This article is reprinted from the WeChat public account of a reader in our WeChat group, 懒人 33 的吃喝玩乐. Original link.

Heading to Hakone

We were off to Hakone! My original interest in Japan actually started with Japanese-style onsen ryokans—one night with two meals, sleeping on tatami, and enjoying traditional Japanese breakfast and dinner. That whole experience has always had a special pull on me.

At Shin-Osaka Station, we were taking the shinkansen again. First, we grabbed various sandwiches and onigiri from a convenience store inside the station for breakfast.

Having learned from past experience, we had already bought that day’s non-reserved-seat ticket on our previous shinkansen ride and linked it to Suica. We got through the gates smoothly by tapping Suica, and finally redeemed ourselves.

Shin-Osaka Station was fairly crowded. To save time, we carried our luggage up the stairs, then walked quite a long way before reaching the non-reserved cars. A lot of people were lining up to board, so we decided to eat on the platform and wait for the next train 10 minutes later. Nozomi trains run much more frequently than Hikari trains.

To get to Hakone, the first step is Odawara Station. You can take the Hikari directly to Odawara, but we had just missed one, and the next one would have required too much waiting. So we decided to take the Nozomi to Nagoya first and transfer there.

The transfer time in Nagoya was very short—only 3 minutes. While on the Nozomi, I opened Google Maps and saw that our arrival platform was No. 14 and the departure platform for the transfer was No. 15. I specifically looked up whether Platforms 14 and 15 were across from each other and whether we’d need to go up and down stairs. I was relieved to find out we didn’t.

Once we arrived in Nagoya, we rushed to the Hikari already waiting on the opposite platform and found seats without any trouble.

The Hikari was clearly a bit older than the Nozomi, and the seat pitch was slightly tighter too. Still, the conditions were perfectly good.

A conductor walked by, but I never saw him check anyone’s ticket.

Odawara Station was livelier than I expected. I headed straight to the visitor center to buy a Hakone Freepass. There were quite a few people, and I waited in line for about 10 minutes. The staff at the visitor center spoke excellent English and communication was completely smooth—the best English I encountered on this trip. The Hakone sightseeing map from the visitor center was incredibly, incredibly useful. Not only did it show transportation throughout Hakone, it also marked the major attractions directly on the map. I kept it in hand the entire time we were in Hakone. Both Chinese and English versions were available.

Because we were going to Mt. Fuji the next day, I bought the Fuji Hakone 3-day pass. But after finishing the trip, I realized that for our particular itinerary, the regular Hakone Freepass would have been enough. In the Fuji area, some buses accept the pass and some do not, but Suica works on all of them and is more convenient anyway. Many of the Fuji area’s current popular attractions are either free or don’t accept the pass, unlike Hakone where it works almost everywhere. On top of that, the Fuji Hakone Pass includes one Romancecar segment from Odawara back to Shinjuku in Tokyo, but it can only be used from Odawara. For travelers like us who went to Hakone first and then Fuji, that part was completely unusable, so it wasn’t a great value. The Hakone-area pass can be purchased with or without the Romancecar add-on, which is more flexible.

We used this classic first-time Hakone itinerary as a reference: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/cn/course/515

This site is officially produced by Odakyu and has quite a few route ideas worth checking out: https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/cn/course

First we took the train to Hakone-Yumoto, then transferred to the mountain railway to head to the station closest to our hotel.

We skipped lunch and bought more onigiri at Hakone-Yumoto Station instead.

The mountain railway is the traditional zigzag-style climbing train. During the ascent, the front and rear of the train switch multiple times, so sometimes you move forward and sometimes backward. It was my child’s first time riding something like this and they found it fascinating.

It rained all day. Through the misted-up windows, we could see lush, dripping greenery outside the train.

My child and I sat behind the driver’s cab, though the driver was obviously not operating from that compartment.

Kowakidani is a very small station. We got off and checked the station lockers, but they clearly wouldn’t fit our large suitcases. We asked a staff member, who said luggage could be stored inside the station, but only until 4 p.m. It was already almost 3 p.m., so there was no way we could make it back in time to pick everything up. So we switched to Plan B: check into the hotel first, then go back out sightseeing.

Hakone Gora Byakudan Onsen Hotel

Hakone may not have the very best hot springs in Japan, but it is probably the most famous hot spring area. That means there are plenty of ryokans to choose from. The one I picked, Hakone Gora Byakudan, fulfilled basically every part of my ideal Japanese onsen hotel experience.

