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Hakone, Japan 2-Day Itinerary

One year ago, on November 24, 2019, we stopped by Hakone, Japan for a brief 2-day, 1-night stay while en route from Tokyo to Kyoto. Hakone is a well-known tourist destination for its onsens and mountain vistas. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience there despite the pouring rain.

Arrival in Odawara / Hakone Free Pass

Hakone Yumoto Station

We rode the Shinkansen from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to Odawara. Upon arrival, we purchased Odakyu's Hakone Freepass, which we highly recommend.

The Hakone Freepass combines access to the buses, Hakone-Tozan train, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing cruise, Gora Park, and discounts to other participating businesses. The Freepasses without the round-trip ticket to/from Shinjuku were ¥4,600 per person (with Shinjuku round-trip would be ¥5,700). The transportation reaches all major attractions in Hakone (probably run by the same company lol...). No need to dig for change after each ride!

Day 1: Gora Park, Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi


Hakone Gora Park fountain

We rode the bus from Hakone-Yumoto to Hakoneyutowazen (箱根ゆとわぜん), the closest bus stop to Gora Park. We didn't spend long in the park, but it was a nice place to take in the fall colors and relax near the park's large fountain. Conveniently, there was a cable car stop at the back of Gora Park that led directly to the ropeway.

Right when we got on the ropeway, visibility became near-zero and a strong wind started rocking our gondola. What was supposed to be a scenic ride ended up boing a thrilling fear-for-our-lives ride! Luckily, the weather subsided, revealing the wonderfully golden leaves underneath the ropeway.


At the top of the ropeway was Owakudani, a hot springs stop that sold their famous "black eggs". The charcoal-gray color was truly one-of-a-kind! The eggs did taste pretty normal though.

Hakone Owakudani black egg


Then, we descended to the other end of the ropeway, which connected directly to our sightseeing cruise. Hakone really felt like an amusement park with the Freepass! We didn't wait long before boarding our ship, the Queen Ashinoko, newly built in 2019. The ship handled the crowd of tourists gracefully, and it offered several decks to explore. It had fewer emergency exits than I expected though, so I felt a little nervous while sitting inside.


Queen Ashinoko Lake Ashi Hakone sightseeing cruise ship

The pier we disembarked at was right next to a bus terminal. How convenient! We knew we had to brave the rain to catch one last major attraction, the Hakone Shrine Heiwa-no-Torii (箱根神社平和の鳥居), before we left. First, we stopped by a store to pick up a hot matcha latte from a vending machine (cheap, but not recommended). The Torii gate itself was impressive in size and very picturesque -- perfect for romantic shots!

Overall, we were impressed by Hakone's beauty. Besides the inclement weather, none of the sightseeing spots disappointed.

Tips:
  • The route from that bus stop to Gora Park is an uphill climb. Plan accordingly.
  • The black egg store in Owakudani sells both pre-packaged and fresh black eggs at a booth. Make sure to try the fresh ones.
  • We didn't find many food options as we did our tour. You might want to pack some food from the conbini before you head out.
  • The Torii gate is quite a walk from the Lake Ashi cruise pier. Plan accordingly.

Ryokan: Yaeikan (彌榮館)

We wanted to stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) that had an ✨in-room private onsen
✨ at a reasonable price, since my boyfriend and I were quite shy about going to public onsens. After an extensive search, we found Yaeikan, which really exceeded our expectations!


How we booked: We booked Yaeikan's Houjou (北条) room about four months in advance in July, $432 USD total for two adults, through Agoda. Note that ryokans charge per-person because they include dinner service (and breakfast service in our case). Agoda's description was "Superior Japanese-Style Room with Open Air Bath". We triple-checked Agoda's pictures with Yaeikan's website to ensure that we booked the right room. Once we arrived, all we had to do was sign our names, since we paid everything upfront through Agoda.

Arrival: We arrived at around 12pm (earlier than check-in) hoping that we could drop off our luggage. The receptionist graciously accepted our luggage and even lent us some umbrellas to brave the rain. What a relief!

