This morning I rode an Odakyu train from Shinjuku station in Tokyo to the touristic natural area of Hakone, about 80km south-west of central Tokyo. This wasn't originally part of my trip planning, but seeing as the weather was going to look beautiful this Saturday it would have been a waste to stay in the city.

Given that I went totally unprepared and only for a day (which, given the time taken in transportation, ends up being more like a half day), I mostly stuck to the standard route. But that was still completely worth it.

Funicular to Sounzan

I took a bus to Gora, starting point of a funicular train¹ which rides up 200m to Sounzan.

The view was nice up there, but that's just a stop on my way to what I really wanted to see.

Cable car to Owakudani & Togendai

From Sounzan starts a cable car line that rides above the active volcanic area of the surrounding mountains.

The cable car then reaches Owakudani. The view was phenomenal from there.

Then going back down on the other side of the mountain to Lake Ashinoko.

Piracy

Lake Ashinoko has regular boat cruises crossing from the cable car terminal station to villages on the opposite side of the lake. However I wasn't really expecting that kind of boat:

Replica pirate boats! That was a fun surprise.

Historical Break at the Hakone Checkpoint

Hakone used to be a major stop between Edo and Kyoto in the 17th century. It served as a security checkpoint, enforcing strict checks for the travelers of the Tokaido Road.

While the historical checkpoint has been destroyed, a reconstitution has been built and can be visited. It has some nice trivia about how the place operated, as well as some more nice views on the lake!

Onshihakone Park

This park about 5 minutes away from the checkpoint exhibition was nothing too special, but still very enjoyable to wander around and stop for a short break.

And back to Tokyo!

After all that I headed back to Tokyo, and finished the day with some delicious Unagi!

Nothing planned just yet for tomorrow, will probably just walk around the city and waste time doing some shopping and playing in arcades. On Monday I'll be going to the Miyagi prefecture to see some foxes though! Stay tuned.