Gone Seoul Searching in Japan: The train from Tokyo to Hakone

Getting to Hakone from Tokyo is half of the fun when you ride on the romance car into Hakone Yumote station.

Views of the Japanese country side are beautiful from the train.

We love the romance car, and especially its name!

  

   With beautiful views of Mt. Fuji, majestic mountains, and charming hillside hotels there is no better day or weekend trip out of Tokyo than to Hakone. This post is all about the train ride over and will be the first of a series of write ups about Hakone. Among the many places I have traveled to in Japan including Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Kanagawa, etc. Hakone is my favorite.

Inside the romance car.

   Getting to Hakone is fairly simple.  If you are coming from central Tokyo simply board the Odakyu Railway Romance Car bound for Hakone. The train ride is 70 minutes long and you will get off at Hakone Yumoto station. To check train times and details go to Hyperdia.com and search for a train bound for Hakone Yumoto station. 

Map courtesy of www.hakone.or.jp

     Once at the station to board the romance car, mine was at Machida, you need to purchase a reserved ticket to board the train. This ticket will cost 600 yen and will give you a reserved seat number. Don't think that you can save money by hopping on the train and avoiding the man that comes to check tickets. Yes, sometimes he doesn't come, but we did this on the train ride home because we thought we could simply pay for a fair adjustment because we were to lazy to go buy a ticket before hopping on. But instead, the man made us pay for a ticket on the train and we had to pay a 300 yen penalty fee. So make sure to buy your ticket from one of the ticket machines at the platform, or before you get to the platform. The machine is very easy, just select English. There was a nice woman working there that helped us out at the station in Machida and quickly purchased us 3 tickets so we could board the train that left in just 2 minutes. 

    Enjoy the luxury train ride over! I strongly recommend taking the train over during the early morning hours or during the day so that you can get a view of the Japanese country sides! You will ride past plenty of rice fields, green mountains, and picturesque houses and neighborhoods. Riding on the romance car is extremely comfortable. The seats recline, and the train was quiet and smooth. Romance car trains are definitely one of the nicest style trains in Japan and they are perfect if you are traveling with a date, hence the name (romance car). Riding through the country side is extremely romantic, and the romance car makes it even better.

    On the train, you can purchase food and drinks from a lady that will come buy and take your order. A beer costs 300 yen, so if you want to save money, stop at the convenience store before hopping on the train and bring your own snacks. Everyone on the train busted out sushi and rice bowls, and a few purchased items from the train attendant.

    

    Once you get to Hakone Yamote, I recommend heading out of the station to the Hakone information center. Here you will find women ready to help you with any questions about sight seeing in Hakone. They will provide you with detailed maps and time tables of buses in trains in the area. Next door to the Hakone information center you can buy your Hakone Free pass, or you can buy this in Shinjuku and it will include the price of your train ticket.

 The Hakone Free Pass by Odakyu Railways is a special pass for exploring Hakone, and includes:

1)	One round trip from the Tokyo area to Hakone by Odakyu Railways, unless you purchase the pass inside the free area, e.g. at Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto or Mishima Stations.
2)	Unlimited use of Odakyu affiliated buses, trains, boats, cablecars and ropeways within the Hakone free area.
3)	Discounted admission to selected tourist attractions.

Prices and image courtesy of www.japan-guide.com.

The bathrooms on the romance car.

      I strongly recommend buying the Hakone Free Pass if you want to see 2 or more of the famous attractions in Hakone. You will get unlimited use of the trains, boats, cable cars, etc. We went on the pirate boat a total of 4 times and used all of the cable cars. To get too and from our guest house, we also used our hakone pass to take the bus. The great thing about the pass is that it is good for 2 days. So its great if you are going for a weekend trip from Saturday to Sunday. 

     Check back soon for more details about my trip to Hakone! I will write about the attractions, guest house, onsen (hot springs), food, etc. 

Showing our love for the romance car!

True love found on the romance car!

