Note that this photo is a posed shot. You are supposed to cycling anti-clockwise around the lake! Haha If you are deciding between taking the train to Kawaguchiko or driving, you can check out the car rental prices at https://www.nipponrentacar.co.jp/english/user-guide/reservations.html and train prices at http://www.hyperdia.com/ It depends on whether you’re staying overnight at Kawaguchiko and the number of people travelling. Remember to add toll fees of about ¥4200 one way. We decided to rent a car but forgot about the toll fees so it ended up being more expensive. I’d say if you’re staying for one night and there are at least 3 of you, renting a car is a good option. If there are two of you and you want more freedom to move around (such as going to neighbouring places like Oshino Hakkai, Chureito Pagoda, Yamanakako etc) it is also better to rent a car. You should also be warned that traffic is congested upon leaving and arriving at Tokyo. We parked our car at ou...
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Izu Peninsula 伊豆 – Atami 熱海 (12 Dec 2010)
We decided this time to engage the Atami Goodwill Guide Club's help and we both agreed that it was an excellent decision.
Chie Matsuda san gave us really comprehensive information prior to our trip via email and when we arrived at Atami station, she was there holding a placard with our names on it =) Our guide was Henri san, a retiree who happily drove us around and patiently answered our questions. He prepared a file packed with useful information for us and we felt really touched by his effort.
Henri san explained that Atami got its name because it is believed that many years ago, there was a volcano under the Atami sea, hence, it’s called 熱海 ‘hot sea’.
The weather was excellent so for the first stop, Henri suggested we visit 十国峠 Jukkukotouge which had an awesome view of Mt Fuji =DD I was truly thrilled!! =D
Henri san and Chie san, our Atami goodwill guides
梅園 Baien Park was also one of the recommended spots and it was the last day to view maple leaves so we managed yet again to catch a glimpse of the trail of autumn. Due to the mild weather in Atami, maple leaves turn red the latest and plum blossoms flower the earliest in Japan.
There were also some early plum blossom blooms =)
Within Baien Park is a small Korean garden. I can’t remember what it’s for (Henri san explained but I can't remember =P sorry!) It’s got something to do with Kim Dae Joong...
We also visited a shrine near the park with a huge camphor tree. Chie san and Henri san said it is believed that your life will extend by one year if you walk around it once. I wonder whether one will attain longevity if you run around it many times hahaha...
The tour ended at the Atami beach and bay are after which Henri san sent us our hotel, Atami Korakuen and both of them made sure we were properly taken care of by the hotel staff. We felt really touched by their hospitality =)
When we entered our room, we were very pleasantly surprised by a gift from the Atami Goodwill Guide Club =)) So sweet of them =)
After a scrumptious buffet dinner, we perched in front of our window and awaited eagerly for the start of the 熱海海上花火大会 (Atami Marine Fireworks Festival), a full 25 mins of colourful bursts decorating the night sky.
Korakuen is probably the best place to view the fireworks (just right in front of the hotel) if you want a backdrop of the illuminated Atami bay. The other hotels look like they provide a view of the fireworks against the sea.
（すみません、 日本語があまり上手じゃない。） A 2-hour drive from Yamanakako brought us to Shuzenji onsen, a quiet onsen town that has not been invaded by international tourism so it was really a relaxing time for us. This chateaux relaix brand hotel truly did not disappoint. Service was impeccable from the moment we made the reservation. They emailed to check whether we had any allergies or food we don't eat. Once our car was spotted, a staff came running out and greeted me by name. How they know who I am baffles me (we noticed that there were only 3 other groups of guests after us). We were shown to our room, Akenobo, immediately and served tea and mochi. I am reminded that the mark of a really top notch establishment is that there is no need to stand in line to check in. Once we were settled and refreshed by the tea, we filled in the check in form in the room. No passports were required, unlike in most other establishments. We changed into yukata and hung around the ryokan for a while, taking in th...
The Tsukuba Kasumigaura Ring Ring Road is a cycling route from JR Iwase station to JR Tsuchiura station and continuing to Lake Kasumigaura loop. The stretch between JR Iwase station and JR Tsuchiura station is 40km and the loop around the lake is about 100km so the total return trip is 180km. Map of Ring Ring Road from JR Iwase station to JR Tsuchiura station We only did part of the straight route and part of the lake so we covered only about 50km. Here’s a video of our trip. IMPORTANT NOTE: We based in Tsukuba because we needed to meet a dear friend. Tsukuba is not the best starting point for this cycling route because we had to cycle 10km to intersect at a part of the Ring Ring Road since public transport connection between Tsukuba and Iwase or Tsuchiura is poor. We took a taxi from JR Tsuchiura station back to Tsukuba (¥3400). When we told the taxi-driver our destination, he smiled happily and said Arigatou!! 🤣🤣 A better plan will be as follows: Use Mito in Ibaraki as a base. Mit...
Note that this photo is a posed shot. You are supposed to cycling anti-clockwise around the lake! Haha If you are deciding between taking the train to Kawaguchiko or driving, you can check out the car rental prices at https://www.nipponrentacar.co.jp/english/user-guide/reservations.html and train prices at http://www.hyperdia.com/ It depends on whether you’re staying overnight at Kawaguchiko and the number of people travelling. Remember to add toll fees of about ¥4200 one way. We decided to rent a car but forgot about the toll fees so it ended up being more expensive. I’d say if you’re staying for one night and there are at least 3 of you, renting a car is a good option. If there are two of you and you want more freedom to move around (such as going to neighbouring places like Oshino Hakkai, Chureito Pagoda, Yamanakako etc) it is also better to rent a car. You should also be warned that traffic is congested upon leaving and arriving at Tokyo. We parked our car at ou...
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