Hakone and „Ryokan me“

Hakone and Ryokan Me.  

After two full days in Tokyo I had to leave the city today but I was not feeling that sorry because I knew I would be back for two more days at the end of my trip. So stay tuned, Tokyo, see you soon. Before heading to my train I enjoyed the Japanese style breakfast at the hotel. The day before I had the Western style breakfast with two rounds of Miso soup. But today I wanted to have it all. So chose the Japanese style breakfast and the cute, carved-like Manga face waiter smiled to the ears. So easy to make people happy here I thought. Well, breakfast was served only three minutes later and I enjoyed it all. My waiter came and asked if I wanted to have a second course of Miso which I of course approved. Sunny smile again. I felt ready for the day and before I wanted to leave he came again, giving me a hand-written card. Please have a look at the picture. He scribbled the German flag (in Japanese order, so top down and not left to right. So cute.) He was thanking me for having the breakfast and conversation with him. He told me that he is studying Management and just jobs at the hotel to afford the language school in Malta. I mean really have a look at the card he gave me. Japanese people are so extremely friendly. This lovely memory will prove it forever. So totally overwhelmed of Japanese hospitality I checked out, had another very nice chat with the Polish front desk officer (by the way a lot of Polish work over here) who recommended things to see at my next destination: HAKONE. Well, by the way this is going to be a looong post so make sure you are sitting relaxed when you are reading this… Packaged like a donkey I started my way to Hakone from Tokyo Main Station to take the Shinkansen for the first time. Hey, these trains are totally amazing. I am normally not a person freaking out about tech and car stuff, but these trains are crazy. Holy shit, they are so unbelievable fast. So only 40minutes later – I was in Odawara. Here I changed into the local train Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora at Hakone. The train runs on the steepest slope amoung the railways in Japan. The mood of getting to Hakone is characterized by riding the train and looking down into the greenery of valley of the Haya-kawa River, while the train chugs along. Beautiful. So slowly going like this it took me another 40minutes to my final destination. I reached Gora at Hakone from Tokyo in only 85minutes in total, so you could easily go here for a day trip, too. I have chosen to stay one night. More of this incredible experience some lines later. First explaining the specialty of Hakone a little bit for you so that you can follow the pictures. Hakone, beautifully centered on Lake Ashi is a small town in the mountains west of Tokyo and belongs to the Prefecture of Kanegawa. Hakone is part of Fuji Hakone Izu National Park which is explaining why Hakone is also a famous resort area for Japanese people and also for an International audience meanwhile. But a view on Holy Mount Fuji is not the only thing you can enjoy in Hakone. First of all there are plenty of Hot Springs, called Onsen in Japanese. As a volcanically active country, Japan has over 3000 of Onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. (By the way did I tell you that we had a little earthquake yesterday? Was only 30seconds and just very light but reception confirmed this morning). Back to here: Second thing in Hakone is O-waku-dani where volcanic fumes are visible and the whole area is smelling well lets say strange. The Sulfur-odor all day made me a little bit dizzy also. Third Lake Ashi-No-Ko (short only Ashi) is also beautiful to see (my beloved lake Zuri still the best!), you can do cruise over with pirates-like boats. In general you have various kinds of transportation in Hakone, cable car, trains, ropeway and the already mentioned cruising boats. When you buy a Hakone Full Roundtrip Ticket for two days (app. 30 Euros) you can use all kinds of transportation which makes it easy to explore the area. Arriving with the Hakone Tozan Railway I touched down at Gora/Hakone. The station has an altitude of 550meters. I asked at the tourist information where my hotel was to get rid of my luggage. After walking 5 minutes I easily found it and had a special and very warm welcome by traditionally dressed consierge. My room was not ready yet, so I used the time to stroll around the area. I took the bus to Lake Ashi, although they told me it will be very windy. It really was but still there was blue sky and I wanted to have a walk in nature. I took a long stroll at the lake with its beautiful scenery, breathed fresh mountain air (missed it!!!/ getting really Swiss), watched old fisher men, took tons of photos (of coz) and finally headed to the biggest draws of Hakone: The red tori gate floating on the water. Although it was really stormy meanwhile I inhaled the beauty of the scenery and was happy that I did not just hang out in a café. With cold legs and even colder hands I headed back to the hotel via bus and now I was really there – ready for my first Japanese Ryokan experience! At this point I will explain this to you as you might not have heard of it before (neither had I before I planned the trip). A Ryokan – or in English a Japanese Style Inn Hotel – is a traditional kind of hotel that you only find in Japan. I will not go into any detail but to understand what a Ryokan is here are the following things to know:

1. You live in typical Japanese minimalistic furnished rooms with tatami mats and Japanese paper walls.
2. You change your clothes into typical Yukata (Japanese robe) and slippers right after check-in. Your outfit is prepared in your room. You only walk with these clothes from now on.
