Hakone was so cold in winter that, while walking along the hot spring street, I barely wanted to take my hands out. I saw someone grilling fish cakes by the roadside, so I got a piping-hot one to eat as I walked. It warmed both my hands and my stomach. The grilled fish cake had a light charcoal aroma and was springy with a nice fish flavor. Simple, but very tasty.
Later, I also had grilled fish. The skin was fragrant and crispy, while the fish inside was still very tender. Eating freshly grilled hot food in the cold weather suddenly felt like one of those small, comforting pleasures of traveling.
I slowly wandered along the hot spring street without rushing to keep to a schedule, which made it easier to appreciate Hakone’s laid-back atmosphere.
Hakone-Yumoto Onsen Hot Spring Village | Review by Gina C
Other Reviews by Gina C
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Kegon Falls
Nikko is home to many waterfalls, but its most famous waterfall is Kegon Falls. Here the water from Lake Chuzenji spills down a 97-meter-tall cliff, showcasing a beautiful and powerful force of nature. From the observation platform, which you can reach down at the waterfall basin by elevator, you can experience the roar of the falls and the splashing water from up close.
As the cable car slowly climbed the mountain, I could see the mountaintops covered in red, yellow, and green maple leaves, as if the entire mountain had changed into its fall colors.
In the distance, Kegon Falls flowed all the way down the tall cliff. The white stream stood out against the valley, looking from afar like a long, narrow white waterfall hanging on the cliffside.
As the cable car continued, the waterfall appeared from different angles, framed by mountains covered in red maple leaves. The scenery was truly beautiful. It was a rare chance to enjoy such a forested mountain landscape from a cable car, and I couldn't take my eyes off it the entire way. -
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Hakodate Morning Market
Hakodate Asaichi is a huge market of about 33,000㎡. Some 250 stores, including about 150 member stores of the federation and 100 other stores, sell and serve Hokkaido foodstuffs. Member stores display a sticker of "Asaitchan ," the mascot of the Hakodate market, as their recommended store sign.
When visiting Hakodate, of course you have to get up early and explore the famous Hakodate Morning Market! As soon as I entered the market, I was drawn in by all the fresh seafood. There were so many kinds—crab, scallops, sea urchin, salmon roe, and more—that I didn’t know where to look.
What I looked forward to most was a bowl of fresh seafood donburi, with seafood piled high over rice. Every bite was full of flavor from the sea, and the happiness was off the charts. -
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Kitaro Chaya
GeGeGe no Kitaro, a fan favorite for generations, now makes it way to this shop along Tenjin-dori Shopping Street in Chofu City, the town and proclaimed second home where creator Shigeru Mizuki spent years at work.
Kitaro Chaya in Chofu, Japan, feels like stepping into the yokai world of GeGeGe no Kitaro! The shop is themed around the famous Japanese manga GeGeGe no Kitaro and is filled with all kinds of distinctive merchandise. For fans of Kitaro, it is definitely a place worth visiting.
The shop sells a wide variety of items, from cute character plushies, charms, and stationery to all kinds of everyday goods and souvenirs, featuring Kitaro and other yokai characters.
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