Riding back home on Sunday evening from Hakone to Kanagawa.

 If you have any questions or comments about "Gone Seoul Searching in Japan: The train from Tokyo to Hakone"  please leave them in the comment box below or email them to goneseoulsearching@gmail.com 
    Gone Seoul Searching by Marie Webb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at goneseoulsearching@gmail.com.

Read more »

Gone Seoul Searching in Japan Video Post: Led Zeppelin on the train ride home from work in Japan

Non Youtube video for blocked viewers in America.I got tagged for using Led Zeppelin! : (

   

The sunset at Yomiuri-Land-mae station on a Thursday evening in June 2012.

      Riding the subway in Japan can be a very hectic experience at first, but as your commute becomes regular you learn to embrace the train system for its good qualities. I usually listen to music and fool around on my Japanese language learning apps while I am waiting to pass the time. Today I was able to ditch out of work a little early and catch a quicker train ride home. Seeing daylight on the way home is a great feeling.

     As you can see in my above video post, the train is much less crowded on the way home than in the morning. In the morning, I can never get a seat and am in a packed car with little room to breathe. So I really enjoy and appreciate the ride home. Listening to a little Led Zeppelin on the way also makes a great ending to my work day. I have to say, sometimes riding the Japan subway makes me  very empowered. I feel like a strong woman that can do and go anywhere mainly because I have mastered the difficult  Japan subway system that is full of chaotic transfers, crazy schedules, and lines that are never on any of my subway maps!


 If you have any questions or comments about "Gone Seoul Searching in Japan Video Post: Led Zeppelin on the train ride home from work in Japan"  please leave them in the comment box below or email them to goneseoulsearching@gmail.com 
    Gone Seoul Searching by Marie Webb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at goneseoulsearching@gmail.com.

Read more »

Gone Seoul Searching in Japan: Bike riding to Costco in Japan

Find the nearest Costco in Japan if you want great deals on fruit, fish, guacamole, salsa, and cheese!

Riding my bike (the black pearl) to Costco is a fun and memorable experience in Japan.

     

The Costco I go to at Tamasakai in Sagamihara.

Long subway rides with rolling suitcases filled with Costco food used to be a standard event when I lived in Korea. But luckily my apartment in Japan is only a 10-15 minute bike ride away from the nearest Costco location in Japan! Costco is one of my favorite stores to visit in any country that I am living or visiting. This is because I can stock up on the essentials for an extremely reasonable price. I can get a giant brick of fresh cheddar cheese rather than paying $15 for a tiny block at Korean and Japanese grocery stores, and I always get a giant box of Premium Kirkland Brand Raisin Brand cereal for my breakfasts.
     I am happy to know that if I am craving a slice of pizza or a good old fashioned hot dog and soda I can simply bike on over to Costco and pick up some food. Their selection in Tokyo is amazing and the store is packed with everything imaginable both Western and Japanese. They even have giant buckets of kimchi and soju if you are looking to delve into some Korean cooking or drinking. I picked up a great bottle of Argentinian Malbec, one of my favorite kinds of wine for only 700 yen, about $7 the last time I went. In addition, Costco has great appliances and sports equipment. I actually walked to Costco from the nearest subway station from my house the first visit, and ended up purchasing a bike and riding home with all of my goodies!

The first time I went to Costco I rode home on my new bike with cheese, pillows and milk!

     As a native San Diego girl, Mexican food is a high priority item in my diet. My eyes lit up when passing through the freezer aisle and my hands instantly reached out to grab a 2 pack of guacamole! I was a bit skeptical about frozen guacamole, but after letting it defrost in my refrigerator and dipping some of my Costco tortilla chips into the dip my taste buds were nothing but let down!  I also purchased a 2 pack of Pace salsa, something that I would never buy back home, but Pace is among the only salsas you will find in many Asian countries.

Inside Costco in Tokyo.