Food: We always love the variety of traditional Japanese small dishes that ryokans offer for dinner service (ご夕食). We scheduled our service at 7pm. Our hostess brought all the food to our room, which was extremely convenient. Yaeikan's menuke (red snapper) sashimi were delicious. The other appetizers ranged from beef tartare to swordfish rice with dashi. Our main dish was stone-grilled chicken, cooked at our table. The breakfast was surprisingly on par as dinner -- meticulously prepared with maguro (tuna) sashimi, miso soup, and other dishes pictured below. Most higher-end ryokans also provide such a high-quality dining service, not just this one. Still, we couldn't have asked for much more from Yaeikan's amazing meals.

Hakone Yaeikan ryokan breakfast


Private onsen bath: The in-room onsen bath was by far THE BEST PART of our Hakone trip. I got to experience the bath three separate times during our stay, at my own leisure! I loved the temperature, slightly hot to touch and perfect for a cold day. My boyfriend couldn't last too long in that heat though. The water itself was infused with onsen minerals, not ordinary tap water. So relaxing!!!

Private onsen (in-room open air bath) Hakone Yaeikan ryokan


Tips:
  • Book well in advance of your visit, about 4-6 months.
  • Researching is tedious, but it's worth it! We thought about booking an $800 room that was easier to find before we found Yaeikan.
  • We recommend Hakone-Yumoto over Gora. Gora has the higher-end ryokans, but it's a longer commute from Odawara. Also, if the Hakone-Tozan train stops service, Gora ryokan guests have to squeeze into small buses.
  • Avoid choosing Japan as the last leg of your Asia trip. Luggage storage is expensive, and carrying luggage around public transit sucks.

Day 2: The Hakone Open-Air Museum

With our Shinkansen at 2pm, we could only manage to visit one more attraction. We were so glad to have chosen The Hakone Open-Air Museum! This museum houses a collection of life-size sculptures on an expansive hillside campus -- a welcome change from walking through crowded indoor museums like NYC's MoMA or the Louvre.

The Hakone Open Air Museum outdoors

The main attraction is the Symphonic Sculpture Tower, a beautiful tower of stained glass, with a staircase you can climb to a scenic lookout point. Everyone around us couldn't help but say きれい!(beautiful!) once they reach the top. The fall colors on the sparsely-inhabited mountains truly instill a sense of awe.


Symphonic Sculpture Tower Hakone Open Air Museum

Other highlights: This museum also features an outdoor public foot bath, which is pretty cool but does cost extra. The other sculptures were interesting but not too memorable. Overall, this was a fantastic vacation spot to unwind and enjoy art with nature.

Tips:
  • Do not rely on the information on the physical bus stop signs. Getting back to our ryokan from the museum turned out to be a monumental struggle.
  • If buses are too packed, they may skip your stop.

Overall Impressions

Even though we had such bad luck with weather on our trip, we still managed to have a great time. For reference, I'd say we timed the fall colors pretty accurately, though earlier in November may be better. Finally, Hakone's tourism infrastructure was well-developed -- we encountered relatively few problems with transportation and the attractions. We hope you get a chance to experience Hakone sometime as well!

TeaLyfe - Sunnyvale, CA

 

popcorn chicken with sriracha yuzu aioli

strawberry horchata, strawberry matcha

🍗 Popcorn chicken with sriracha yuzu aioli
🍹 Strawberry horchata
🍹 Strawberry oat matcha

Happy Friday!!! TeaLyfe has Vietnamese x Mexican fusion snacks and drinks which I think is so cool 🤩 The sriracha yuzu aioli def made the basic popcorn chicken more fun! Both the strawberry horchata and strawberry oat matcha use fresh strawberries — really appreciated it because they were not too sweet (I thought the horchata would be too sweet for me but it was actually perfect 👌🏻). Also loved the combo of the strawberry matcha using oat milk because it was thicc and creamy.

I want to go back and try their vietchata, elote fries, and waffles 😱

Trader Joe’s Fall Charcuterie Board - Home

 

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board

fall charcuterie board


I made a charcuterie board for the first time and probably broke all the charcuterie board rules since I didn’t really know what I was doing!! But at least it ended up tasting good 😊

On the board:
🧀 Blueberry vanilla goat cheese (Trader Joe's)
🧀 Triple Cream Brie with Mushrooms (Trader Joe's)
🧀 Provolone
🧀 Grana Padano
🥓 Tempesta uncured black truffle salami
🥓 Uncured applewood smoked salami (Trader Joe's)
🍞 Pita bite crackers (Trader Joe's)
🍞 Fig & Olive crackers (Trader Joe's)

So glad that Trader Joe's has so many affordable ingredients for a delicious board 😋 Will definitely go back to try their other cheeses!

