Hot Springs and Naked Baths!

After some fairly hardcore sightseeing in Kyoto we moved on to Hakone for a few days of relaxing. This meant another trip on the bullet train, which is both very easy and very fast! On the two hour journey we passed close to Mount Fuji, which is quite an impressive sight!  We’d heard we might get to see it from our hotel in Hakone but only if it was a particularly clear day.

We arrived at Mishima station, where we had to catch a bus to connect to Hakone.  Details on what bus and where from were a bit hazy, but after asking several people and learning how to pronounce “Hakone” we managed to get our tickets and a couple of seats on the right bus.  The Japanese have been so kind and helpful, we’ve been really lucky.  The journey to Hakone from Mishima is only about 20km but it took about 50 minutes to climb the fairly steep mountain.  It was a bit like getting to a ski resort, but without the snow!  We saw lots more glimpses of Mount Fuji on the way, and Dan was hanging out the window of the bus trying (and failing!) to get some good photos! Click here to read more…