3. Every Ryokan has an Onsen, a Hot Spring. Mostly they are gender-divided but you also find family Onsen and some hotels even offer Onsen-rooms where you can enjoy your own little tub in privacy.
4. In a Ryokan you enjoy fantastic Japanese food, namely a multi-course kaiseki dinner and also Japanese breakfast – all served in your room. There is no restaurant – your room is your restaurant.
5. You sleep in Japanese futon bedding in your second clothes that you get, the pajama Yukata.
6. Your whole stay is accompanied by your own room-attendant.

So now you know the most important things about a Ryokan. I chose the Gora Kadan in Gora known for its outstanding Onsen and service. I was totally excited as I had planned this a long time already, the first thing I booked actually. Check-in formalities are very easy in Ryokans, you do not have to fill in any forms. I just had a second warm welcome with a cup of tea at the lobby and after only three minutes I was led to my room by my nakai-san, my personal room and hotel attendant for the stay. Her name was Aoi – easy to remember for me, AOI. Aoi showed me everything – what to do and how to do. So I felt comfortable in this beautiful but totally new and impressive atmosphere after only a couple of minutes as she described very well in a good English. I took of shoes and changed into my Yukata to have a formal tea ceremony in my room first – all served by Aoi. She explained the kind of tea, how it was made and answered all my questions (also how the flush of the toilet works???, learnt to ask this!!!). Then she asked when I would like to have my dinner and we arranged it for 6:30pm. Quite early for me but latest time was 7pm anyway. By the way, Japanese people eat early generally. Last order is often taken by 9pm. They mostly announce it at the entrance of the restaurant. A good time for dinner in Japan is always between 7 and 8pm, I learnt. After Aoi left the room I tried my own little Onsen on the nicely arranged little garden terrace. I dipped into the damn (!!!) hot water and here I have to explain that Onsen is always naked. So with a private one you are lucky somehow. The one and the other way around. As it had been pretty ice cold at the lake, the Onsen was a wonderful wellness feeling for my cooled bones. Bathing in an Onsen or hot spring is healthful, rejuvenating, and leaves one refreshed, relaxed, and clean. Japanese say that Onsen waters have healing qualities that range from skin conditions to cancer, and most visitors will discover that a dip in an Onsen is a highlight of their visit to Japan. So it was for me! The temperature of the Onsen water is typically around 42 degrees, so really hot. After enjoying the water I dressed in my Yukata again and explored the hotel. By the way Japanese dressing code: Always wear the left side of a Kimono or Yukata on top, only the dead people are dressed with Kimonos having the right side on top. Important to know! So correctly dressed I walked through the hotel and although there was not much the simplicity of the hotel was overwhelming. And very peaceful. Running, talking on the phone, talking loudly, all this is not allowed in a Ryokan – so it is more like a wellness thing with a touch of a spiritual temple. Most of the Ryokans are family businesses and handed over from one generation to the next. So was mine. The owner, a cute and super-tiny old lady was welcoming me when I went through the floors being extremely friendly and interested in my trip as well. While continuing walking the hotel grounds I created a new word for my beloved Swiss and Swiss-Wannabe friends “Umme-geishaen” meaning strolling through the hotel in my Japanese outfit looking at every little corner of this beautiful Ryokan. Japanese love Europeans in their clothes so they had fun with me, too. I also wore the Russian bow (you remember) – perfectly matching the Geisha look. Back in my room AOI rang the bell politely asking if I was ready for dinner. I was actually very hungry and also curious to see as food is so important in a Ryokan it is said. Well, they offered a 9-course – yes, NINE, course menu. Every course served by AOI, well-explained and beautifully arranged. Took another tons of food porn pictures and enjoyed eating for two hours although sitting on a tatami mat while eating is not sooo comfortable for our legs as we are just not used to it. But Aoi understood so we had little breaks that I could enjoy it in a worshipping way as this was really excellent food, only hand-made. After course 6 I already felt no hunger anymore, but of course I ate it ALL. Aoi smiled and again another person had so much fun that I ate raw fish. Generally Japanese do not believe how common their food in Europe is. They are kind of astonished that we actually love Sushi. After finishing with another liter of green Matcha