Our final day in Tokyo, we woke up and went to the hotel gym to work out and make sure to maximize our use of the beautiful hotel amenities. We departed from the lovely Andaz and set off for Hakone, a town a few hours from Tokyo famous for its hot springs and views of Mount Fuji. There, we would be staying in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese guest house.
To get to Hakone, we had to take the
JR train from Tokyo, switch to a local Hakone train and then take a bus. When we finally arrived at
the Ryokan to check in, we removed our shoes and replaced them with
indoor clogs, as is the Japanese custom when entering a home, Temple, etc. The weather was pretty lousy and we definitely weren't getting views of Mt. Fuji, so we decided to save
site-seeing for the morning and to wait out the rain and fog by relaxing in the
Ryokan.
After a man who spoke some English checked us in, a woman
who spoke no English led us to our room. Along the way, she dramatically pointed out every
fire exit. Thanks... In our room, I made the grave mistake of stepping up onto
the tatami (finely weaved bamboo floor mat) with my clogs on. A big no-no. Our escort nonverbally instructed me
to remove my shoes, which I did. This custom proved to be a source of some stress as I
had much trouble remembering to do this each time we entered the room.
We were staying in a modern Ryokan, which was equipped with
electricity, indoor plumbing and air conditioning. The large suite included an
front room with 2 chairs facing a balcony with beautiful mountain views. To the left, was the bathroom, which contained special wooden shoes
for use only in the bathroom. To the right, was a very big room divided by a
temporary wall. In the first part, was a low wooden table with 2 backed cushions
on the floor. This would be where we would eat our colorful and elaborate
feasts of (vegetarian) traditional Japanese cuisine. Beyond the divider was an
empty room with a closet. On the floor, they would later prepare our sleeping
mats. She helped us don our yukata, a light kimono worn in summertime,
which we wore for the next 20 hours (except to sleep). [Hint: it’s wrapped left over right. The
other way is reserved for the deceased.]
We explored the premises including engaging in our first
onsen (Japanese hot spring) experience. During open hours,
men and women use different onsen as people traditionally soak without clothes.
Unsure of what to expect, we reviewed the onsen etiquette and braced ourselves for
awkward nudity encounters. I felt a mix of relief and disappointment
that I was alone in the women’s onsen. The onsen were in a picturesque, secluded
area at the base of a mountain and beside a stream. The lush
surroundings, sounds of chirping birds and flowing water, and the hot water in
the onsen made a serene soaking experience.
We returned to our room for dinner. After a long
and difficult discussion (that relied heavily on Google translate) with our
maid, we finally felt assured that the kosher and vegetarian messages were successfully received. [Context: This is
after much back and forth with an English-speaking booking agency, and having
both emailed and hand delivered a paper detailing in both English and Japanese
what kosher is and isn’t.]
We were served many, many, many Japanese dishes that were new to us in appearance, color, texture, and
flavor. The food was fresh and flavorful and certainly interesting but we
didn’t love most of it. Japanese food involves a lot of pickling, miso, and
very soft tofu- none of which we especially enjoy. We were glad to experience it though. And we have discovered a deep
appreciation for Japanese sweets, most of which include
some form of matcha (green tea) and/or azuki beans.
After dinner, we went back to the onsen for our 30 minutes
of “family bath” time. (Yes, Mussels, that’s really what they call it!) This
meant that one onsen was reserved for us. I
wanted the full Ryokan experience so I begged Josh to stay awake
until 9pm for me!
In the morning, we were served an exquisite feast of vegetarian Japanese breakfast foods, most of which were different than anything I had ever
tasted before and mind you it was a 100% plant-based meal. It was remarkable to me
how differently relatively similar starting materials can be prepared. After breakfast, we slowly packed up, replaced our kimonos
with western clothing, and went to check out, slipping our indoor shoes back on
as we left our room.
The weather unfortunately hadn't clear up. We made the best
of it and explored Hakone anyway. We first walked toward the station and tried Soba, a
cold noodle soup where you put noodles in various broths and eat them in the
different flavors. We both hated it and stayed way clear of soba (except as an
ingredient in Hiroshima okonomiyaki) for the rest of the trip. Afterwards, we
took a scenic train ride to a bus to see some Hakone highlights such as the big
red gates and the water.
Eventually, we made our way back to the ryokan to pick up
our luggage and on the way, we stumbled upon a magnificent Shinto Shrine. It was so ornately
decorated, it seemed fake, like it fell out of Disney World.
We reversed the long
trip, taking a bus to the local train to the shinkansen (bullet train).
Unfortunately, the JR pass we had pre-purchased does not cover the fastest
trains, which were what I had used when calculating travel times for the
itinerary so it was a longgggg and schleppy trip to Hiroshima. On the bright side, it's a good thing I had
been collecting (read: hoarding) snacks along the way!
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| Shinto Shrine, Hakone |
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| Shinto Shrine, Hakone |