     Check out where the closest Costco is to you on their English websites and you might be surprised. There are 5 Costco's right now in the Tokyo vicinity. If you have your Costco card from back home, you can use the same card. You will just have to fill out a change of address form the first time you shop. I still use my same card that I got from my parents when I was only 19 back in California! 





If you have any questions or comments about "Bike riding to Costco in Japan"  please leave them in the comment box below or email them to goneseoulsearching@gmail.com 
    Gone Seoul Searching by Marie Webb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at goneseoulsearching@gmail.com.

Read more »

Gone Seoul Searching in Japan: Taking a day trip to Tokyo's Zushi Beach

Zushi beach makes for a great day trip from Tokyo.

Everyone is having a blast in the warm water as they paddle board, wind surf, and swim.

  
     When you get a beautiful sunny day during the rainy season in Japan you have to take advantage and head to the beach. The coastal atmosphere has completely surprised me with its mellow yet active atmosphere. People take walks on the beach while drinking a beer, go windsurfing on neon colored crafts, and do some good old fashioned sun bathing. The water is warm and the breeze is cool. No offense Korea, but you guys need to be more adventurous when it comes to beach life and water activities, and this also means that you can't be afraid to get a tan!

These guys were carrying a small boat and paddle board.

     Zushi is just north of Kamakura and Enoshima, where many tourists and Japanese frequent to see the famous Kamakura Daibutsu (Buddha), Enoshima island, and other temples and major sites. The neighborhood itself is wealthy as there are many nice houses with quite big plots of land and fertile gardens. I like Zushi because of the fact that it is a beach for the sake of a beach, to be enjoyed for beach fun and nothing else. Kamakura and Enoshima are more touristy as they have many other attractions besides the beach. If you are looking for sand, relaxation, and water fun then Zushi beach is right for you.

Beer and tacos in Japan, I'm sold!

     Beware of the crazy birds at the beach! If you leave food out for one second they will swoop down and steal your lunch. My friend and I were sitting very close to one another eating some chips when suddenly, a bird swooped down in between us brushing my sunglasses with its wing and grabbing the chip out of my friends hands with its nasty little claws. This bird had guts and we could see it circling above us getting ready for another kill!

Nearby corner stores are great to stock up on some cheap drinks.

    There are plenty of great restaurants all near the beach as you walk from Zushi station. Among them are Thai, Mexican, Korean,  and American. We stopped for dinner at a great burger joint called Freshness Burger. This is on the left hand side if you are walking from the station down to the beach and is packed full of hungry Japanese and Westerners alike. We ordered the double double with grilled onions and french fries and were delighted to discover a "real" burger joint. They even have burgers with blue cheese and avacado. How much more Californian does it get?

California girl stoked to be at the beach!

    Finally, be prepared to fork out some money for the train ride down there. From where I live in Kanagawa, the train ride there was a steep 950 yen. Yep! That is about $20 round trip just to get to the beach. You may be able to find cheaper routes that will save you a couple of bucks each way, so check out Hyperdia before you go. If you haven't used Hyperdia yet, it is an extremely reliable English time table of all of the trains in Japan. Enjoy the beach!

More windsurfers.

The cute tiki place that has Mexican tacos and beer.

The first view of the beach from under the bridge.

A bunch of windsurfers out at Zushi.

Two Americans stoked to be at the beach!

There's nothing like a beach side game of connect four!

A family that took a day trip down to the beach, this girl has a little red wagon, my childhood memories came rushing back!

Inside the burger joint "Freshness burger" at Zushi beach.

A great hamburger in Japan.

A shot of Zushi station, nothing special.

Nice houses around the neighborhood in Zushi.

If you have any questions or comments about "Gone Seoul Searching in Japan: Taking a day trip to Tokyo's Zushi Beach"  please leave them in the comment box below or email them to goneseoulsearching@gmail.com 
    Gone Seoul Searching by Marie Webb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at goneseoulsearching@gmail.com.

Read more »