Hotel de Yama - Odakyu Yamano Hotel

Odakyu Hotel de Yama, on the shores of Lake Ashi, is conveniently located just a 15-minute walk from the Narukawa Art Museum and Moto-Hakone Port, home of the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. (Shuttle bus service available.) The hotel’s garden, covering 36.7 acres (148,800 square meters), offers panoramic vistas of Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji. Together with the season’s fresh greenery, the garden’s 3,000 azaleas bloom in a profusion of color and its rhododendrons are an added attraction. Visitors will come away with lasting impressions of the bright colors of nature on display. 

Why Hotel de Yama - Odakyu Yamano Hotel?

• All the rooms overlooks Lake Ashi/ Mount Fuji.
• Natural Onsen. Authentic hot spring. Its a little small, but serves their purpose.
• The rooms are super big.
• The hotel is not far from the Monohakone-ko station (there is a free hotel shuttle). 
• Hakone is basically a dead town as night falls. There arent buses available and taxi is the only option. The closest restaurant/7-11 store is about 20 mins walk. There aren't many dining options nearby. Hakone is highly touristy. Either you dine at the hotel, so you take early dinner at Monohakone-ko station.

Address

80 Moto-Hakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0522

Here's our room!
$800 SGD per night.

A separate room to place tatami ltr.

Day 4 Kyoto > Hakone

Rise and Shine!

Last day in Kyoto.
Here's 2 photos taken outside our apartment.

Very pleased with this apartment in Kyoto! (:




Random:
Japan toilet bowls are very innovative and green. You wash hands and the used water will replenish your water reserve which will be used for flushing ltr. HAHA.


Next stop! Hakone; where Mount Fuji is found,

How to go:

Take JR line to Odawara.
From Odawara, change to H line Hakone Tozan Bus to go to Moto-Hakone.

Kindly note that with taking the JR train will only get you to Odawara. To go to Hakone, you have to to take non-JR trains or buses into the Hakone area.

You can refer to this website about how to go Hakone:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html

As mentioned previously, make sure you are not late for your train. Purchase your tickets beforehand so that you and your friends can sit tgt. Or you can always exchange seats with a stranger when you are seated in the train.

We are taking Hikari 512 train.

Note: Nozomi 112 trains are not covered in the JR pass. They are the express train.


Bullet trains! A streamline shape to minimise air resistance so that it can travel faster. I am very fascinated with their trains!

Here's our limited edition Bento!
Have i ever mention that bento in Japan are absolutely delish? Each cost about $10, but its really damn nice.

Exactly at 8.33am, our bullet train is here!






My meal is not complete without coffee. Such vending machine are found everywhere in Japan, even on the streets. Grabbed a can of coffee before boarding the train. LOL.


Hakone, here we come!


Matcha and red bean are always a good idea to me!


Bought this sandwich because ah yew loves egg.


Our bento!
Oh yums.


I am very depressed at the sight of this. Its so cloudy. I wonder if i am able to see my Mount Fuji when i reach Hakone.





The 3 Ms.


Super cheap starbucks GT latte. ($2.50sgd?!) But this is so sweet, I don think its edible. LOL. Literally drinking sugar.


This is AWESOME. Decided to eat a proper meal before we head towards Hakone!


Love Ginadaco tacopachi balls!


This is what happens when egg is in the menu.


Head for the exit that states:
"Bus stop for Hakone Area (East Side)"




BUY THE HAKONE FREE PASS.
Kindly note that there is no 1-day pass for this, the minimum is the two day pass.
Not an isue for us, we are staying in Hakone for 2D1N.

But here is a more important reason:

It will cost 4000 yen per adult for the 2 day pass. But its more worth it to get the pass if you intend to take the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise ride.

Odawara station to Moto-Hakone Port 1,180 yen X2 (back and forth) = 2360 yen
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise ride 1000 yen X2 (back and forth) = 2000 yen
Total: 4360 yen.

Conclusion: Get the Hakone Free pass!

The Hakone Free Pass is the best and cheapest way to visit Hakone. It provides unlimited use of the cable car, ropeway, tourist boats, trains and buses in the area, plus the ride from Shinjuku station and back. It also provides discounts to around 50 places in Hakone. 

 Waiting for board to Hakone Tozan Bus to Motohakone-ko! Go to number 3.

P/s we took a bus because the Hakone Tozan train does not go to the bus terminal/pier terminal directly.


So how do you know if you should take a bus/train?

Depends on where you are going.

