A BLISSFUL ESCAPE | HAKONE | JAPAN

As part of our adventure in Japan, we took some time to Tokyo’s favourite escape, Hakone. It is a land known for Onsen, which is a natural hot spring.  We were there purely to soak in the lakes, mountain scenery and of course, to see and admire the spectacular Mount Fuji.  It was a 3 hour journey from Shinjuku to Hakone but worth all the effort and time.

We stopped by the food market to pick up some snacks and also made our way to Odawara. As Odawara is the gateway to the hot springs of Hakone with trains and buses running to various parts of the area, it was no wonder we took a slight detour to visit Odawara Castle before making our way over.  Albeit brief at the castle, we managed to capture the lovely cherry blossom trees along the river.

Sadly, the clouds were pretty prominent on the day of our Hakone visit, so we were not able to have a clear view of Mt Fuji itself, however, we were still taken by surprise by the picturesque lake views of Lake Ashinoko and its beautiful surroundings.  The Lake was very calming and the water reflects the natural line of the mountains and on a clear day, you can see Mt Fuji reflecting off the water.

Next time we are in Japan (which will hopefully be towards the end of this year), we will take a few days to appreciate the solitude of Hakone. Even plan a hike, take a dip in a private hot spring, and sample Hakone’s off-beat gems.  Like most things in Japan, (and everywhere else in the world, may I add) the beauty is in the details. You just have to know where to look for it. JPN

And to finish off the day, some of the finest and 

freshest seafood, sushi and sashimi