Day 4 – 7 October 2024, Monday

This morning, we had an early start to the day because we were leaving Tokyo for Hakone with a 7:37am train to catch. When I woke up at 5:50am, I saw the sun just rising above the mass of buildings in the distance. It was 21 degrees C outside and another mostly cloudy day. It made me think about how unlucky we were with the weather, because of all our days in Tokyo, we picked the only day (Saturday) when it rained the entire day to visit Shibuya Sky, and couldn’t go to the outdoor observation deck as a result. Oh well, tough luck!

We checked out of our hotel seamlessly at 6:40am and walked to Shinjuku Station West for our Odakyu train to Hakone. It was the same location as our Odakyu train to Kamakura/Enoshima yesterday so we were familiar with the route to the train platform. Before passing through the station gantry, we bought coffee and sandwiches at a 7-Eleven store for our breakfast on the go.

To travel from Shinjuku to Hakone, a round-trip ticket on the Odakyu Line between Shinjuku and Odawara station is included in our Fuji Hakone Pass, which we bought on our first day in Tokyo. However, we would only utilise it one-way because we were not coming back to Tokyo afterwards. The ticket that is included in the Pass is only for the regular train, which is bench-type seating with no reserved seating. I decided to pamper ourselves a little by topping up 1,200 yen for the Romancecar, a limited express service with reserved seating, where the two seats are side-by-side and reclinable.

In addition, the Romancecar goes directly to Hakone-Yumoto station in 80 minutes whereas the regular train terminates at Odawara and requires transferring to another train to Hakone-Yumoto, taking about 120 minutes in total. Hence, the Romancecar is faster, more comfortable and less of a hassle so it is definitely worth paying a little extra for it.

If you book the Romancecar ticket digitally on your mobile phone via the EMot website (www.emot-tickets.jp), you can get a discount of 50 yen. So, we each paid 1,150 yen (S$10.69) for our Romancecar digital ticket. Note that the EMot Online Tickets channel is available only on smartphone – you cannot book it through PC (personal computer) or tablet. After booking the digital ticket, you will receive a confirmation email with the ticket details indicating seat numbers you have selected.

To access the train platform on the day of your travel, enter the station via a manual ticket gate and show the staff two things: (1) your physical Fuji Hakone Pass, and (2) the EMot email confirmation. You can also log in to the EMot website on your mobile phone to display the booking details on the screen.

After passing through the ticket gate, we followed the station signs to our Romancecar platform. At the platform, it is important to consult the information panel displaying the boarding points because the Romancecar lineup consists of four train models and they each come with different numbers of carriages/cars. For example, the MSE series train has three variations – 4 cars, 6 cars and 10 cars, depending on the specific time your train departs. Your ticket will indicate the model of your train and your car number. The information panel will show your current location on the platform, and where is the correct boarding point for your car.

The newest train in the Romancecar lineup is the 70000 series GSE, which is the only Odakyu Romancecar furnished with observation seats in the front and rear cars (front and rear-facing respectively). These 32 observation seats (16 in front and 16 in the rear) are highly sought after and they get snapped up as soon as they go on sale, so you have to be really fast or lucky to get them. For tips on which are the best seats to get, check out this Instagram post by Odakyu (click here).

The reason why the observation seats are so coveted is because of the panoramic view it offers. For the other Romancecar trains, the frontmost and rearmost portions of the cars are where the drivers are located. But for the GSE train, the driver is located at a special area above the passenger seats (he uses a retractable ladder to access his cabin), so the front and rear of the cars have unblocked views. I wanted to book the GSE train but it runs only on weekends and holidays so it was not available on this Monday morning that we were travelling, such a pity. You can check the Odakyu website for the Romancecar timetables (click here).

The 7:37am train we booked is the Hakone No. 1 EXE6, which means it is the EXE series with 6 cars. I reserved six seats in Car 2 so we proceeded to our boarding point to get ready. As we had six large suitcases with us, we got in position early because I wasn’t sure if there was enough space to store our luggage on the train so we wanted to board first to snag the space. Typical Singaporean kiasu mentality, I know.

