While we stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, we also made day trips to a few places.
We reached Kyoto via Hakone. Hakone’s claim to fame is the Mt.Fuji view, and yes, it delivers. On paper the ‘Hakone Round Course’ looks like a sprint, but with the Hakone Day Pass and some planning, it’s quite a breeze. We started early and the Kodama 703 was our very first Shinkansen ride, to Odawara.
Hakone
We first used the coin locker system in the Odawara station, dropping our large bag so we didn’t have to lug it around. A local train took us to Hakone-Yumoto, where you start the Hakone Round Course, which can also be done in reverse. It uses five different modes of transport – train, cablecar, ropeway, boat and bus. The first trip is on the cute Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora. D decided to do some drama by pretending to lose her Hakone Day Pass. From Gora, a cable car takes you to Sounzan. From Sounzan, the Hakone Ropeway takes you to Togendai and the ride offers the first good glimpses of Mt.Fuji, but before you get to Togendai……you make a stop at Owakudani for your fix of the black eggs. These are regular chicken eggs but boiled in Owakudani’s natural hot springs. The eggshells turn black thanks to the sulphur. But local legend says that eating one will add 7 years to your life. We had an early lunch at the Early lunch at Togendai View restaurant, which offers a great view of Lake Ashi. This lil pirate ship takes us to Moto Hakone, stopping at Hakone-machi on the way (where you don’t get out)The Mt. Fuji view from the ship is sublime.The Hakone Shrine Floating Gate is a 10 minute walk from Moto Hakone. Take a look at the Hakone Tozan bus timings (to Hakone-Yumoto) before you start. We were quite early and walked slowly to the bus station. We had booked a couple of hours at the Hakone Yuryo for a private onsen. Pricey but absolutely worth it. They offer a pick up and drop to the Hakone-Yumoto station. We walked around the are near the station and tried a bunch of snacks, all very tasty!
Arashiyama
We took a day trip from Kyoto to Arashiyama. It takes about 45 minutes and you can finish in half a day. We skipped the Iwatayama Monkey Park – a decision based on the payment, the climb and our visit to the Snow Monkey park.
I thought the waffle + croissant was the best part of this trip. D also tried these sesame balls. The Tenyru-ji is a possible visit, but we were already tired, so we just walked around. I thought the last lil statue was Aamir from Lagaan but couldn’t confirm. The bamboo forest is the prime attraction here. Yes, lots of bamboo. And yes, Indians getting into areas that were marked private property – for their Meta pics. No wonder we are looked at with disgust when we go abroad.
Nara
Nara is just less than an hour away from Kyoto and went in the afternoon after we got back from Arashiyama.
Nara is famous for its deer park. Pico Iyer stays somewhere nearby, but we didn’t spot him. Alas. What we did spot was deer, and truckloads of them just wandering around. They’re far from shy and as the board says, also not averse to violence if that means food. The Todai-ji temple is nearby, and it’s quite massive, until recently being the largest wooden building in the world. I thought the Buddha’s hands were saying “stop and f*** off”, but D gave me one of her glares when I asked whether we should confirm. The Buddha here is one of the largest bronze statues in Japan. Did I tell you about the deer? On the way back to the station, we paused to take pics, from outside. I had had enough of temples!
And that’s that. Before we end, two things that are uniquely Japan.
Toto is something every human needs. The warm seat, and those insanely amazing buttons that provide warm jet sprays! If it were not for Whitefield’s hard water, I might have actually got one. Tokyo Banana (banana and custard), KitKat – Matcha and Wasabi, and the legendary Pocky that D had the sense to pick up. All from the Duty free, which left me unimpressed by the poor presence of Japanese Whisky.
Japan is quite a trip, and I doubt if any other place can be as unique as this. Shy people, but who will go to extreme lengths to help you, and are absolutely fine going nude in public, when it’s an onsen. The place is generally costly but also worth the price in terms of quality. Everything runs on time, and even a minute’s delay (or earliness) will get the driver/org to issue an apology for inconveniencing passengers. English is still not spoken by many but Google Translate (and Lens) solves it. I highly recommend making a trip – watch sakura, drink sake and Suntory, experience the madness of the Shibuya crossing, enjoy the bizarre Shinjuku, ride the Shinkansen and finally say, sayonara.
