Hakone is a town in Japan, Kanagawa Prefecture of Ashigarashimo District. With the total area of 92.82 km², it holds an estimate of 20,000 population this year. Hakone is a place for sight-seeing, with its volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Lake Ashi, and an elegant view of Mt. Fuji, it stands out among the places to spend a relaxing and soothing vacation.
In the midst of Golden Week vacation of 2007, May 2-3, my bosses Yoshizu-san (Hirotaka Yoshizu) and Inoue-san (Kａｚｕｋｉ Inoue) took me to one of the most wonderful trip I ever had in Japan. (Take note that I mentioned their names in full because I do not want to forget them whenever someday I would have a recollection of this trip)
On May 2, we went to the Ōwakudani (Great Boiling Valley) - A famous tourist spot for its great wonderful views, sulphuric vents, volcanic activity, and especially, Kuro-tamago (黒玉子, Kuro-tamago?) — a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs. The boiled eggs turn black and smell slightly sulphuric; consuming the eggs is said to increase longevity. We bought a pack of six eggs then ate one each, the eggs just tasted normal but the thought of how it was processed added the bias and difference. Then we went to the Torii of the shrine in Hakone, at Lake Ashi before we took a pleasant stay in Hakone Highland Hotel for a soothing onsen break. The first day was really really great, everything was overwhelming for me, everything was new, exciting, and was just very interesting for my memory to keep up. We had our dinner at La Forêt (The Forest), a fine dine of french elegant cuisines. Who cares to remember my order's exact name but that was my first time to taste a sweet tomato, anyway. On that night, I spent a lot of time in the onsen for the first time. The onsen set outside was really a relaxing one, I knew I spent a nap in it before I realized it was almost midnight. When I went back to our room, Yoshizu-san and Inoue-san were already ready to sleep (hasukashikatta desu ne). But we had a little snack then and a tv break before we finally called it a great wonderful day.
The next day we woke up at 7am to have another onsen dip, asaburo, as it is called before we went out to buy our meals at a convenience store. That day's mission was to visit MotoHakone and cross over the mountain trails through Ashinoko Skyline Driveway before going home. It was another exciting day. But before then we went to The Ashigara Checkpoint on the historical Tōkaidō road which marks the beginning of Japan's Kantō region. Since Edo period, Ashigara Checkpoint is renamed into Hakone Checkpoint. We also trudged the old Hakone road and took another view of Lake Ashi. Then it was time for the skyline pass. Strategically, I was on the top of the world at that time on the skyline pass because I had a good scenic view of Lake Ashi on my right side and the shy Mt. Fuji on my left side. Where else will I throw away my homesickness, but on that place, whew!!! I wish I had spent an hour there to savor that beautiful view. Mt. Fuji was still shying away buy hiding its tip behind those puffy clouds. Of course, still it was a great day and before I knew it, we were heading home. The trip home was my chance to recall the wonderful trip I had just spent with my bosses. I missed Hakone right away on the trip home and to express that all I could say to my boss in my own basic nihonggo, "Bye-bye Hakone ni narimashita ne", I am not sure if he knew what I really meant. When we dropped off Inoue-san (Thank you Inoue-san), I once again so worried about Yoshizu-san for driving all the way on our Hakone trip. I could tell how tired he was but he was still even kind enough to drop me off on my apartment (Thank you Yoshizu-san).
The Hakone trip was one of the best trips that I ever had. I am always grateful to Yoshizu-san and Inoue-san for that another chance for me to visit a great place in Japan. To my bosses, every bit of it guys were savored in my memory, and again, the least I could do is to say, "Otsukaresama deshita".
In the midst of Golden Week vacation of 2007, May 2-3, my bosses Yoshizu-san (Hirotaka Yoshizu) and Inoue-san (Kａｚｕｋｉ Inoue) took me to one of the most wonderful trip I ever had in Japan. (Take note that I mentioned their names in full because I do not want to forget them whenever someday I would have a recollection of this trip)
On May 2, we went to the Ōwakudani (Great Boiling Valley) - A famous tourist spot for its great wonderful views, sulphuric vents, volcanic activity, and especially, Kuro-tamago (黒玉子, Kuro-tamago?) — a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs. The boiled eggs turn black and smell slightly sulphuric; consuming the eggs is said to increase longevity. We bought a pack of six eggs then ate one each, the eggs just tasted normal but the thought of how it was processed added the bias and difference. Then we went to the Torii of the shrine in Hakone, at Lake Ashi before we took a pleasant stay in Hakone Highland Hotel for a soothing onsen break. The first day was really really great, everything was overwhelming for me, everything was new, exciting, and was just very interesting for my memory to keep up. We had our dinner at La Forêt (The Forest), a fine dine of french elegant cuisines. Who cares to remember my order's exact name but that was my first time to taste a sweet tomato, anyway. On that night, I spent a lot of time in the onsen for the first time. The onsen set outside was really a relaxing one, I knew I spent a nap in it before I realized it was almost midnight. When I went back to our room, Yoshizu-san and Inoue-san were already ready to sleep (hasukashikatta desu ne). But we had a little snack then and a tv break before we finally called it a great wonderful day.
The next day we woke up at 7am to have another onsen dip, asaburo, as it is called before we went out to buy our meals at a convenience store. That day's mission was to visit MotoHakone and cross over the mountain trails through Ashinoko Skyline Driveway before going home. It was another exciting day. But before then we went to The Ashigara Checkpoint on the historical Tōkaidō road which marks the beginning of Japan's Kantō region. Since Edo period, Ashigara Checkpoint is renamed into Hakone Checkpoint. We also trudged the old Hakone road and took another view of Lake Ashi. Then it was time for the skyline pass. Strategically, I was on the top of the world at that time on the skyline pass because I had a good scenic view of Lake Ashi on my right side and the shy Mt. Fuji on my left side. Where else will I throw away my homesickness, but on that place, whew!!! I wish I had spent an hour there to savor that beautiful view. Mt. Fuji was still shying away buy hiding its tip behind those puffy clouds. Of course, still it was a great day and before I knew it, we were heading home. The trip home was my chance to recall the wonderful trip I had just spent with my bosses. I missed Hakone right away on the trip home and to express that all I could say to my boss in my own basic nihonggo, "Bye-bye Hakone ni narimashita ne", I am not sure if he knew what I really meant. When we dropped off Inoue-san (Thank you Inoue-san), I once again so worried about Yoshizu-san for driving all the way on our Hakone trip. I could tell how tired he was but he was still even kind enough to drop me off on my apartment (Thank you Yoshizu-san).
The Hakone trip was one of the best trips that I ever had. I am always grateful to Yoshizu-san and Inoue-san for that another chance for me to visit a great place in Japan. To my bosses, every bit of it guys were savored in my memory, and again, the least I could do is to say, "Otsukaresama deshita".
Sengukuhara plains
Shinoko Skyline stop-over ...
I missed Hakone Highland Hotel na ...
A scenic view on the way to Hakone
Along Lake Ashi
Somewhere, a stop-over on a wierd showhouse ...
Hakone Shrine ...
Ashigara Checkpoint
Ōwakudani (Great Boiling Valley)
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