Goodbye Hakone

Day 8 ~ 11,600 miles

We departed early for Lake Ashi along narrow switchback roads cut into the mountainside and through the dense forest. Unfortunately Mt. Fuji lived up to her reputation of being shy as she was completely hidden under a blanket of clouds. After cruising across Lake Ashi we arrived in Motohakone and then walked along a stretch of the Old Tökaidö Road Ancient Cedar Avenue among cedar trees planted in 1618.

Next stop Hamamatsuya to an incredible wood shop where the 7th generation of this family is carrying on the tradition of Hakone Parquetry. Many of the pieces take months to produce and are more complex and intricate then anything I’m seen.

Our full day continued by visiting 2 Geishas. I had been under the mistaken impression that Geisha are sex workers. While that may have been true in ancient Japan it is definitely not currently the case. I have a new found respect for the Geisha. These Geisha we were privileged to meet have been working Geishas for 35 years. They are graceful and elegant and are dedicated to their craft and train daily on over 20 traditional Japanese dances.

One last stop before heading to our hotel was at the Hakone Botanical Garden of the Wetlands. Honestly this was a waste of time and the “200 meter walk” to our hotel was actually 2+ kilometers which after a long day was an unexpected treat.Read more