Our train arrived at 7:24am. After the passengers disembarked, the cleaners went on board to tidy up. And with the flick of a button, all the seats swivelled 180 degrees to face forward. Amazing technology!

As it turns out, our train is the 30000 series EXEa (Alpha), which debuted in March 2017 and is an upgrade of the 30000 series EXE. According to Odakyu, EXE stands for Excellent Express. The EXEa comes with dedicated luggage storage areas, but only in Cars 2, 3 and 5. There are also restrooms in Cars 2 and 5. When you book online, you won’t know whether you’ll be getting the EXE or EXEa train, so you’ll just have to see which one shows up on the day.

For our Car 2, the door was at the back of the car and we were the first to board. I didn’t know beforehand that there was a dedicated luggage storage area at the front of the car. Hence, we slotted our suitcases into the empty space between the back of the last row of seats and the wall. We managed to fit all our six suitcases there nicely, while still allowing the passengers at the back row to recline their seats. If we had known about the dedicated storage area at the front of the car, we would have placed our luggage there instead, but no harm was done. In any case, there are also overhead shelves for carry-on luggage. If your suitcase doesn’t fit up there, you can place it at your seat as a last resort because the legroom is very generous. You are not allowed to place your luggage in the aisles.

There are four seats in each row – A, B, C and D. I booked seats C and D seats for all of us, across three rows. Seats C and D are on the right side of the train, for the direction of travel from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. It’s great because in the morning, the sun is on the left side so passengers sitting at seats A and B have to draw the curtains to block the sun, which means they won’t be able to enjoy the scenery.

At 7:37am, the train departed Shinjuku and glided quietly towards our destination. It was as smooth and comfortable as you’d expect. We ate our sandwiches and coffee while enjoying the scenery whizzing past outside. The weather got better as we approached Hakone as the clouds opened up to reveal blue skies.

We arrived right on schedule at Hakone-Yumoto station at 9:22am. After exiting the station, we crossed the overhead bridge and our Yumoto Fujiya Hotel was less than five minutes’ walk away. I chose the hotel for its excellent location. While crossing the bridge over the Haya River, we stopped to take photos because it was just too beautiful, with water cascading gently down the stepped riverbed, surrounded by a valley of trees and lovely skies.  

After crossing the bridge, we took the private lift up to the hotel building. Yumoto Fujiya is quite a big hotel, with nine floors. The lobby decor is a bit dated but it is bright and clean. As it was still too early to check in (officially at 3:00pm), we did the necessary paperwork and deposited our luggage at the concierge. At 9:50am, we left the hotel and started our circuit tour of Hakone.

There are a few attractions and activities in the Hakone area and you can easily cover the most important ones in half a day via five modes of transport, all of which are included in the Fuji Hakone Pass. Alternatively, if you are not going to the Mount Fuji area, you can buy a different pass called the Hakone Freepass, which includes all the transport modes within the Hakone area only. Our Fuji Hakone Pass includes transport for the Mount Fuji area as well, which we will utilise over the next two days.

First, we went back to Hakone-Yumoto station to catch the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora. When we arrived at 10:03am, all the seats on the train departing at 10:11am were already taken so we waited for the next 10:24am train. The trains depart roughly every 13 minutes, so it is a good idea to wait for the next empty train so you can secure a seat and have a comfortable ride during the 40-minute journey to Gora. 

The 10:24am train was different from the earlier one. It was older and felt more retro, with bench-type seating in two of the three carriages. I’m glad we had seats because the ride was rather bumpy and slow-moving as we climbed up the hills. Along the way, the train performed a few switchbacks to change direction. It was an old-fashioned train ride, which made it quite refreshing. There wasn’t much scenery because we mainly wound through the forest, and caught the occasional glimpse of the valley below.