Originally, I wanted to book Gora Kadan, which is said to be the gold standard for onsen hotels in Hakone. But incredibly, the hotel is closed on Saturdays—talk about doing things on its own terms. This website has information on onsen hotels across Japan and is quite useful for finding the kind of property you like: https://rishiluguan.com/ryokan/location/hakone-hot-spring

I booked on agoda more than half a year in advance, but as mentioned in An Unforgettable Spring Break Trip to Japan - Pre-Trip Prep That’s Absolutely Worth It, Japanese-language booking sites should be cheaper. At the time I booked, I still didn’t know much, and by the time I discovered this trick, this hotel had already sold out. The better the hotel in Hakone, the harder it really is to book. You definitely need to reserve months ahead, or else try your luck with last-minute openings a few days out.

Kowakidani is the train station closest to the hotel and also the designated shuttle pickup point. After we called, the hotel shuttle came into view in less than 5 minutes.

About five minutes later, we arrived at the hotel. The property sits on a secluded hillside with plenty of privacy, and as soon as we arrived, someone came out to greet us. From the moment we entered the lobby, we were asked to change into the Japanese-style slippers provided by the hotel. We left our own shoes at the entrance, and the staff put them away for us. They also took our coats and dried our umbrellas. The service was extremely thoughtful.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the forest—layered in shades of green—was soaked by the rain. The mountain peaks were wrapped in clouds and mist, half visible and half hidden, like something out of a dream.

The view outside the window was a work of art, and the hotel lobby felt like an art gallery designed to display it to full effect. The spacious lobby and high ceilings made it feel as if we were resting in a shelter deep in the forest. By the floor-to-ceiling windows were comfortable sofas where you could quietly admire the scenery outside and enjoy a moment of peace and ease.

There was no need to wait at the front desk; we were instead shown to a sofa to sit and wait.

More frothy matcha. This cup was especially good—I really wanted another one after finishing it. The sakura sweet was tasty too. The kid got a small cookie.

A staff member came over to the sofa to help us check in, then took us to our room. I had booked a Japanese-style room on the hotel’s second floor, and the room was named “仙.” The name really matched the rainy scenery—Biyakudan in the rain did feel wonderfully ethereal.

As usual, we had to take off our shoes before entering.

The room had a private onsen bath. The spring water flowing in was a bit too hot to touch, so we had to run some cold water for a while to get it to a comfortable temperature, then stir it with the 湯ぶし by the tub.

There was a glass door by the sink leading to the shower room, and another door on the far side of the shower room opened out to the onsen.

There was a lounge chair on the onsen terrace. How relaxing would it be to lie there after a soak and take in this view?

The closet already had yukata and warm outerwear set out. If I had to name a couple of downsides to the hotel, first, the room was smaller than I expected—just barely enough space to make do. Second, the closet had a pretty strong foot odor. There was deodorizing spray in there, but it obviously didn’t help much.

There were also some Japanese sweets in the room, and those were pretty good too.

The futons for the night were stored in the closet cabinet.

Since shoes had to come off before entering the room, the toilet room also had Japanese-style slippers—put them on before going in.

We mentioned to the front desk that we wanted to go out and explore, and since dinner was served no later than 7 pm, we needed to make it back before then.

By the time we came downstairs, our shoes had already been set out neatly by the door. The hotel had long-handled umbrellas printed with the hotel logo at the entrance, and since we hadn’t bought one earlier in the trip, we borrowed one.

The hotel shuttle took us to Sounzan Station. The Hakone Tozan Cable Car only runs on the Gora-to-Sounzan segment, and that happened to be the part we skipped, so we didn’t get to ride it.

Some people were out on the observation deck enjoying the view.

Sightseeing

We went to ride the ropeway—our kid loves cable cars and was thrilled. We took it to Owakudani. Supposedly, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji from the ropeway.

Through the window, we could vaguely see the flowers on the mountain blooming beautifully.

Looking up toward the mountain, though, it felt like an endless void.

Owakudani’s signature food is black curry, and there was a black curry restaurant upstairs.

Because Owakudani sits at a higher elevation, in this rainy, foggy weather you really couldn’t see a thing.

There was also a walking trail you could take down.

The gift shop at Owakudani Station was fun to browse too. We bought Owakudani’s signature smoked eggs there and ended up eating them later in Tokyo. When we opened the egg box, the smoky smell was incredibly strong, but once peeled, they basically tasted like hard-boiled eggs—salty, but not too salty. Worth buying a box to try. They also sold black curry.

Then we continued by ropeway to Togendai Port. From Togendai Station, we boarded the pirate ship. The main reason to buy the Hakone Free Pass is that all these different forms of transportation don’t take IC cards, so buying tickets every single time would be a hassle.

I had assumed the pirate ship would be some tiny beat-up boat, but it was actually pretty big. It was getting late, and we took the last sailing of the day.

The inside of the boat was quite fancy too, with three levels.

