It's only 90 minutes from Shinjuku station Tokyo by Odakyu "Romance Car" bullet train.
As soon as you got on the train, you can just open up some cans of beer and relax.
90 mins passed and you'll feel the natural breeze and see the beautiful rural view that you can't imagine a bit in Tokyo. Like this.
After that I checked in the Japanese style hotel - ryokan - and found my place was really Japanese. No bed inside and I would sleep in a Futon.
Close to the ryokan I stayed, there was a hotel which has two waterfalls in its Japanese Garden. Seems lot of tourists ,including people from outside Japan, stay there so it would be great if you are really new to the Japanese tradition and vacation.
Let's start the Japanese dinner. With Sake wine, of-course, I really enjoyed the plates which are carried really often with the nice serving. Service at the table is overwhelmingly great in Japan, even compared to any other nicest country or city.
Dinner itself was also great enough. One of the best I have ever tasted.
I tried a dish of Ayu, Sweetfish. Ayu is a kind of freshwater fish often served at Japanese restaurants, especially the ones far from the ocean. It's getting to be rare and expensive.
In the morning, before and during breakfast, I didn't have a cup of coffee. Instead, Japanese green tea was served.
Japanese ryokan's serves a lot of meals especially at the breakfast. Usual/ordinary Japanese guests may not be able to finish its half.
After leaving the ryokan, I enjoyed the "round-trip" around Ashinoko (Lake Ashi).
Easy with a one day ticket around 3,000-4,000yen and it covers from Hakone Yumoto to the south end of Ashinoko Lake by bus, Ashinoko Cruising crossing the lake from south to north, Cable Cars up and down the mountains and the trains back to Hakone Yumoto station.
Good from Tokyo, good for a couple or a family.
See more about the great tours:
http://www.travelience.com/tours/
Mt Fuji and Miho-no-Matsubara for World Heritage Site by UNESCO
day diary by Jasmin
