Day 10 - 4th Day in Tokyo

(Above ) Mt. Fuji - the icon of Japan

We will leave the hotel by 6.15am so that we can walk a leisurely pace and reach JR Shinjuku station by 6.45am. We will have to purchase a set of two 1 way ordinary train tickets at ¥1150 from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto. This must be used in conjunction with the set of two Romancecar Shinkansen tickets at ¥870 we reserved and bought the day earlier. To get to our train, we have to crossover tp the private Odakyu Odawara Line which is parallel to the JR platforms on the west side. It is located on ground level, which is a level below the Odayku department store.
(Above) Romancecar Shinkansen

As this is our first ride on a Shinkansen(bullet train), I have read a little about the Romancecar Shinkansen (above) which is a series 50000 train that has the driver’s cabin located above the passenger carriage so that passengers can get a bird eye view out of the front of the train. So if you can, try to reserve the first row seat for an unobstructed view of where the train is heading.The train tilts at high speed through tight curving tracks along the way. The train won a good design award in 2005 and 2006.

On board the train, we will probably look to buying our breakfast. I plan to get the Romancecar Ekiben(boxed meal) which will allow us to take back a souvenir of the Romancecar. See above and below for the Ekiben.

The trip from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto takes about 1.5 hrs. We will take this time to rest or look at the passing scenery(below) Who knows, we may catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji.

(Above) Romancecar pulling into Hakone Yumoto Station, our destination

(Above) Hakone Yumoto Train Station

Upon reaching Hakone Yumoto, we will head to the Yumoto Tourist Office opened daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm to find out more information on Hakone.

I will be checking out in particular how to get to Sounzan which is where the terminal station for the Hakone Tozan Cablecar is located. Apparently, the trip from Sounzan to Togendai on Lake Ashi, symbol of Hakone, will take us 30 minutes.

What makes it worth the trip would be to gaze out from the large windows of the Swiss-made cable car cabins which will allow us to appreciate the sweeping natural beauty of Hakone’s unspoiled foliage and terrain. Owakudani, one of the stations along the way, offers magnificent views of Mount Fuji(above) and hot springs (below) in what is still an active volcanic region.

I will also be checking how we can reach our next point – Gotemba ,either from Togendai Cable Car Station or from our original start point – Hakone Yumoto. Gotemba is a place where 8 days magazine recommended as a place to shop at. Just a visit to the webpage of the shops and brands represented at the Gotemba Premium Outlets and you will know why you can shop till you drop.

The Gotemba concept is a unique shopping experience which puts a cluster of well known shops and retailers in an extra ordinary setting, among the mountains and scenery.

From Gotemba, we will check which is more feasible and convenient to make our way back to Shinjuku. From what I have read, it seems that the most convenient one is to hop a ride on the Kousokubusbus service which leaves from the Gotemba Premium outlet and reaches JR Shinjuku station west exit stop in 2.5 hrs. The one way fare is ¥1700 per person.

Assuming we leave the place at 5pm, we will reach Shinjuku at around close to 8pm. We will probably grab a dinner and head back to our hotel for a break and looking through any shopping buys.