Lake Ashi looked gray and misty in the rain.

There was a small snack bar on the boat selling snacks and drinks.

Our kid loves riding boats, especially big ones, and kept running up and down.

With all the rocking, our kid eventually fell asleep. We first arrived at Moto-Hakone Port. Since no one around us got off, we stayed on too, thinking the boat would loop back later. But when we got to Hakone-machi Port, they announced it was the final stop. I ran downstairs to check the schedule and realized this was the last boat of the day, and the port order was different from the earlier sailings.

So we had no choice but to get off. At that hour, there was hardly anyone around, and Hakone-machi Port felt deserted.

Luckily, plenty of buses were still running, and Hakone-machi Port was the starting stop. We boarded a bus, and we were the only passengers. The Hakone Shrine we wanted to visit had already closed by then. We had planned to ride straight back to the hotel, but then I thought, even if the shrine was closed, we could still go take a look. After confirming with the driver, he said that was fine. The driver was very kind and specifically reminded us to get off at the stop closest to the shrine.

Hakone Shrine is best known for its torii gate in the water, and it was just a short walk from the bus stop. Even though the weather wasn’t cooperating, you could still tell how beautiful the scenery along the way was. Especially at that hour, there was almost no one around at all, and it felt like a hidden paradise cut off from the rest of the world.

From a distance, you could see the torii gate standing in the water.

The water had flooded over the stone steps.

Cross the bridge and you arrive at the shrine entrance.

The torii gate is across from the shrine. After crossing the road and taking a small path, we were blocked by a fairly deep puddle. We hesitated there for a while and even considered giving up and going back to the hotel. Just then, three tourists carefully made their way over from the other side, which gave us confidence, so we gritted our teeth and successfully “crossed the river.”

The torii gate in the water was built to commemorate the Japanese sea god. With the rain falling softly on it, the gate looked even more mysterious and beautiful.

We admired it for a while. Then another group of visitors arrived, so we gave up our spot and left.

We took a different route on the way back, so we didn’t have to wade through the puddle again. This path led directly to the shrine.

There were also people fishing by the lake.

On the whole street, only this boutique across from us was still open, standing there all by itself. The decorations by the entrance and in the display window were especially cute. I even walked across the street just to admire them, but unfortunately the sign on the window said no photos.

The screen showed how much the fare had come to from whichever stop you boarded at.

We rode to the "Kowakudani" bus stop near the hotel and called the hotel for pickup. The shuttle arrived in two minutes—Byakudan’s shuttle service was always very fast.

This was the hotel entrance.

The lobby had lots of beautiful decorative vessels on display.

Our room.

There was no keycard, only a key—very traditional.

Dinner

The hotel recommended wearing Japanese yukata for dinner, so my partner and I changed into yukata, but our kid didn’t want to.

There was complimentary Japanese-style jelly in the fridge, but the sauce that came with it was incredibly sour. After a few bites, I just couldn’t keep eating it.

The restaurant is on the first floor. Each guest room has a corresponding private dining room with the same name. Ours was called “仙,” the same as our room name.

The kids’ tableware provided by the restaurant was adorable. The server was clearly trying hard to speak English, though their proficiency seemed pretty limited.

An English menu had already been set out on the table. Dinner at the hotel was also a traditional Kaiseki meal.

My partner ordered sake.

The kid’s set meal was very elaborate.

Seasonal appetizers. I forgot to take a separate photo of the sakizuke, so it’s in the upper-right corner of the photo above.

Everything was light, fresh, and delicious. The seasonal appetizer course honestly felt even better than the Michelin-starred kaiseki place we went to in Kyoto.

Clear soup and palate cleanser. The soup course in kaiseki never disappoints. The pine nut rice was also wonderfully fragrant.

Sashimi course. The radish in it was so crisp and refreshing.

We had to grate the horseradish ourselves, so naturally I handed that physical labor over to my partner.

The grilled course surprisingly wasn’t fish today! As someone who never really appreciates Japanese grilled fish, I was thrilled.

The meat was so tender. Isn’t this way better than grilled fish? The vegetables were delicious too—the asparagus and shiitake mushrooms were tender with a subtle, fresh aroma.

Covered dish. Quite tasty, and not salty either.

Fried dish. Crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Rice course. The rice dish in kaiseki is another one I don’t totally “get”—it felt a bit like eating rice with pickled vegetables as a kid.

The kid’s dessert was fresh fruit.

The adults’ dessert included ice cream, cheese, fruit, and wagashi.

Overall, dinner was refined and delicious. Aside from the rice course, which I still don’t really understand, everything else was quite solid across the board, just with a little less wow factor than I’d hoped. Still, by hotel dining standards, it was very good.

