You cannot leave Japan without catching a glimpse of the breathtaking Mt. Fuji!!!

So we leave Tokyo early morning to catch a train to Hakone…

Everyone tells you the ride into Hakone/Fuji is one hour. NO! It is not! First, you take a 90-minute train to Kanagawa. Then you catch another train (proper term: romance car) to the main station where you then ride a funicular to the top to catch a cable car into your final destination where, if you’re lucky and you get there early enough (say, before 2 pm), you catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. The view is a hit or miss. Even if the weather indicates clear skies, clouds can take over Fuji unannounced. So be prepared to be disappointed. You can’t win against nature – the brutal truth.

On the way there, we take in the breathtaking scenery of Japan’s countryside.

Do yourself a favor and use the restroom before you hop on the 90-minute train ride. Do NOT make the mistake I made. I almost died otw to Fuji. My bladder was screeeeeching in pain. I kept thinking to myself this will be one embarrassing headline in the evening news! So I held on tight to my life and couldn’t even manage to get my camera out when we saw Fuji on the way. Hence, this picture below was borrowed from my friend Keith!

ISN’T THIS BEAUTIFUL????

I’m soooooooooooooooooo glad one of us took this picture! You know why? Because after we arrived at the famous upscale resort town of Hakone…

…and sunk in the gorgeous views of the beautiful Hakone Gora Park…

…and then rode the funicular up…

…to hop on the cable car in hopes to catch elevated views of Mt. Fuji…enjoying sulfur reserves and natural hot springs along the way…

…we arrive at the main view point to finally find…guess what??? No Fuji!!!

It’s somewhere there behind the clouds 😦

Now you know what I mean!!!

So lesson learned: pee before you get on the train so you’re not holding on to your life and instead, focusing on looking out for Fuji!!!

It wasn’t all bad though. We ate the famous black eggs!

..and spent a good hour souvenir shopping which I totally recommend – great finds for your friends & family!

Finally made our way back on the ferry over Lake Ashinoko…more of a pirate ship then your typical ferry…

Back in time in Asakusa district for our Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) dinner at Asakusa Okonomiyaki Sometaro. A grill-it-yourself experience. You mix it, grill it and then eat it! On the way there we caught a lighted up glimpse of Skytree which is the tallest tower in Tokyo. But since we were running late, we looked at it and kept walking to have enough time to enjoy this…

Long day, mostly spent in trains…but this was worth it!

So this ends my day-to-day itinerary of Japan. An adventure I’m so grateful of being blessed with. Loved loved loved the country, its people, its culture, its food, its undeniable hospitality..and most of all totally loved the company I was with…my two partners in crime “Compass” and “Naughty Naughty”.

2 days in Kyoto, 4 days in Tokyo and 1 day in Hakone/Fuji. ALL…WORTH…IT!!!

Check out my other posts on Kyoto and Tokyo.

Next up: Japan Guide 101…