Japan: land of mountains
After five days in the city, I was headed to the mountains. I took a bullet train from Tokyo’s Shingawa Station to Odowara and then a bus on to Hakone. I checked in to my room at a cozy onsen hotel. The room was massive and most certainly could sleep four people. It was a combination style room with two Western style beds with mattresses and two traditional futons. I opted for the “when in Japan” mentality and had the best sleep for the next three nights. I positioned myself facing the small balcony, awaking each morning to views of the green mountains surrounding me.
My Hotel in Hakone
Two things to note about Hakone, for me:
1. I was relying exclusively on public transportation. The only time throughout my trip in Japan that I thought a rental car might have been useful was in Hakone. There were local buses, and I utilized them. But, mostly, I walked. The downside of walking was that the narrow mountain roads didn’t really leave much room for safety. I did it anyway and opted for any trail that veered from the road. In doing so, I discovered some unplanned adventures, so ultimately, it turned out fine.
2. I was in an onsen town, but I didn’t enjoy the hot springs. Now, hear me out. I have many tattoos, and while I did quite a bit of research about the acceptability of body art in nude onsens, I didn’t feel comfortable testing the validity of those articles. I know that there are some onsens specifically marked as okay for tattoo bearers. The hotel I stayed at was not one of them. I decided to err on the side of respect and just not risk it.
THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME WERE:
Odowara Castle
Odowara Castle
Old Hakone Highway
Lake Ashi
“It was made to look as if we were transported to a European small town, an inn overlooking a river, with an artificial pond in its spacious garden. The garden was littered with glass sculptures…. As I walked along the pathway, a small bridge leading me over a tiny stream, I thought of Willy Wonka and his rivers of chocolate. The large, colorful glass onions made me envision the sweet convections I could picture from the movie. Then I moved onto my favorite area, which was a flower garden, wherein the flowers were all made of glass…. The museum itself housed old Venetian glass, sculptures, glasses, vases, etc. It was an odd to see this art, this glass, at once so fragile and yet formed by molten fire. To take something so fierce and form something that can shatter; it’s both frightening and fascinating at the same time.” - Journal Entry, 5.23.25
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
Mount Fuji
“I took a cable car up, which then led to a ropeway. The Hakone ropeway took me to a volcanic mountain with a view of Mount Fuji in the distance. As the ropeway neared the site, I felt as though I was transferred to the set of Dune, mixed with Mad Max, tan sand with yellow smoke rising from craters in the ground to the left, lush green mountains to my right. I could smell the sulfur through the glass protecting me from the world outside. It was both stunning and surreal. Once at the station, I walked like a string pulled me to the closest lookout to Mt Fuji.” - Journal Entry, 5.23.24
Mt. Fuji
“Now, if there was a museum thus far that was worth the ridiculous price point, this was it. It was an outdoor sculpture garden, which was both natural and interactive. It also had two exhibits, one of which was of Picasso.” - Journal Entry, 5.26.24
Hakone Open-Air Museum
“I woke up to the sun in my eyes, for the last time in Hakone this morning. It was lovely. I don’t know if I had better sleep than when I was here. I think this may have been my favorite place. Or close to. It reminded me of childhood in an outdated way. As if it took you back in time, to a time before everything was busy and loud, hectic and pushy. When all you had to think about was the sounds of the birds outside and how the mountains cocooned you in silence.” - Journal Entry, 5.18.24
WHAT I WAS READING: Spark of the Everflame and Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