At 11:05am, we arrived at Gora, which is the terminal station. After a spot of shopping at the gift shop beside the station, we walked to our lunch stop. As usual, I turned to Google Maps to look for food options, and I found a promising katsudon restaurant called Yamaji nearby, just a short 7-minute walk away. However, Google Maps doesn’t show you the elevation profile!

As we walked towards Yamaji restaurant, we discovered there was a hill in front of us. The road was steep but it was winding so we couldn’t see how far it went. As we climbed up the steep slope, it again reminded us of our unintentional trek at Penang Hill last year. When you travel with me, be prepared to be tortured!

In the end, it took us a little over 10 minutes to climb up the slope and walk to Yamaji restaurant. It is located on the ground floor of a small building that looks like a house. I think the restaurant operators live upstairs so it is probably a small family business. There were only two couples dining when we arrived, but the whole place filled up soon after that. Apparently, it is quite a popular place.

We ordered the katsudon (pork cutlet & egg rice bowl) and oyakodon (chicken & egg rice bowl), which came with miso soup as well. Each set costs 1,700 yen (S$15.22) and it was the most delicious katsudon I have ever eaten. The chicken cutlet was big and the egg was moist and tasty. And the miso soup in Japan just tastes so much better than the watered-down versions in Singapore. The Japanese take their miso soup very seriously. It was a fantastic lunch and it made the climb worthwhile.

We left Yamaji at 12:10pm and walked down the hill back to Gora station, where we were momentarily distracted by the gift shops yet again. At 12:34pm, we hopped on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car for the second leg of the circuit to Sounzan. However, this cable car is more like a funicular that runs on a track and powered by overhead cables. The cable car was quite crowded but it didn’t really matter because the ride from Gora to Sounzan took only 11 minutes. Once again, there wasn’t much to see but it was fun to ride on it.

The cable car station at Sounzan had a spiffy new footbath and observation terrace that opened in July 2020 so it wasn’t there during my last visit in 2013. Here at 757 metres elevation, the terrace offered a superb view of the surrounding mountains. We spent a few minutes taking photos before hopping on to the Hakone Ropeway for the third leg of the circuit.

In Japan, ropeway refers to aerial lift, which is essentially a gondola suspended in the air, or what we call a cable car in Singapore. Each gondola can accommodate 18 persons, so it is quite big and we had to share our gondola with other visitors.

The Hakone Ropeway has four stations altogether. From Sounzan, we glided up towards Owakudani, the highest part of the mountain at 1,044 metres elevation. During my last visit, it was winter so the trees were all covered with powder white snow then. This time, it was a completely different scene as the mountain slopes were covered in different shades of green. It was a sight for sore eyes as we soaked in the marvellous views while we ascended.

The “ooooooh” moment came when we crossed the crest of the mountain, revealing the sprawling volcanic valley of Owakudani below, the result of a volcanic eruption 3,000 years ago. This area is an active volcanic zone with sulphur vents and hot spring pools. As we floated across the valley, we could clearly see the distinctive yellow sulphur deposits and fumes emitting from various parts of the slopes. It was an impressive scene, one of those sights that take your breath away. Quite literally because we could also smell the distinctive rotten eggs scent of sulphur high up from our gondola.

The ride from Sounzan to Owakudani took seven minutes and we arrived at 1:02pm. The moment we stepped out of the station, the wind picked up and a blanket of fog rolled in. It was a complete turnaround in the weather as we still had blue skies at Sounzan earlier. The temperature dropped and we quickly put on our jackets. I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold so we didn’t bring any thick jackets, but luckily the ones we had were sufficient to keep us warm.

The wind was crazy so we sought refuge in the gift shop, where we bought the famous hard-boiled eggs. They were sold as a pack of four eggs for 500 yen (S$4.50), so we bought two packets. What’s so special about the eggs is that they are cooked in the volcanic hot spring pools, and the egg shells turn black due to a chemical reaction with the sulphuric water. However, the eggs inside look and taste like normal hard-boiled eggs.

