我个人是非常喜欢那种绿油油的，平坦的草坪的。每遇到这种草坪，我就忍不住想上去躺一会儿。
箱根也有这样的草坪，他就是箱根園 富士芦ノ湖パノラマパーク（Hakone-en Fuji Ashinoko Panorama Park）。我通过 Google Map 发现了这个公园。所以这次箱根之旅，我非常想要去这个公园。想象着自己躺在绿油油的草坪上面，闭上眼睛小憩一下，可以缓解自己的压力。当我睁开眼睛时候，就能看到蓝天白云，眼光稍微向下低一下，我就能看到整个湖面，以及对面的山。这就是我这次箱根之旅之前，对箱根的憧憬。然而这只是我的美好构想。这种构想因为行程的上很紧凑，并没有发生。这就是我这次箱根之旅的遗憾。所以，箱根还是多玩几天比较好。
从西川口到箱根还是有一定的距离的。我们从家里出发，然后赶到新宿站，在小田急线的新宿站碰头。与 Nikko Pass 的使用的不同点是，在小田原的新宿站，我们需要扫一下二维码。Nikko Pass 进入站台，和出站台都需要给工作人员看一样。从新宿出发到小田原大概是 90 分钟左右。不同时刻的列车线路快慢不一样。但是上下差个 10 分钟。如果错过了当前的一列车，也没有关系。他几乎是 10 分钟一班车的频率，但你要注意的是有的班次需要换成一次才能抵达小田原，而有的不需要换乘的。出了小田原电车站，你就可以看到小田原的公交站了。在那里可以乘坐巴士前往箱根。在那里乘坐的巴士到达的是元箱根港。一下车就是箱根的海贼船的港口。这一切都是都是非常的丝滑，电车站和汽车站，汽车站和港口之间都是很近的。
下车之后我们就排队进入海贼船。对了这个船也分头等舱和经济舱的。如果有钱的话，还是建议头等舱吧，毕竟是头等舱。风景好：拍照没有东西遮挡着，人也少：没有人和你挤拍照的位置。
游船的行程就是像图中的那样。我们从元箱根港出发到桃园台港，然后再到箱根町港。在箱根町港下船之后，我们步行到元箱根港。因为在箱根町港和元箱根港之间还有很多可以看的地方。比如：恩赐箱根公园，弁天の鼻 展望台，芦ノ湖畔旧東海道杉並木等等。尤其你可以在恩赐箱根公园能看到富士山。11 月份的富士山，依然是没有雪的富士山，比不上有雪的富士山。
在这里我非常推荐两个地方一个是弁天の鼻展望台，另一个是，芦ノ湖畔旧東海道杉並木。前者你可以看到富士山，这自不必说的。后者是你可以看到杉树群，一个 400 多年的杉树群。他们粗壮高大，笔直的。这些是川越城主松平政纲在元和 4 年奉幕府之命种植的。大概 500 米长的路，两边都是古树。有些树的周长可以达到 4 米。非常的壮观，如果喜欢古树群的，建议不要错过。
享受美食
我们再次到达了元箱根港。在哪里我们找一家叫做大正的鱼料理店吃饭。其实我们一开始打算在本店里吃的，但是我一开始认为这家店是在元箱根港附近，所以打算往元箱根港走，等走了一半的时候发现。原来大正鱼料理店在我们的后面。但是我们发现前面还有一家。所以打算试试前面的那一家。等我们到了大正店的。店里已经坐满了人，只有外面的一张桌子，我们先在外面坐下了，打算在外面就餐。过了一会儿，店内的外国人都走了，店员招呼我们进店内用餐。上餐的时间稍微长一点。大概十几分钟左右。这家的店的食物很精美，精致，摆盘非常好看，适合发小红书，朋友圈。如果你去看实物的话，我觉得比 Google maps 上提供的照片还要好看一些。味道也还不错，我点的是鳗鱼饭，鳗鱼味道不错。我挺喜欢吃的。至于生鱼片，由于我个人不太喜欢，也很少吃生鱼片，所以不太好评价。店员懂英语，可以提供英语服务，也是不错的。整个店里只有一名员工。我想她的食材应该是本店提供的。一个人税后 1800 日元的价格，我觉的在景区也是可以接受的。
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gMjycDZiVQRgRLGw5
箱根神社与鸟居
在日本的景点，几乎都有神社和鸟居。这几乎是日本的文化符号了。在箱根也不例外了。箱根有四个五个鸟居，还有一个箱根神社。最初民的鸟居应该是箱根神社前面的那个鸟居了：箱根神社 平和の鳥居（Heiwa no Torii）。但是这个鸟居太火了，很多人都在排队拍照，队伍很长。Hakone Shrine 1st Torii Gate 箱根神社 第一鳥居。说到这个第一鸟居，我用相机拍了几张照片，但是都被我拍失败了。不知道为啥拍的鸟居显得发黄，在同一时间，同一地点，也是同一角度用手机拍的就没这个问题。好不容易发现了拍照的角度和点了。居然被自己给搞砸了。下次拍完照一定要看看。
在看完了箱根神社和平和鸟居，我们就再次乘坐海贼船去看看大涌谷的活火山。
A Journey Through Hakone: Nature, Culture, and Culinary Delights
Personally, I prefer lawns that are vibrant green and perfectly smooth. I would love to lie on one whenever I come across it.
