A Rainy Day in Hakone

There are just some things in life you cannot control. Weather is a prime example of one of those things. I planned Hakone as this epic one-day trip that would allow us to see the beautiful Japanese mountain side including a view of the iconic Mt. Fuji…unfortunately the travel Gods did not tip the weather in our favor and many of the views we had hoped on seeing did not come to fruition. But that’s okay. It rained all damn day and we got soaked, but you prepare for these moments by wearing proper gear and pivoting your day to accommodate for the weather. We made the best of our time and this is how we spent one rainy day in Hakone. 

We woke up around 5AM to start our journey from Imaichi (train station near Nikko) to Hakone. All in all it was about a 2.5 hour trek. I gotta say the JR Pass really makes this transportation seamless. We got into Hakone around 9AM and started the day by purchasing a Hakone Free Pass.

Hakone Free Pass

The Hakone Free Pass permits you to use all methods of transportation to do a loop around Hakone (ship, cable car, ropeway). At a price of $35 for a two day pass, it is far from free, but not a bad deal. It would cost a lot more to pay for each transportation method on its own. This area is definitely not ideal to travel by foot. The pass also gives you free access to the bus system and Tozan line which will come in handy getting around and leaving Hakone.

With Hakone Pass in hand we were ready to start the day. We were determined to not let a little rain ruin our one day in Hakone. 

Train and Cable Car

We started our journey by taking the Hakone Tozan Rail out of the Hakone-Yumoto station. The route had us zig-zagging up a mountain. I learned there’s no way I could be a train conductor in Japan because you really have to pay attention. I’ll be honest, not my strong point. Once we got to Gora Station, we hopped in a cable car for a brief moment as it hauls you up the mountain side.

Ropeway

If there was a disappointment on this excursion, it definitely was the ropeway. Not that it wasn’t efficient or worthwhile, the weather just did not allow for any good views. On a clear day, I can only imagine what the views are like, including a view of Mt. Fuji but alas it just was not our day. Maybe one day, Hakone…one day.

Ship

We got off the ropeway, we hopped on the ship to take us across Lake Ashi. The weather actually played in our favor here because the fog coming off the mountains with the view of the boat almost makes it seem like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I mean look at this shot.

You’re just waiting for Depp to pop out and whisk us off to Tortuga. The boats were AWESOME. The trip across Lake Ashi takes about 30-minutes and offers some breathtaking shots of lush mountainside. The boat makes two stops, one at Hakonemachi-Ko, which has a little rest stop with a cafe and other shops. We stopped here for what we thought was a restaurant/brewery. More like a convenience store with beer taps and then you have to awkwardly sit in a waiting room and drink a flight…really awkward. The second stop is at Motohakone-Ko or right by the Hakone Shrine. Stay on to the second stop in order to get some good pictures from the Hakone Shrine from Lake Ashi.

It was now straight up POURING and it basically had been all day. It was October and it was roughly 43 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight breeze so it felt like -10. We would not a rainy day stop us from getting to the Hakone shrine…granted we could’ve just stayed on the damn boat.

Hakone Shrine

After a 30-minute walk through rain and hairy walkways that probably weren’t made for walking, we got to the shrine and it really was something to behold. With the mist coming off the water, it made it seem like you were stepping into another world. The Torii Gates symbolize the division between the spiritual and physical world, which is why you see them at most shrines in Japan. Absolutely beautiful. There was a line to get a picture but it took only about five minutes and you get a great shot of the Torii Gate in its entirety. Only in Japan would you find such an organized line to take a picture at such a monument.

Getting to the gate felt like the end of a video game, we achieved it and were tired of getting beat up from the obstacles along the way. We wanted to get out of the rain as soon as possible. We finally got to a small family-owned restaurant near our hotel. A hot bowl of Sobu noodles with a curry broth was exactly what we needed.

We ended the day by getting some craft beer at the local Lawson (similar to a 7-11) to enjoy back at the hostel. It was a nice end to a long, rainy day in Hakone.