Hakone - Day 8

Well, today certainly started on a good note…

We left rainy Tokyo today to roam amongst the mountains in Hakone, known for its mineral rich, volcanic hot springs. Our destination a Ryokan Onsen, Hakone Mountain View. After negotiating our way through Japan Rail and the intricacies of bus travel, we headed to our Ryokan. A highlight of the journey was seeing Mount Fuji (yay, Ben) having booked, as advised, tickets on the right side of the bullet train.

The Ryokan exuded spa like serenity and has its own indoor and outdoor onsen but also has private onsens which both younger couples booked. While awaiting checkin, we went out to a soba, noodle, restaurant. Soba predates Udon and Ramen and is buckwheat based. Then we walked lunch off by visiting the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands just down the road. It was a serene walk, welcomed after the busy city.

On the way back, we passed a butcher with the Sukiyaki cut we have come love.

Our rooms are spacious and permeated with the expected Japanese esthetic of clean lines, tatami and calm. No shower here! This is a real Ryokan where all bathing is done in the onsen. Dinner and breakfast are included.

Judy and I dipped into the outside onsen and then into deep naps. For dinner, the custom is the wear a Yukata, pictured, which we all did. The dinner was above and beyond as dish after dish was set before us with appetizers, sashimi, steamed pork, fresh creamy asparagus tofu, beef stew, tempura, miso and rice and a small custard desert.

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