Luckily, Hakone has exactly what I imagined: the Hakone-en Fuji Ashinoko Panorama Park. I found this spot on Google Maps and would love to add it to my Hakone itinerary. Here is what I imagine: I would feel very relaxed when lying on it. With my eyes closed, taking a nap, there would be no pressure in my heart. When I open my eyes, I would see the sky and white clouds. Looking down, I could see the entire Lake Ashi and the surrounding mountains. This is what I envisioned when I planned my trip to Hakone; however, it didn’t happen. I know it’s a disappointing story, but I would still say that my trip to Hakone was wonderful and amazing. It is a pity that I did not get to lie on the lawn. So, I have a suggestion for you: spend more days when traveling in Hakone.
The trip is a bit long when starting from Nishi-Kawaguchi Station. I need to go to Shinjuku Station from my home, where my friend Chris is waiting for me at the Odakyu Line in Shinjuku Station. We prepared the Hakone Pass, which cost me 6,100 yen. We scanned the QR code, which is quite different from the Nikko Pass. For the Nikko Pass, the staff just look at your ticket or scan it visually. The journey takes about 90 minutes from Shinjuku Station to Odakyu Station. Some trains take 100 minutes, while others take 80 minutes. You may need to transfer, so be mindful of that. It can be very annoying if you don’t know in advance. However, it’s okay if you miss one, because the next train will arrive in 10 minutes. When we arrived at Odakyu Station and exited, we saw the bus stop. We took the bus from there, which brought us to the Lake Ashi Pleasure Boat Moto-Hakone Port. This trip takes about an hour. The journey was a bit bumpy and crowded.I saw the port and the boat when I got off the bus. This is not my first time coming to Hakone, but I still felt amazed when I got off the bus. The trip, taking various forms of transportation, felt so nice. You won’t have to walk much when transferring to another vehicle. That’s is very nice for lazy guy.
We queued up for the Pleasure Boat immediately after getting off the bus. As you may already know, there are first-class and economy-class tickets. We needed to take the economy class since we had the Hakone Pass. the economy-class is kind of crowded, someone taking pictures, and shooting. you should take the first-class if you want a more beautiful view, less crowded deck. That day is weekend day, It would be very crowded if it is holiday, I think so. We can take a more space for shooting and photographing.
We took the boat trip just like everyone else. First, we boarded at Moto-Hakone Port, then we went to the Hakone Pirate Ship Tōgendai Port, and finally, we arrived at the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise Port. The view was stunning—the water was a deep azure, the sky was a brilliant blue, the clouds were fluffy, and we could see the green mountains and the ropeway. You can find many scenic spots on Google Maps, such as Onshi-Hakone Park (恩赐箱根公园), Benten-no-hana Tenbodai (弁天の鼻展望台), and the Old Tokaido Road Ancient Cedar Avenue (芦ノ湖畔旧東海道杉並木), among others. You can see Mount Fuji from the observation deck in Onshi-Hakone Park. It is an excellent spot for viewing and photography. You might feel a bit disappointed that Mount Fuji is not snow-capped yet, but it is still worth seeing. Another spot I highly recommend is the Old Tokaido Road Ancient Cedar Avenue. Walking along this road, surrounded by over 400-year-old cedar trees, you can truly feel the forest. The walk is not very long, about 500 meters. Some trees have a circumference of 4 meters, and it takes three people to hug one.
Enjoying the food
When traveling, everyone yearns to sample unfamiliar cuisines - dishes with unique ingredients, distinctive flavors, and authentic local tastes. Japanese cuisine often brings to mind iconic dishes like sushi, udon, and soba noodles. Personally, I’m not a big fan of sushi due to its raw fish content. However, I can tolerate small amounts of raw fish, and I make an effort to taste it. For me, it’s about more than just the food; it’s an opportunity to explore and appreciate Japan’s rich culinary culture.