Lados - Sunnyvale, CA

 

zinger burger, fried chicken sandwich

zinger burger, fried chicken sandwich

Have you had Pakistani street food? I had it for the first time here and was so mindblowingly delicious 🤯 Lados is a women owned business and truly a hidden gem!

🍔 The Zinger - Pakistani fried chicken in a bun with cheese, lettuce, and zinger sauce

The chicken was massive, juicy, and crispy, but what really separated this fried chicken sandwiches from others was their ✨zinger sauce✨, which was full of flavor, spices, and a bit of heat! Truly a journey for the palette.

Ume Tea - Milpitas, CA

 

popcorn chicken

mango pomelo sago, strawberry coconut milk

mango pomelo sago

red bean mochi boba, brown sugar boba

taro black tea latte boba

mango pomelo sago

strawberry cheese foam, grape cheese foam, peach cheese foam

strawberry coconut milk, mango pomelo sago
boba


Ume Tea now has a new location in Milpitas! U and me, let’s get some tea! 😉

Are these not the prettiest drinks ever? They’re so creative, bright, and colorful! But in addition to them being pretty, I was extremely impressed by the quality of their drinks. 😱 They have something on the menu for everyone, whether you’re looking for a milk tea with interesting toppings, a refreshing fruit tea, or a bite to eat!

Pictured:
🍹 Strawberry Milk with Coconut Pudding
🍹 Mango Pomelo Sago
🍹 Strawberry Green Tea Slush w/Cheese Top
🍹 Grape Green Tea Slush w/Cheese Top
🍹 Grapefruit Green Tea w/Cheese Top
🍹 Black Milk Tea w/ Pearl and Taro
🍹 Sticky Rice & Red Bean Milk Tea
🍹 Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea
🍹 Peach Green Tea w/Cheese Top
🍹 Strawberry Matcha Milk Tea w/ matcha ice cream
🍗 Popcorn Chicken

My top 3 favorites were the grape green tea w/cheese top (must get), mango pomelo sago, and black milk tea with pearl and taro — all with 50% sugar, less ice.

Thank you so much Ume Tea for having me! 🥰

Spudsy Sweet Potato Puffs - Home

spudsy sweet potato puff mac n cheese

spudsy sweet potato puff mac n cheese


 

I was randomly craving Mac n cheese at midnight so I decided to make it the next day! Who knew that Spudsy Foods sweet potato puffs would be the perfect crunchy topping?

🍝 Mac n cheese topped with Spudsy sweet potato puffs

Over 150 million pounds of sweet potatoes are thrown away each year because they are “imperfect”! 🥺I am so glad that Spudsy does NOT judge and uses upcycled sweet potatoes to make sweet potato puffs! 🥔

They have a variety of flavors for every palette, available at your local Whole Foods :

💥 Bangin’ Bar-B-Q
🥖Cinnamon Churro
🧀 Vegan Cheesy Cheddar
🧅 Vegan Sour Cream & Onion

Spudsy is also on track to save 1,000,000 sweet potatoes by 2021! #SaveTheSpud How cool is that?! Thank you Spudsy for gifting me your puffs! 💖


Udon Mugizo - Mountain View, CA

 

nabeyaki sukiyaki beef udon

nabeyaki sukiyaki beef udon, mentaiko cream udon

nabeyaki sukiyaki beef udon, mentaiko cream udon

nabeyaki sukiyaki beef udon, mentaiko cream udon

New udon restaurant alert ‼️

🍜 Mentaiko cream udon
🍜 Nabeyaki sukiyaki beef udon

Udon Mugizo is a cute new udon restaurant in downtown Mountain View! You can see them make fresh udon noodles from a window outside, which was pretty fun! I really enjoyed how the noodles had more of a chew than other places’😋

