Wedding ceremony at the Meiji Shrine

The Meiji Shrine was built in 1920 in honour of the late Emperor Meiji. Apart from admiring it's architecture, one can witness wedding processions at the shrine. When's the best time to catch a wedding procession?

Panoramic view of Tokyo

A panoramic view of the city of Tokyo awaits you at the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. And on a clear day, you will be able to catch Mt Fuji, Tokyo Sky Tree and the Tokyo Tower, among other iconic sights and buildings.

Best places to view Mt Fuji from Hakone

Hakone is well known as a resort destination of traditional Japanese ryokan hotels and onsens and catching amazing view of Mt Fuji. Where are the best spots to catch Mt Fuji from Hakone?

Another feature item to come soon

Watch this space. Another feature item will come soon.

Another feature item to come soon

Watch this space. Another feature item will come soon.

Showing posts with label Hakone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hakone. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Hotel Review - Hotel Setsugetsuka Hakone

The Setsugetsuka hotel is a mere 2-minute walk from the Gora station.

The path to the hotel's entrance begins with this natural rustic gateway. A welcoming sight especially after long and tiring train journey.
We walked up this path and it led to a cosy two-seater bench. A pit stop that we could use when we were hiking up the little slope that led to the hotel. The weather was a bit chilly that spring morning, so we moved rapidly to the hotel entrance.
The main sliding door to the hotel reception area was painted with attractive flowers in a very oriental design.
Outside the entrance of the reception area. An artistic display that gives a hint of more Japanese culture to come.
The main lobby. A place for the tired travellers to sit and leave their bags while checking in to the hotel. It had a nice traditional Japanese feel. We felt relaxed the moment we stepped in here. There was nice fragrance lingering in the air. Tea was served while waiting to be checked in. A nice touch indeed.
Opening our room door, we noticed the toilet  situated on the immediate left. Brightly lit, with bathroom slippers on a hangar stuck on the door. It was a little odd that the toilet is separate from the bathroom which is located at the far end in the room nearer the balcony. Odd, but practical.
The room was very large by Japanese standards. It was entirely covered with tatami mats. In the middle of the room, there was a small Japanese table and chairs
The beds, or mattresses actually, were on a raised wooden platform. It was so comfortable sleeping on that. Or perhaps it was the excellent Japanese dinner and the soak in the hot onsen the night before?

The bathroom was clean and neatly packed with fresh white towels, and basic toiletries.
The shower stall looks out into the balcony. There are bamboo shades that can be manually drawn down for privacy
In the balcony, a cedar wooden tub that can be filled with hot water for that serene soak in the outdoors under the stars.
This little black box on the floor next to the table, contained some Japanese crisps and snacks. 
And inside the box, Japanese tea, teapot and cups.
The room also has a refrigerator, sink and humidifier.
The room was also equipped with this tea set, and how-to-instructions.
After a hot soak in the onsens, helped ourselves to several free bottles of chilled Yakults, placed in this bowl just outside one of the onsens. Ahhhh... refreshing!
One of the hotel buildings among lush greenery.
The corridors between the hotel building were built with wood amidst alot of greenery. Guests wore the hotel supplied yukatas. Women had choices of colourful ones, like this lady walking to the onsen. Notice the rattan basket she is carrying? Each room has two of these for guests to hold their toiletries, towels and change of clothes, when walking between the room and the onsens. Isn't that elegant?
Given two dinner options, we opted for the Kaseiki dinner set. Here the appetisers look like art pieces - they were simply too pretty to eat!
Rice was cooked right at our table with seaweed as its base. Once done, the waitress mixed it with prawns and peas. Light, fluffy and full of flavour.
Breakfast was a huge layout of Japanese options, from rice, soup, grilled fish. It was a very filling breakfast indeed.
Apart from two communal onsens, which I do not have any pictures of, there are three private onsens in this hotel. This is one of those private onsens. A very rustic atmosphere, a single tub for two people in the open, yet with enough privacy.

Sunday, 22 April 2012

Photos - Day 5 - Hakone

Japanese Breakfast at Setsugetsuka Hotel > Gora Village > Ropeway > Sounzan > Cable Car > Owakudani > Mt Fuji > Lake Ashi > Pirate Ship > Lake Ashi Hakone Shrine Torii > Hakone machi > Checkpoint Museum > Yumoto Village > Romance Car > Yumoto Station > Shinjuku Station

More Photos > Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 (am) - Day 4 (pm) - Day 5 - Day 5 (pm) - Day 6

Before breakfast, a dip into one of the three private outdoor onsens. This photo shows the hooks to hang your clothes.

A small dressing table and chairs for your basket of clothes and towels.

Outdoors yet with enough privacy. The water was nice and warm. A pleasant soak before breakfast.

A female local guest dressed in the hotel's brightly coloured yukata makes her way to the main onsen.

Free bottles of chilled Yakult were available outside the main onsen.

Setgusetsuka hotel building.
Our Japanese breakfast. What a spread! After breakfast, we headed to the hotel's cafe for a drink of free coffee. Then with the hotel's help, we used the luggage service to send our heavy bags ahead to Yumoto station, while we checked out of the hotel, and continued to explore Hakone, as our train to Shinjuku was only due to depart at 5:30pm.

After we checked out of the hotel, we took a leisure stroll through Gora village.

It always amazes me on the variety of the products in the vending machines in Japan. And their cleanliness! Never encountered a fault or dirty vending machine.

Decided to take the cable car to Souzan...

Then from Souzan, boarded the ropeway to Owakudani..

Once at Owakudani, we stepped out of the station, walked over the the nearest building to admire My Fuji, again.

Saw Hello Kitty and her black egg companion at Owakudani.

Didn't eat these black eggs but were on sale for ¥500 for 5 eggs. The eggs become black after soaking in the sulphur hot spring from this area.

Owakudani stand at 1044m above sea level.

Captured Mt Fuji on the ropeway journey down to Lake Ashi to board the pirate boat.

Some members of the crew were dressed in theme to the delight of children young and old.

The bridge.




At Hakonemachi we walked 10 minutes to the Checkpoint Museum.

This Checkpoint Museum was rebuilt to exact replica of the Edo period checkpoint and used as a gateway for visitors in and out of this area.


To catch our train at Yumoto station, we used our Hakone freepass to catch a bus from Hakonemachi to Yumoto - a mere 30 minute bus ride, if you catch the express bus. Yumoto village has several restaurants, cafes and stalls selling food.

This guy was doing a roaring business selling heart shaped biscuits. ¥250.

Our trip back to Shinjuku was via the EXE model of the Romance car.

Watched the seats automatically swivel to face the forward direction.

More Photos > Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 (am) - Day 4 (pm) - Day 5 - Day 5 (pm) - Day 6