At this time it was the hotel’s happy hour, with all kinds of snacks available to grab freely and alcohol available to drink freely. We picked up a whole pile of snacks.

The public bath was on level B1, so we went down to take a look. In Japan, hot springs are typically enjoyed fully nude, so swimsuits and the like are not allowed. Photos usually aren’t permitted in public baths out of concern about capturing other people naked, but there was absolutely no one there at the time, so I took a few.

The glass was still foggy after the rain.

Next to the public bath was a lounge with the hotel’s house-made ice cream mochi available free 24 hours a day, plus two electric massage chairs.

When we got back to the room after dinner, I realized the hotel had emailed me while we were on the return bus. They were worried we might not be able to find our way back and asked where we were and whether we could still make it back in time for dinner. So thoughtful.

At onsen hotels, they usually lay out the futons while guests are at dinner. Sure enough, by the time we returned, the bedding had already been prepared. When booking an onsen hotel, you can usually choose whether a preschooler needs bedding and meals; I selected both for my child.

The bedding looked so cozy.

Downstairs, the hotel had a children’s yukata jacket that could be worn for photos, and once my kid was full, they were finally willing to put it on and pose.

After the whole family enjoyed a nice soak, we got ready for bed. Once I lay down, I realized the room’s lighting was really pretty too.

As soon as the door slid shut, the Japanese feel completely washed over us.

We slept wonderfully.

Breakfast

In the morning, my kid was sprawled all over the place in sleep. Tatami is still relatively firm, so anyone who can’t sleep on a hard bed may find it uncomfortable. Many onsen hotels offer a “Japanese-Western room,” meaning the living area is Japanese-style while the sleeping area has standard beds. Or you can choose a “Western-style room,” which is just a fully Western room.

Once the weather cleared, the scenery looked even more beautiful.

The hotel lobby was beautiful not just visually. The music in the lobby was deeply Zen-like, and the incense burning there easily brought to mind the word “sandalwood.” Sight, sound, and scent all worked together to express the hotel’s theme to the fullest.

Breakfast still meant grilled fish was unavoidable, and in fact, during dinner the night before, the server had already brought over a menu with pictures so we could choose our fish...

The salad was actually pretty good—we finished all of it.

Both the adults and the kids started with a few small pickled side dishes.

This drink was apricot juice—very tasty.

Fish grilled on a leaf-shaped tray.

Yogurt with nuts is always delicious. Breakfast was served very quickly, with everything brought out all at once, and we devoured the whole meal.

After breakfast, we went to the lounge next to the public bath and relaxed with a massage for a bit.

The public bath was still empty—this was the morning after the rain.

The facilities in the public bath were excellent, and there was no need to bring bath towels down from the room.

The lounge had massage chairs and little mochi dumplings with ice cream.

Looking out the window from the lobby.

A corner on the second floor, with incense burning.

The hotel toiletries were all from mikimoto, and the public bath used the same brand as well.

I imagine it must be even more beautiful during fall foliage season.

This was the day we were heading to Mt. Fuji. Our original plan was to take a local bus to Gotemba Station, then transfer to another bus to Kawaguchiko. After check out, the hotel helped us check the bus schedule and suggested leaving for the bus stop 20 minutes before departure. We rested in the hotel lobby for a bit and enjoyed a few quiet, relaxing moments.

When it was time, the shuttle took us to the bus stop. Several hotel staff members even came outside to see us off. I have to praise the service here again! The whole stay really felt like being at home—even though we only stayed one night, the staff all recognized us. Every time we were about to head out, our shoes were already placed at the door, and the shuttle always arrived promptly. That kind of detailed, thoughtful service was incredibly heartwarming.

While waiting for the bus, we glanced at the bus stop sign and realized that because it was a weekend, the schedule was different from weekdays. That day, there wasn’t any bus to Gotemba until 5 pm. Good thing we checked—otherwise we would have been waiting for a bus that was never going to come.

There also wasn’t anywhere nearby to hail a taxi, so we quickly called the hotel. The hotel promptly sent the shuttle again and took us to a larger bus station, which was also a taxi stand, but after circling around, we still couldn’t find a single taxi. So we had no choice but to return to the hotel.

Just then, a taxi happened to drop off a passenger at the hotel. After all that back and forth, my travel companion suggested that maybe we should just take a taxi directly to our hotel in Kawaguchiko. Since it was such a long trip, we asked the driver, and he happily agreed. So we set off on the longest taxi ride of this trip, heading for Kawaguchiko near Mt. Fuji.

About the Author

This article is reposted from the WeChat public account of a reader from our WeChat group, 懒人 33 的吃喝玩乐. The account features excellent original writing, so feel free to check it out if you’re interested.

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