Trying new foods, even those outside our comfort zone, is an integral part of the travel experience. It allows us to connect with a country’s traditions and way of life on a deeper level. While raw fish might not be my preferred choice, I believe in embracing these culinary adventures as they offer invaluable insights into Japanese gastronomy and cultural practices.
By pushing our boundaries and being open to new tastes, we not only expand our palates but also gain a more profound understanding of the places we visit. This approach to food during travel enriches our overall experience, creating lasting memories and a greater appreciation for global culinary diversity.
I found a restaurant on Google Maps. Yep! It’s a kind of sushi place, serving raw fish. I can see raw fish, rice, and eel (unagi) in the pictures. The restaurant’s name is Daimasa (大正). It’s a small restaurant with only one staff member and 12 seats (10 seats inside, 2 seats outside). Last time I came to Hakone, I just got some bread from Family Mart. I’ve already forgotten what kind of flavor it was. From the pictures provided by Google Maps, it looks nice and delicious. Despite my initial uncertainty about the flavors, the full restaurant and the care shown by the staff were promising signs. It made me eager to taste the food and create new flavor memories of Japanese cuisine.
The serving time was a little longer than I expected, but it was worth the wait. The food was even nicer and more gorgeous than what I had seen on Google Maps. The actual dishes surpassed the pictures I had viewed online.
I ordered a dish with raw fish and eel, while my friend Chris opted for raw fish with shrimp. Despite my initial hesitation about raw fish, the presentation and quality of the food were impressive. When I finally tasted the dish, I was pleasantly surprised. The raw fish was remarkably fresh, and the eel was quite delicious. This experience challenged my preconceptions about raw fish dishes.
One more thing worth noting: the staff could speak English, which was a relief. It meant we could feel free to ask the waiter any questions about the menu or dishes. This level of service added to the overall positive experience.
The price was a bit high at 1800 yen, but it felt affordable and acceptable considering the location. Hakone is, after all, a world-famous sightseeing destination in Japan. The quality of the food and the unique dining experience justified the cost.
As I mentioned before, the food here is not just a treat for your taste buds but also for your social media. The beautifully presented dishes would certainly polish your Instagram, Xiaohongshu, or WeChat moments. The vibrant colors, artistic arrangement, and the backdrop of this cozy Japanese restaurant make for perfect photo opportunities.
Hakone Shrine and Torii Gate
Shrines and Torii Gates are iconic symbols of Japanese culture, and Hakone is no exception to this tradition. The area boasts the beautiful Hakone Shrine and its famous Torii Gates, including the First Torii Gate and the Heiwa no Torii (Peace Torii).
These structures, especially the Heiwa no Torii, have become must-visit spots for travelers. It’s common to see visitors eagerly taking pictures with friends and family, striking various poses in front of these majestic gates. This desire to interact with such cultural symbols is understandable; we all want to capture and preserve these happy moments. So the queue line is quite long. Maybe we need to take 30 mintues or 1 hour for the shooting. Chris and I just taking a few picture, we don’t want to queue in line.
After visiting the Torii Gate, we headed to the Artist Museum. While Chris went to purchase the tickets, I decided to take a quick detour to the First Torii Gate. Initially, I hadn’t planned on taking any pictures there, but sometimes, nature presents us with unexpected gifts.
As I approached the First Torii Gate, I was struck by a breathtaking sight. The sunlight was falling perfectly on the gate, creating a stunning interplay of light and shadow. The majestic mountain in the background added depth to the scene, framing the gate in a way that seemed almost too perfect to be real.
In that moment, I realized this was exactly the kind of scene I’d want to remember forever. It was one of those rare instances where everything aligns just right - the lighting, the composition, the atmosphere. Despite my earlier intentions, I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. However, reviewing my photos later, I was disappointed. The images failed to convey the true majesty I had experienced. This ‘failure’ taught me that some moments are too profound for photographs. While I didn’t get the perfect picture, I gained a deeper appreciation for being present in nature rather than always trying to capture it.
Extra
In just one day of traveling in Hakone, as I’ve mentioned before, you can only see small pieces of Hakone. You won’t fully enjoy the sightseeing. For the next sightseeing spot, we simply skimmed through it. It was dawn, and the ropeway was about to close soon. We took the last ropeway and arrived at Gora Station. Thank God, Buddha, we caught the train just before the doors closed. Otherwise, we would have missed it and had to wait 10 minutes or more for the next one.
Hopefully, I wish that I can travel again with a three-day vacation.
About Matthew Xu
想成为 Youtuber 的程序员