Hakone

Hakone was an easy hour and a half train ride from Tokyo followed by a scenic bus ride through the lush green mountains. What drew us to Hakone was the promise of a magnificent view of Mt.Fuji rising up behind a mountain lake with an iconic floating shrine. Of course the muggy Japanese summer days quickly dashed our plans to pieces. While the sun did peak out throughout the day, it was haze as far as the eye can see and we could only guess at Mt.Fuji’s relative location. Luckily the beautiful forest shrines and one of the most relaxing hot springs I’ve ever been to more than made up for the ever elusive Mt.Fuji.