For a Mt. Fuji Sighting Site, take the Lake Kawaguchi Mt. Tenjō Ropeway to get to the peak of Mount Tenjō, famous for being the place of the Kachi-kachi Story. If you have time to go to the Fujiya Cookie store before or after your ropeway ride, try the different flavours of Mt. Fuji-shaped cookies. (They…
Month: November 2018
“Spring of the Gods”: Oshino Hakkai Springs
Not-to-be-missed Mt. Fuji World Cultural Heritage Site and Japanese national monument, Oshino Hakkai Springs is situated in an idyllic, picturesque village in the Fuji Five Lakes region where you can explore nature, history, food, and culture while chasing Mt. Fuji. On a clear day, you might see her majesty, the elusive Fujisan. If you happen…
Planning Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo
Driver-san took us to the mountain top to see this: He said, “Kaba.” That was because the gorgeous scenery in front of us was on the cover (kaba) of the Hakone travel magazine!!!😍 What a lovely view to cap our Hakone visit! Not bad for an iPhone camera (my shot, not the magazine’s 🙂 [Thank…
Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Shekiso)
Imagine you were a young girl and had to leave your family to be sent to a heavily-guarded compound to work under a strict feudal rules. Day in and day out, all you did was work, work, work. Violators of rules are severely punished. You are walled in and watched from all sides by weapon-wielding guards….
Lake Ashi Cruise Hakone and Taxi Information
I’ve been on a Lake Ashi Cruise before but I’m so thankful that this time, the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise we took, takes a different route altogether. [I showed Driver-san the picture of the red pirate ship and I tried oh so hard to tell him that this is the lake cruise I want to take….
Owakudani, Hakone
Breathtaking not only for the full circle majestic nature views but also for the air’s sulphuric vapor [#cough]… around 3000 years ago, Hakone Volcano had an eruption which formed this valley called Owakudani (translated as “Boiling Valley” but sometimes referred to as “Hell Valley” by locals). It has active sulphur vents and hot springs. (Please…
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Fields, Hakone
Lustrous silvery-gold heads of Pampas grass dance gracefully to the rhythm of the wind on the rolling fields of Mount Hakone. Perfect setting for a romantic movie scene 😍😄❤️🌈💐 . Sengokuhara Pampas (Susuki) Grass Field parts in the middle like the Red Sea allowing an exodus of men, women, and children to ascend the hills…
Venetian Glass Museum, Hakone
Twinkle, twinkle, little star! Er….. I mean glass! Thousands of them! In broad daylight! Little pieces of Venetian Glass gently sway to and fro to the blowin’ in the wind as they hang from trees and a towering bridge canopy . They reflect the light they catch, producing a majestic sparkling wonderland. Add stunning glass sculptures set…
The Little Prince Museum, Hakone
“What is essential is invisible to the eye.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince The Little Prince has become a phenomenon: 200 million books sold worldwide translated into 290 languages; a successful movie with 23 million viewers; 80-episode television series broadcasted in 50 countries; a musical play; the first aerial park in the world located…
Forest Bathing in Historical Village, Hokkaido
Forest-bathing, apparently… is a thing! The Japanese concept called Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) is a therapeutic leisure activity of being in a forest, taking in the fresh air while doing nature walks and is thought to 1. Relieve stress 2. Detoxify the mind and body from an electronically charged environment 3. Lower blood pressure 4. Decrease anxiety,…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 