tea I needed to have an one hour rest and simply enjoyed the beautiful room. Aoi told me to maybe go to the big public hotel Onsen around 11pm then it would be very quite. And so I did it again – ummegeishaen – and checked the big Onsen. Wow, so beautiful at the full moon. Although it is really strictly forbidden of course to take pictures, I managed somehow to make some as there was really nobody and the whole hotel was totally quiet. Just for you that you can follow the beauty of this Onsen thing because it really belongs to Japan like cheese to Switzerland. I rapidly took the pictures (we storechecker know how to do this!) and then I relaxed – alone again under full moon – a huge Onsen just for myself. Incredible experience and I was so happy that I found this whole Ryokan thing (thank you Pinterest!) early enough to make the booking as they are mostly fully booked because they have only a few rooms. Relaxed but also exhausted of all of this I ummegeishaed to bed – or no to futon – and was falling in a deep rest in my sleeping Yukata. The next morning Japanese breakfast was served by Aoi at 8:30am and it took me one hour to eat all of it. I enjoyed the Onsen again and then I had to check-out which was actually just another cup of tea in the lobby. No invoice, no credit card form, fill-ins whatever. All done in advance, so totally tech-free. The hotels service is outstanding, they gave me a cute present, took photos of me, came all to hug (!) me good-bye, gave me recommendations for my next destination, looked for my train coordinates which I did not ask for and the managing lady came again with a list of personal recommendations for Japan. I was really overwhelmed again. And last but not least I have to emphasize this again. Their hospitality is simply breathtaking and really makes you speechless. I never, never felt like this. Not in Thailand, not in Bali. It is different. So with a real heavy heart I said good-bye to this great experience. Actually, this would be the perfect end for this post, but my day was not over yet. The hotels driver took me to the cable car where I wanted to go up to see Holy Mount Fuji. The weather was perfect for it which is not that often the case – no wind anymore, quite warm (15 degrees) and very sunny. So good chances to see him. I went up and sitting in a gondola with 15 Japanese people is also funny and cute. First they stare at you, second they smile at you, third they take a picture of you. Then suddenly Mount Fuji showed up (thank you Mr Fuji) and they were all totally freaking out. They adore their Mount Fuji! Well, I need to admit – this mountain has a really beautiful shape and is an iconic symbol for Japan. From the ropeway you also have a good view on the rising volcanic gases that come out from the whole valley. When you look around you, there is an infinite amount of  steam pouring up through vents scattered around the mountain. The lets say very distinct odor will remind you that you are indeed in the middle of a very live volcanic valley. It stinks! But is impressive to see. Next to the magnifiscent look of Mount Fuji (photo stop!) I tried another very famous and traditional thing up there. Black eggs! Freshly boiled. They are said to bring you good health and a longer life. They are actually normal eggs but it is the way in which they are boiled that makes them a little bit special (80 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes in natural spring water. Then steamed at 100 degrees for 15 minutes in steel baskets.) The water that they are boiled in contains sulfur and iron.  Locals call them „Kuro-Tamago“ – so I bought 5 eggs as they only sell them in packs. Made it for 3 eggs, one I gave away to another person asking for using my egg for the picture (?!) and one I am still keeping right now. After really having a good time with Mount Fuji and the black eggs I took the cable car and ropeway down to Gora again and headed to Odawa station to leave to my next destination. I took the amazing Shinkansen again and only two hours later I reached: KYOTO! Until here I was writing all of this in the train, so now we are live again. Just to finish my day… I checked in at the hotel – the Celestine Gion Kyoto (sister hotel of the one in Tokyo) and had a Tempura dinner in the hotel restaurant which was actually even better than the Tempura I had on my first day in Tokyo. The Chef again loved seeing Europeans eating his well-prepared food and really stuffed with so many impressions and also sooo much Japanese food, I go to bed now. In a Yukata!!! Found it in the room! Good-night, my lovely peeps – do you get how happy I am over here? Please respond! I really, really love it.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned! (Thanks to all who made it with this post until here – I really appreciate that you follow…)