So thankful to find that there was a bus leaving out the back of the hotel that went directly to the Odakyu station for the grand price 200 yen much cheaper than a set of wheels for the suitcase but then again we had been fortunate to be blessed with an application of CRC from reception to the sick wheels = “Wheels on fire rolling down the road” or lifted onto the bus in this case.
Odakyu station is very well served for finding a snack for your trip we spend longer than we should admiring all the rows of bento boxes and sweet treats all beautifully arranged and presented in the food halls – truly an art form. Time necessitates the choice of one item each and we are greeted with more stairs to carry the cases up just in time to see the magnificent Romance car pull into the platform. Japanese trains run precisely on time so one has to be ready to lift the suitcase in and find your reserved seat. Wow if only airlines were this good and so much room in the seat.
We barely sit down and the limited express train is off and passing rows of houses and then countryside as we make the very comfortable 90 minute journey to Hakone-Yumoto Station, which is the gateway to Gora and Fuji.
To get to Gora you catch the Hakone Tozan Train – cable car which is the only mountain railway in Japan. The train departs from Hakone-Yumoto station (at 96 m above sea level) and takes about 40 minutes to arrive at the final stop, Gora station (at 541 m above sea level). Halfway up the line there are switchbacks, where the driver and the conductor change shifts and the train switch to reversed travel direction. It is a beautiful journey and the route is lined with hydrangeas and other wildflowers.
At Gora station you can change to the Hakone Ropeway service which operates a 30-minute journey from Sounzan Station to Togendai Station, “which nestles on the shore of Lake Ashi, allows visitors to take in such spectacular views as the crystal-clear blue waters of Lake Ashi, the rising volcanic fumes of Owakudani and the grandeur of Mount Fuji on a fine, sunny day”. We have 2 stops to reach Koen Kami and the road to our hotel.
Once again it is down steps with the suitcases with umbrellas up the bumpy road – wheels still holding and we check it and are directed down even more steps (well it is a mountain) to a narrow wooded path to our apartment that is wait for it on the 3rd floor – more stairs! Thankfully one of the staff carried my suitcase (might be the last time he volunteers).
Once nestled into our apartment with futons in the cupboard, and no idea how to set them up and a very low lounge, that you need to crawl out of we are in need of supplies so set out for the ‘supermarket’ – a small basic convenience store opposite Gora gardens. We don’t let the typhoon warning spoil our trip. What I have found is speak and your will be answered quite happily but otherwise you are part of the invisible. Interestingly when have booked into the hotel and no one has mentioned the impending typhoon – it doesn’t exist – we walk out on a warm humid day dressed head to toe in gortex for the rain but everyone else seems to ignore it except for an umbrella.
We decide to explore Gora Brewery and grill for dinner – not really much choice in the area and Hakone- Yumoto is quite a journey. The tagline for the restaurant is ‘Nobuyuki Matsuhisa is one of the best chef in the world. Please enjoy NOBU style food & craft beer.’
Really enjoyed the food and the ‘cooking theatre’ – a long kitchen that we had guests seated on the bench while the chefs worked and behind is a beautiful landscaped garden sparkling in the rain but of course there is a hefty price to pay for such a treat.
• Grilled Shishito Peppers with Yuzu Miso
• Radish
• NOBU’s Signature Black Cod with Miso
• Fruits Tomato’s Umami Salad
• NOBU Style Green Tea Brulee
• Chocolate ice cream & Junmai Sake espuma
We go raise our umbrella and head home up the hill in the rain