After spending 50 minutes at Owakudani, we continued with the next leg of our journey. I was worried that operations of the ropeway might be suspended because of the strong winds. While waiting in line, my heart sunk for a moment when I saw that the gondolas were not moving. Turns out there was an issue with one of the gondolas, and it took the technicians about 10 minutes to resolve it before the ropeway started operating again. If the ropeway is suspended due to the wind, we may have to wait for a long time, or seek alternative transport options to get down the mountain.

We left Owakudani station at 2:12pm and arrived at the final stop at Togendai 13 minutes later. The fog cleared up as we descended the mountain and Lake Ashi came into view. After getting off the ropeway, we walked to the pier at Togendai for the fourth leg of the circuit – the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise across Lake Ashi. The staff asked us to hurry because the next ship was departing in a couple of minutes.

Two large “pirate” ships were docked at the pier, and we were ushered to the one on the left, a gold ship named Queen Ashinoko. This is the latest addition to the fleet of three pirate ships and it commenced operations in 2019. Queen Ashinoko replaced the green Vasa, which I took during my last visit in 2013. The black/blue ship on the right side of the pier is the Victory, which entered service in 2007. There is also the Royal II, a red ship that started operating in 2013.

Despite their sails, the ships are powered by motor. They look like pirate ships on the outside but are actually quite luxurious inside. The Vasa ship I took in 2013 even had pirate figurines scattered around the deck to add to the theme, but Queen Ashinoko didn’t have any such pirate statues, which was a bit of a pity.

There is a bar in the lower deck where you can buy alcohol and drinks, and also air-conditioned seating areas in the middle deck, but what’s the fun in that? So, we climbed to the top deck, which has indoor seating areas but no windows so you can still enjoy a nice breeze while soaking up the views. However, we were happy to stand and take photos from different areas of the ship.

Our ship left Togendai at 2:30pm and sailed slowly to the other end of Lake Ashi. It made a brief stop at Hakonemachi-ko first before stopping at Motohakone-ko, where we alighted. The journey from Togendai to Motohakone-ko took 40 minutes.

The fog was still hovering around the higher parts of the mountain, which meant that there was no chance of seeing Mount Fuji. On a clear day, Mount Fuji is visible at certain parts of the lake, which makes it really special. Nevertheless, the cool and foggy weather made the ride more enjoyable because the scenery of the surrounding mountains covered with pine trees gave off European vibes. It felt like we were in Switzerland, or even Norway, sailing down a lake or a fjord. It was very relaxing and we enjoyed the ride tremendously.

Upon alighting at Motohakone-ko at 3:10pm, we decided to explore the area on foot. We walked along the perimeter of Lake Ashi towards Hakone Shrine. The wind was still blowing hard and the waves made it look more like an ocean than a lake.

After crossing a bright red torii gate, we entered a forested area and walked along a path leading to Hakone Shrine. The path was lined with red lanterns and flanked by towering, mature Japanese cedar trees. Some of these trees are more than 800 years old. It was very tranquil here.

Beside the chozuya (a small pavilion with a water basin for purification before visiting a shrine) was another large red torii. Beyond the torii was a flight of steps up to the main Hakone Shrine. However, we didn’t have time to visit the main shrine. Instead, we turned left and went down a flight of steps leading to the water’s edge, where the famous “red gate of peace” (Heiwa no Torii) stood.

This is perhaps the most popular photo spot in Hakone because the torii appears to float upon Lake Ashi. A stone path leading towards the torii is partially submerged by water. Together with the rippling waves and the mountain backdrop, it makes for a spectacular photo.

There was already a queue of around 50 to 60 people when we arrived at 3:37pm. As it was going to be a long wait, the “grown-ups” decided to slowly walk back towards Motohakone-ko while AA and I stayed behind to get our photos.

Before coming here, I was already prepared to wait but I didn’t expect the queue to move so slowly. I guess it took a long time because everyone had the same mentality – after waiting so long, they wanted to maximise their time and take as many shots as possible when it was their turn. So, AA and I resolved to not be like those people.

