I had booked a day tour to Hakone with GetYourGuide online
in India. They regularly kept in touch and as the day neared for the excursion,
the tour guide contacted me via WhatsApp and gave clear directions on where to
meet and the do's and don'ts. I left early from the hostel, after grabbing a
couple of sandwiches from a convenience store - a SOP by now - wanting to keep
the 7.45 am deadline to meet near Tokyo station.
Even though I reached the
station in time, I was unable to find the meeting place immediately. The GPS
also played truant. Anyway, after a short run around i reached the appointed
place. Many tour operators were already aggregating their guests at the place,
each guide holding a different flag. I reported to Jack, the tour guide, who
allotted me a seat number and directed me to the bus. By 8 am the bus was full,
except for maybe a couple of seats, one of them was beside me. I dropped my
backpack in that.
Sitting in the vehicle I observed that one doesn't come
across any unwashed or beaten-up vehicles. Most of them shimmer in the sun and
the drivers are quite careful on the roads too. Lane driving is key and speed
limits are maintained. Zebra crossings are sacrosanct.
In a short while we were off, more than 25 people. Jack
started with his opening remarks on the do's and don'ts and warned the guests
that it would be better if they stuck to time and followed his instructions at
the sites clearly. He detailed the day's itinerary and the main objective,
which was to get a good sighting of Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan at
3776 meters.
Nevertheless, he also mentioned that Mt. Fuji is also known as shy
mountain because it is mostly covered in clouds and blanketed by mist. It's
visible only for 20 to 30 percent of the year. He hoped that we would be part
of that exclusive 'club'. Jack and the driver belonged to a company called
Gogoday Travels, whose services were aggregated by GetYourGuide.
Along the route to Hakone shrine, Jack explained the
difference between a temple and a shrine. A temple is where a Buddha would be
the chief deity, where as a shrine would have Shinto God in them. The
distinction upfront is the religion, one is imported from Asia, while Shintoism
is home bred. Shrines are marked by a torii gate and komainu dog statues, while
temples often have a sanmon gate, pagodas, and cemeteries.
Jack gave a brief glimpse into the history of how capitals
changed from Nara to Kyoto and later to Tokyo. Interestingly, he told us that
Nara is linked to the famous farewell word 'sayonara'. Apparently, this is what
the King who shifted the capital to Kyoto mentioned as he rode out of Nara,
Sayo Nara, which was meant to be a short farewell, which later turned out to be
an Adieu. Therefore, he said the term must be used with care, especially if you
hope to meet the person again sometime. Jack said that the primary foods of Japan tourists must
experience are Sushi, Ramen, wagyu and Odon noodles. He said that could give
recommendations of restaurants that would not break the wallet!
Going back to
the itinerary he said Hakone shrine, the lucky tree and the floating torii are
first on the list, followed by a tour of the Ashi lake in a pirate ship (for
those who would pay specially for that experience), the Hakone cable car, the
Owakudani active volcano with its hot springs and black eggs. It is said that
each blag egg can add 7 years to your life. However, it changes colour after
two days as the sulphur wears off!
There would be a short break for lunch thereafter, people
ordered in advance for that with the guide. I chose to depend on my sandwiches.
After lunch would be the Mt. Fuji north side view from Oshinohakkai. The Mt
Fuji water is so fresh that it is called the long life water. He said that
people in Oshinohakkai and Oshino village people have the highest longevity,
possibly due to the pure water and air. One can also experience Mt Fuji ice
cream. The Mt Fuji coca cola is white and the sakura cola is pink. The final
stop would be at the Yamanaka lake, which is also called the swan lake due to a
large number of swans there.
During the lunch break in Oshino I walked to the Lawson
store and came across a couple of sakura trees, waiting as if to show off its
bright blossom. I also used the time to experience the use of a vending machine
for a peach nectar fruit drink. F om the Lawson store I also picked up a bottle
of shochu. The Daiyame is a critically acclaimed authentic Japanese sweet
potato shochu produced by Hamada Syuzou in Kagoshima, renowned for its
distinct, intense aroma of fresh lychee. It is "aroma rich" with 25%
ABV and is best enjoyed with strong soda.
The tour happened exactly as described by Jack. Being a
weekend tourists were everywhere. At the Hakone shrine I could not get anywhere
near the floating torii as it was swamped by tourists who took forever to get
the right pose, the right pout and individual and group photos. Since ancient
times, the shrine's deity is believed to be a god of luck and good fortune.
People pray for good luck and removal of bad luck removal, fulfilment of one's
desire (protection of victory), and traffic safety.
The Ashi Lake is a crater lake situated along the wall of
the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that last erupted in 1170 CE at Owakudani.
The lake is known for its views of Mount Fuji, its numerous hot springs,
historic sites, and traditional ryokan.
The boat ride on the 'pirate ship'
offered lovely views of the scenery along the caldera. Multiple tour groups
were on the same ship and there is an exclusive enclosure for first class
tourists at the bow of the boat. Couples could be seen trying to capture the
Titanic magic. The boat ride lasted about half hour and then we took the
cable car to Owakudani.
Each gondola could accommodate about 12 passengers. The
ride is about a half hour. One can get panoramic views of the lake, the sulphur
springs as well as Mt Fuji views. At Owakudani one can get a feel of the
numerous hot springs from where plenty of gas could be seen spiralling up.
Landslides are common in this area due to the fragile rock. However, the
government has put in place many measures to mitigate and minimise the impacts.
The big attraction here is the souvenir shop which sells the black eggs,
Japanese curry, souvenirs and a whole lot of other stuff to take back with you.
The Oshinohakkai visit was really interesting. Oshino Hakkai
literally means “eight seas of Oshino” and refers to the eight freshwater ponds
formed by the meltwater of Mount Fuji. The ponds are renowned for their
stunning clarity and tranquil beauty, each offering a mirror-like reflection of
the surrounding landscapes. One can see the bottom of an 8-meter pond and that
how clear the water is.
There are founts
from where we can drink the pure water and full up your water bottles. The
views of the Mt Fuji were awesome.
In fact, even from the Yamamoto lake we had super views of
the mountain. Thus, it was a lucky day for the tour group with such bright and
lovely weather. The drive back to Tokyo took nearly two and half hours, thanks
to the Sunday evening traffic.
Even though the return trip to Tokyo took longer due to the weekend
traffic it was, indeed, a thoroughly enjoyable day, more so because it was so well
organised and the guide kept supplying the group with interesting titbits of
history, culture and culinary advice. All along the return trip my mind was looking forward to a decent swig of the shochu. I must admit that its lychee punch made it taste like a cocktail, an enjoyable one.
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