Mt Fuji/Hakone

Pictures are here

We took the Odakyu line from Shinjuku station. Shinjuku is a huge station in Tokyo and we thought it would take us a long time to find our platform, but we found it quickly enough and had time to spare. Eugene and Anu were not quite getting along since each had ideas on what to do and see and in what order. We ogled at food and sweet displays in windows for a bit. Our reasons for visiting Mt Fuji area were multifold. First, Mt Fuji ofcourse. Second that area is known for its onsen (hot springs bath) and it is close to Tokyo. I had booked us a traditional ryokan (Japanese guesthouse) which are known for their traditional stays, hospitality and Japanese meals for dinner and breakfast.

Though I had written in my reservation form that one of us was a vegetarian, they didn’t get the message. At check in time, Anu embarked upon a conversation with the manager about being a vegetarian. After a few minutes he got what 'vegetarian' meant (no meat, no fish, no chicken) and then he started explaining things to Anu. What it was I don’t know to this day. When Anu didn’t understand what he was saying in return, he was soon drawing things (presumably food options) on paper. I asked if it was mushroom, he said no. After several minutes of back and forth, fluent and rapid conversing (Anu in English and the guy in Japanese with neither party really understanding the other but not giving up on talking either), Anu made peace with the understanding that he was saying she can put the fish aside and give to her friends and she would get extra veg stuff. At dinner she was indeed served differently, she got crabs and clams where we got none! How do you say ‘no shellfish’ in Japanese? I think that’s when Anu started adding ‘no sea’ in her explanation of what is vegetarian. Eugene and I were not complaining, we shared the crab and clams. Anu didn’t quite sleep hungry since there were several other small dishes (including awesome tofu) that were good enough. Anyway, it was to be the single best vegetarian meal for days to come!

There was more fun to be had. Anu then asked the lady serving us for a fork. She did not understand. Hand gestures and more repeated “fork, knife” followed. She finally got it and just cracked up. She was thoroughly amused that someone would ask for a ‘foku’! When asked for foku again the next morning at breakfast, she positively lost it laughing and giggling uncontrollably. She probably told the tale for days! I must say for a chopstick-challenged, foku-using, no meat, no fish, no sea traveler, Anu was a bold one in Japan!

Before I forget, there was a cute printed welcome note on the table (repeated verbatim here) “Ms Uppal Jinny. Welcome I enjoy a hot spring and Japanese foods, and I am relaxed, and please spend it.’ Yes, me too and I will be sure to spend it! Other English signs all over were equally hilarious. We were to see may such cute and funny signs in many hotel rooms At least they try!

The rooms were small, tidy and organized with tatami mattresses to sleep on. There was green tea, flask for hot water and cups, a wrapped sweet (usually mochi), a yukata (cotton kimono) with obi (sash), individually wrapped toothbrush with the smallest brush head I have ever seen, a tiny tube of paste, precisely enough for two uses. It was the same deal in all hotels we stayed at. All rooms in all hotels were small, even the trash cans were tiny, but somehow everything was efficient and in its place. The lady who served us dinner also taught Anu and I how to wear our yukata and made a small butterfly shaped knot at the back made our sash.


The onsen in this ryokan was divine, it was outdoors in a small alcove protected by trees and a high wall for privacy. There was a smell of sulphur and it was very sedating (the smell notwithstanding) and I meditated in it for a while.

Earlier that day we had taken a train and then a gondola up the mountain and stopped off at Owakudani with open hot springs. We took a short hike up to where the springs were and had black eggs, eggs boiled in the springs. We also had a black colored bread with some meat filling in it. That was followed by wasabi ice cream (it grows on you and does have a kick in the aftertaste). Unfortunately in all this, Mt Fuji was cloaked in the clouds and we never got a good enough view to take a picture of. Hakone was surprisingly dead for such a popular tourist town, not that we were complaining. Back in town, Hakone had a sweets festival going on and we went to a bakery where they were serving one of the featured sweets from the festival (participating bakery/hotels serve one featured desert along with tea). In general I was beginning to be impressed with the displays of food and deserts whether the fake food in windows or what is served in your plate. Apparently fake food is a huge industry in Japan with restaurants spending as much as million yen in fake plastic food customized for their menus.