The line moved agonisingly slowly as the sky turned darker and darker. It was one of those situations when I felt like giving up, but having already spent such a long time waiting, it would be a waste not to continue. We were in too deep; it was too late to back out now!

As we neared the end of the line, some Asian tourists started to hijack the queue by standing near the line and taking photos of themselves with the torii. Of course, I was incensed. Some of the others in line were too polite but I had no qualms about telling them off. They were not embarrassed and tried to push their luck further, but another guy went up to them and scolded them too, and they finally retreated sheepishly.

It was 4:30pm when it was finally our turn to take photos with Heiwa no Torii. I helped AA take her photos and videos first before she helped me take mine. In all, the two of us spent around three minutes and we were out of there.

Looking at the photos we took, they weren’t fabulous because the sky was already dark so our faces could not be seen. However, I’m quite happy with the silhouette view of my back shot, even though it looked like I was waiting for a boat to come pick me up. Having gone through the experience, I would say it wasn’t worth spending close to an hour queuing up for it, especially if the weather isn’t so good. I think a maximum of 30 minutes is acceptable but not more than that.

AA and I walked briskly to meet the rest of the family at Motohakone-ko. From there, we took the Hakone Tozan Bus back to Hakone-Yumoto, the fifth and last leg of the circuit. The bus stop is located beside the pier. There are two lines available – the “H” Hakone Machi Line and the “R” Hakone Shindo Line. Both buses go to Hakone-Yumoto but the R bus is an Express service so it is faster.

The R bus that was about to depart was already full so we happily waited for the next bus so that we could get seats. We waited less than five minutes for the next bus. It was worth it because the mountain road was winding, so it was definitely more comfortable to sit for the 25-minute ride.

We alighted at Hakone-Yumoto station at 5:20pm. By that time, the sky was almost dark and all the shops along the main street were starting to pull down their shutters. During the bus ride, I shortlisted some restaurants for dinner, but all of them were already closed when we reached Hakone-Yumoto. Only a small pizza restaurant was open but it was full inside. If AA and I had not queued up almost an hour for “that” photo, we would have been back earlier.

Seeing that there were no restaurants open, we decided to have a simple dinner of instant noodles and snacks from 7-Eleven. I managed to find a shop selling traditional rice cakes and bought four packs of different flavours with three pieces each, at 400 yen (S$3.60) per pack. We then went back to our Yumoto Fujiya Hotel and had dinner in one of our rooms. It was nice to sit down and have a simple meal together.

The hotel room was very spacious. I had booked two “Renovated” Japanese/Western Combination Rooms for the six of us, with three beds in each room. It was recently refurbished in June 2024 so it was spanking new. It offered a combination of Japanese and Western elements, with an 8-mat Tatami room and Western-style beds. At the tatami area, there was a low table and low chairs with back support. There were also three spare futons in the wardrobe, so you could roll them out and sleep on the futons if you preferred.

After that, it was time for onsen! Everyone else was either too tired or too shy so I went alone. This was my only chance to soak in an onsen on this trip and I was not about to pass it over, no matter how tired I was.

Hakone is one of Japan’s most popular hot spring resorts because it is within the volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. There are many onsens and ryokans around Hakone, with more than a dozen hot springs supplying high quality water to the baths and inns in the area. The best (and most expensive) ones are those with outdoor baths offering views of Mount Fuji. For our trip, I prioritised convenience so I didn’t pick the really nice ryokans, which tend to be located in the more remote locations.

Apart from its excellent location beside the train station, I picked Yumoto Fujiya Hotel because it had its own onsen. There were two large indoor baths and two smaller outdoor baths. There was also a sauna. It wasn’t crowded when I went at around 8:00pm so I could slowly enjoy the baths and relax. It wasn’t the prettiest onsen I went to in Japan but it was good nonetheless. A nice way to end off Day 4 of the trip!