Monday 7th October warm and humid with low cloud. No rain. 25C

After a hearty breakfast we packed up to leave Tokyo for Hakone. We had been given clear instructions for trains and directions which worked perfectly.  We arrived at Shinjuku station for our express train to Hakone in plenty of time. The train was not full and the journey took 1 1/2hrs. We got a glimpse of Mt Fuji from the train but the top was in cloud.

We caught the bus to the accommodation which is a traditional Ryokan. We just dropped our bags (too early to check in at 12.30pm) and headed for Lake Ashi to do the cruise on the Pirate Ship. While waiting in line we decided to upgrade our ticket to first class and glad we did. Only problem was the cloud had dropped and visibility was down to 50m above the lake.

It was also getting quite windy and the temperature was dropping. We boarded the Pirate ship and travelled to the eastern shore near the Torii Gate. There are 3 pirate ships on the lake, the Queen the Victory and the Royal. We got the Royal for both our trips. We walked around to view the Torii Gate up close. The sun shone for a moment as we snapped a photo. 

We found a café and had coffee and chiffon cake, light sponge with cream and fruit. Then caught the ship back and the bus to our Ryokan. We arrived back close to 5pm, only to find dinner was at 5.45. 

We dressed up in traditional Rukata for dinner. They provide footwear also but my slip-on shoes were so large I kept walking out of them. No wonder they shuffle not walk.

Dinner was similar to last nights feast. It started with a series of small dishes all cold then Sashimi. This was followed with clam and mushroom soup cooked at the table then a whole Sea Brim followed by Sukiyaki with the raw egg. Delicious! Dessert followed with about 6 different tasty treats. The mandarin ice cream was the best.

Two hours solid to eat, exhausting work. 

Our room has its own private bath, perhaps tomorrow we will try it out.