HOT SPRINGIN' IN HAKONE

Our next stop was Hakone, a famous mountain resort for Japanese tourists, close(ish) to Mount Fuji and full of natural hot springs. We all seriously needed to soak our bones and chill out before heading back to Tokyo for our last 2 nights in Japan. 

Having checked into the Fuji-Hakone Guest House - a lovely traditional lodgings complete with tatami floors, roll-out futons, sliding doors and 3 private hot springs (1 outside, 2 indoors) - we ventured out on a trip around the area via buses, cable cars and a mock pirate ship-style boat across what looked like it might be a beautiful lake with a fantastic view of Mount Fuji. However, in the summer you can't actually see anything for the mists... hence no stunning landscape photos!

All of this didn't matter though once we slid into the glorious hot springs back at the guest house, accompanied by a classy can of beer. We followed this with a walk into the village where we stumbled upon a tiny local restaurant (for local people) and ordered all 6 items on their menu. A delicious end to a perfect evening...