If you wanna take the boat ride that will bring you to see Mount Fuji on Lake Ashi, take the bus! (the boat ride is included in the Hakone Free pass)

For a clearer picture and understanding on how to move around Hakone. From Odawara, we took the bus to go to Monohakone-ko station. This is where the pier is located.




This is what boys do.


Alight at the Monohakone-ko station and transfer to the hotel shuttle bus so that we can check in first!
We stayed at Hotel de Yama.

Upon reaching Monohakone-ko station, i got the biggest shock in my life.

This is like PSI 1000. i certainly didnt expect this.

This is like walking in clouds. 

I come all the way to Hakone to see Mt Fuji, and i experienced such a heavy fog.

JUST MY LUCK. I am so depressed, i am sad beyond words.

I am supposed to see this. You have no idea how depressed i am.

Day 3 in Kyoto; Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine

Let me continue my Japan trip!

I am alr back from Shanghai and i have even complete this.

Efficiency of the Japan Railway checked:
Check out the time on the clock and the timing on the notification bar on top. Both tally. Accurate to the minute.

14:26. THE TRAIN IS HERE.
Please don ever be late for your train, because they wont be late.

How to go:

Alight at Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line. Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station.

 

Waffles as snack!

Changed to JR line, cause we are on JR pass.


And we are here! We are going to the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine!!!

Take JR to JR station, Inari.
If you go Kyoto and didnt visit the Inari, pls don tell others you have been to Kyoto. HAHAH.

ITS A MUST VISIT.


Its rainy weather, so the skies are looking so grey and dark and gloomy. TSK.


There is a reason why its voted Number 1. Seeing is believing.
"2014 Japanese site popular with foreign tourists"

Here's some of the reasons why i think its voted number 1:

1. ITS FREE ADMISSION!!!! Anything that is free in Japan is always a good idea, especially when the things are not cheap.
2. There's no opening/closing time.
3. The thousandsssssssssssss Torii gates are very impressive.
4. This is sth you dont get to see elsewhere. There are alot of chruches and temples worldwide, but you dont get to see thousands of Torii gates constructed tgt. its very unique. Trust me, You have never seen anything like this anywhere else
5. Orange is a striking colour and makes your photos vibrant. ROFL.

Nuff said. Please come.



We take a picture of the Torii gate whenever we see one! Torii gate = A temple nearby. This is a massive Torii gate!

Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds. Fushimi Inari Shrine has ancient origins, predating the capital's move to Kyoto in 794.

Pls buy a fox from Inari! I bought a cute fox magnet here. HAHA.

Love my travelling pals.

And then the next thing we will do is to drink "holy water". The water is clean, don worry. (Singaporeans like to wonder if the food/water is clean) HAHA.

We enjoy doing things that we dont get to do it back at home!

Instructions on how to drink holy water. Please be a little more hygienic.



There are a few bowls for you to choose. I chose this! Its suppsoed to mean good luck and  shoo all the disasters away.



Japanese temple. Nope, we didnt go in. Time is not on our side. The sky dont look promising and sun sets at 530pm during winter.


If you didnt know, Inari is famous for the thousands of vermilion torii gates! It looks like this: A cartoon to show you. HAHA.

Here's the iconic Torri gates!
ROWS AND ROWS OF TORRI GATES.

Since early Japan, Inari was seen as the patron of business, and merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshipped Inari. Each of the torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha is donated by a Japanese business. First and foremost, though, Inari is the god of rice.

Each Torri gate is labelled, stating the person/company who donated it.

The Torii gate covered hiking trail, which starts with two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii. Please rmb to take this shot. HAHA.



Photo spamming time!

Enter one of them! (both is the same!)

Its actually very dark and gloomy by then. I increased my exposure, so my photos becomes a little blurred. Sigh.


Did you realise, its all in chinese. HAHA.



We asked a passerby to help us with a grp shot! i used to bring my huge ass tripod when we go Tasmania tgt. But i have since retired my DSLR. So we need help for grp shots alr!

Thats my M2.


Photo within a photo. Thats Inception.



We didnt continue and walk further, because its all similar Torri gates. In fact, the entire hill is lined with Torri gates.

There will be a gradual decrease in the density of torii gates, replacing it with smaller ones. You can walk as far as you wish before turning back!

At the beginning of the Torii gates, there is bound to be alot of crowd. Continue to walk and spam photos! Walk further in and you'll be away from the crowds!

Bye, Inari Torri gates. I can proudly say i been to Kyoto!