While the sukiyaki beef udon was a bit too sweet for me, the mentaiko cream udon was ✨heavenly✨. It was like an asian Alfredo pasta with a seafood flavor! Mentaiko mixed into the sauce and as a topping added a little spice to cut through the heaviness of the cream. A wonderful combo 😊

Batch 22 Bakery - Cupertino, CA

 

matcha shortbread cookie

pumpkin spice pudge cookie

gourmet chocolate chip cookie

gourmet chocolate chip cookie, matcha shortbread, pumpkin spice pudge

Batch 22 Bakery is a local business that sells one of the best cookies I’ve ever had 🤩

🍪 Pumpkin spice pudge with cheesecake filling
🍪 Matcha shortbread
🍪 Gourmet chocolate chip

All of the cookies were so fun and had such a deep flavor profile! My favorite was def the pumpkin spice pudge. 🤩I usually don’t like it when desserts are overwhelmingly sweet and heavy — the pudge was huge and thicc but I was surprised when I kept reaching for more! 😱 it was honestly that addicting. Also really appreciated that the matcha shortbread was not too sweet — perfect for me! Overall great cookies and def a great intro to pudges 😋

Tong Sui - Sunnyvale, CA

 

coconut pudding, strawberry

coconut pudding, strawberry

coconut pudding, strawberry

I never know what to say when people ask what my favorite dessert is but now I’m going to say it’s coconut pudding!! 😱

🥥 Signature coconut pudding: coconut pudding made from fresh coconut juice, lightly sweetened
🥥 Strawberry coconut pudding: a layer of strawberry coconut pudding on top of the signature

I didn’t have high expectations because the phrase “coconut pudding” didn’t sound spectacular (I was wrong), but the puddings tasted so FRESH with a deep coconut milk flavor. It was light, flavorful, and satisfying! And if you bring back 10 jars, you get a free signature coconut pudding! Someone please fund my new addiction at Tong Sui 😙

Kemuri Japanese Barú - Redwood City, CA

 

wagyu garlic rice

mushroom skewer

barbecue eel


Anyone else absolutely love Japanese izakayas? There are so many fun dishes to try and I always want to order the whole menu!
-
🥩 Wagyu garlic rice: steak, garlic butter, and garlic chips with crispy rice. this was so full of FLAVOR and I loved the crunch!
-
🐍 Unagi kaba-yaki: grilled eel with sweet soy, cucumber wasabi vinegar. Wow, you could tell this was literally straight off the grill and the sauce was not too salty and not too sweet! One of the best I’ve had 😱
-
🍄 Shiitake mushroom skewers: mushrooms with smoked butter, lemon, and black pepper. Didn’t expect much but I was blown away by how much flavor this had! Texture was also perfect 👌🏻
-
🍤 Crispy shrimp: soft shell shrimp with umami panko. Don’t like peeling shrimp? Get this because you can comfortably eat the shell! One of my favorite dishes here 😊
-
I was really impressed with the quality of food at Kemuri! There are sooo many other things I want to try on the menu so I for sure gotta go back sometime 🤣

Egghead Sando Cafe - Cupertino, CA

 

fried chicken sandwich, egg sandwich

fried chicken sandwich, egg sandwich

hojicha latte, poached egg on potato puree

fried chicken sandwich, egg sandwich

I’m so happy Egghead opened so that we finally have a new brunch place in Cupertino that specializes in different concoctions of the EGG! 🤩

🍗 The Chic - Taiwanese style juicy fried chicken with an over medium egg, a slightly spicy sauce, on a brioche bun. One of my faves since the chicken was so juicy and went SO well with the sauce!
-
🍳 The Scramble - soft scrambled eggs, cheese, onions, and spicy mayo on a brioche bun. We added bacon to ours and that made it super good!
-
🥚 Eggy - poached egg on top of 🥔 purée with bacon bits and chive. This was served with bread to dip and was also one of my favorites! We used the remaining purée on our sandwiches 🤤
-
☕️ Hojicha latte - ok this was probably one of the best hojicha lattes I’ve ever had. I would be down to get this over boba 🤭
-
Overall I was super impressed with the quality of the food here. With this food, there are sure going to be long lines when people hear about this place!