin-beautifying effects, making them a favorite for people of all ages. ~ Hakone Shrine Heiwa no Torii ~ After enjoying the healing hot spring, we had a simple meal of udon made with hot spring water in the hot spring street and continued our journey. We took the Hakone Tozan Bus, which is also included in the pass, from Hakone-Yumoto to Motohakone Port. A 10-minute walk from Motohakone Port leads to the Heiwa no Torii of Hakone Shrine, located in the middle of the sea. Shrines in Japan often have torii gates, and after visiting the unique Zeniarai Benten Shrine yesterday, today we visited the special sea torii. The red torii against the blue sea is perfect for photos! ~ Hakone Pirate Ship ~ Next, we returned to Motohakone Port to board the Hakone Pirate Ship, also included in the pass, to enjoy the views of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi. The pirate ship's design is very unique, with several different styles, not all the same! Shortly after setting sail, we saw the small Heiwa no Torii and the towering Mount Fuji behind it. On the second day, Mount Fuji continued to accompany us, but today we were closer and could see it more clearly! The one-hour boat ride quickly brought us to Togendai Port, where we transferred to the Hakone Ropeway to our next destination, Owakudani. ~ Owakudani ~ Before the ropeway reached Owakudani Station, a strong smell of sulfur hit our noses. Owakudani is a volcanic valley filled with sulfur springs and hot springs. From the observation deck, you can see sulfur vents and gushing springs, which are very impressive. The specialty of Owakudani is eggs boiled in sulfur spring water, which turn black due to the sulfur, making them very unique. However, due to the strong sulfur smell, we only stayed briefly before continuing our journey, taking the ropeway and the Hakone Tozan Cable Car, also included in the pass, to our hotel in Gora. Since Hakone is a rural area and not a city, shops and transportation do not operate late, so it's safer to return to the hotel before dark.