HAKONE: Hatsuhana Soba はつ花 and Naokichi 湯葉丼 直吉

We spent out 4th day in Hakone. Hakone is a popular sightseeing spot in Japan that is near to Tokyo and famous for their onsen (hot spring), natural beauty and it's close proximity to Mount Fuji. 

Most of my friends spend at least a night in Hakone, of which I guess we would recommend you to do so too because Hakone is really beautiful. But if you're pressed for time like us, a rushed one day trip would suffice -- and we actually covered heaps of things !  

I'm not going to elaborate on our itinerary but feel free to leave a comment if you need some help with planning a one day trip ! 

Please buy the Hakone free pass (¥5140 Fr shinjuku station or ¥4000 from Hakone) it entitles you to unlimited public transport rides in Hakone for 2 days.  We took theromance car from shinjuku to Hakone yumoto station before going on the Hakone tozan railway, cable car and ropeway to owakudani.  I urge all of you to grab a Hakone pamphlet from shinjuku station and plan your route on the train well. 

Owakudani is a crater created by the last eruption of mount Hakone 3000 years ago. Today it's an active volcanic site where sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced. Here is where you get buy eggs, cooked in naturally hot water whose shells are blacked by sulfur. Legend has it that consumption of one black egg will increase one's lifespan by 7 years. They are purchased in bags of 5 for ¥500.

We were fortunate to get such a good view of Mount Fuji! And Nick is holding a chocolate soft serve from the souvenirs shop. It was amazing. 

From owakudani, you're also able to get the beautiful view of lake Ashi. Here's lake ashi, me and Mount Fuji. 3 natural beauties of this earth :p 

Here's Nick holding a black egg on the ropeway. 

We later took the cruise across lake Ashi which brought us to Hakone machi and transferred on the tozan bus back to Hakone yumoto station.

There are two must eat restaurants in Hakone. One of them is hatsuhana soba. Apparently, soba is nicer in Hakone because the water is cleaner in mountainous area <-- definitely can't argue against that can you haha

Making noodles since 1934, hatsuhana soba is a household name in the soba industry. 

I had the warm yamakake soba ¥950. 

It consist of grated yam, daishi, raw egg and seaweed. I loved it, it was amazing. I can't even describe how amazing the soba was. Nick complained that mine was a little too slimy for his liking. I do agree it's slimy because of the grated yam, it kind of felt like swallowing phlegm actually haha. 

Nick had the tenzaru soba. So yummy. 

If not that we had to rush to our booked private onsen, we would have ordered a few more bowls of soba ! 

After our private onsen at Hakone yuryo, i insisted we search for the other must eat dish in Hakone. 

We had the soymilk skin omelet special combo ¥2000. Especially loved the bottom right soy milk skin in fish broth ! 

Yummy yummy yummy!!! 

Hatsuhana Soba Honten はつ花
Japan, 〒250-0311 Kanagawa Prefecture, Ashigarashimo District, 箱根町湯本６３５
635 yumoto, hakone-machi

10am-7pm everyday except wednesday
no reservations needed

Yuba-don Naokichi 湯葉丼 直吉
701 Yumoto, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0311, 
11am-7pm everyday except tuesday
no reservations needed