Now You Can Easily Take the Bus from Tokyo to Go on a Day Trip to Mt. Fuji and Hakone!

*This article was written in collaboration with Hankyu Travel International Co. Ltd.
 

* This tour is no longer running as of September 2019. We will update this article if they start running the tour again.

K (right): Last July, my friend went to Hakone. I was supposed to go too, but I fell sick, so I couldn't. Looking at all her pictures made me so jealous!

H (left): That's terrible! On the bright side, I found a really cool bus tour that'll take you all the way to Oshino Hakkai, where you can see Mt. Fuji up close. You can even visit Hakone!

K: Really?! But how much would it cost?

H: From 5,000 - 6,000 yen! Why not try it out?

K: Sure! I want to go! Let's go!

Easily Meet Up at Shinjuku

The gathering place is at Shinjuku, which is easily accessible from anywhere in Tokyo. By 7:50 am, all participants must meet at the Shinjuku Center Building, which is just an 8-minute walk away from the West Gate of Shinjuku Station. It's a bit early in the morning, but please try not to be late!

You Don't Need to Know Japanese

You'll be accompanied by a tour conductor who can speak English, so there's no need to know Japanese! On the day of the tour, the tour conductor will be holding a sign like the one pictured above. Look for that sign to find the meeting place.

Relax and Enjoy Your Day Trip

The great thing about using a bus tour service is that you don't have to figure out how to get to your destination! You can also safely leave your belongings on the bus. It makes for a very pleasant and relaxing trip.

Even Traveling's Fun

All the spots you'll be visiting on this tour are classic sightseeing destinations. What makes it special is getting an in-depth explanation of each spot in English from the tour conductor! You are sure to have more fun... and learn more!

Another appeal is getting to observe the scenery out of the bus windows. You can catch stunning views, such as new greenery in the spring and beautiful autumn foliage in the fall.

You'll get to take a break at a service station during the journey.

Oshino Hakkai (Approx. 50 Minutes)

Oshino Hakkai is the name given to a group of 8 ponds (Okama Pond, Sokonashi Pond, Choshi Pond, Waku Pond, Kagami Pond, Shobu Pond, Degushi Pond, and Nigori Pond) at Oshino Village (Oshino-mura), which has an incredible view of Mt. Fuji. It is popular as a spot for taking photos of Mt. Fuji. We'll be introducing some of the best photo spots in the area, so take some pictures to show off to your friends!

K: Let's check out Okama Pond first. Apart from Deguchi Pond, the ponds are all relatively close to each other, so you can go around in any order that you'd like. Look, the entrance is a water wheel!

H: That's really unusual, wow!

K: Apparently, this is the smallest of the 8 ponds, but the water goes as deep as 4m!

H: The water is so clear that I can almost see down to the bottom of the pond!

K: Our next stop is over by the Hannokibayashi Museum! The entrance fee is 300 JPY, but it's well worth it. It's the oldest thatched roof house at Oshino Village!

H: Wow! There's such a great atmosphere in here!

K: Inside, you can see Sokonashi Pond, and near it is the best photo spot for taking a picture of Mt. Fuji!

H: Let's take a picture and put it up on Instagram!

K: This is gorgeous enough to be a painting!

H: By the way, are you getting hungry? I feel like grabbing a bite to eat after all that walking.

K: In that case, there's a place right by Waku Pond where we can get the famous kusa mochi (sticky rice dumpling made with mugwort). Let's go get some of those!

H: It's nice and chewy, and there's a strong fragrance of yomogi (Japanese mugwort). It's so tasty!

K: Right? The anko (red bean paste) is lovely and sweet too!

忍野八海観光協会提供

H: There seems to be more people around this area.

K: That's because it's facing the busiest street! There are souvenir shops too. Apparently this pond has the biggest volume of spring water out of the 8 ponds.

H: This pond has really clear water too!

K: The scenery is so beautiful. I want to go take a photo of the water wheel!

K: Let's go to Naka Pond next. It's a popular spot, but it's not included in the 8 ponds because it's man-made.

H: Wow! The water is cobalt blue! The fish look like they're floating.

K: Oh yeah! I heard that there are people who lean over too far and lose their phones, so be careful!

K: The next one's impressive too. When the weather is good, you can see an upside-down reflection of Mt. Fuji on the water.

H: Oh, I guess that's why it's called Kagami (Mirror) Pond. I hope I can take a really good photo!

K: Next up is Shobu (Iris) Pond. Legends say that these flowers cure any sickness.

H: That's interesting. The irises are almost as tall as me! It's so refreshing to be surrounded by nature like this. The air is clean too.

K: Since we came all the way out here, let's go to Shibokusa Sengen Shrine (Shibokusa Sengen Jinja). It was built in 807 AD, so it has a long history!

H: Yes, let's go! Maybe I'll make a wish at the shrine.

K: By the way, what did you wish for?

H: I wished for safety during my travels, and that I get to eat delicious food at Hakone-Yumoto!

K: Hahaha! Oh no, I lost track of the time! We've got to get back quickly!

Pirate Ship at Ashino Lake (Approx. 30 Minutes)

K: On to the next sightseeing spot!

H: I've been looking forward to this pirate ship!

K: It's such a surreal experience to be sailing across the lake on a pirate ship!

H: This sightseeing ship alone makes for an awesome photo!

K: Hey! Look at that! It's a red torii gate!

H: Isn't that Hakone Shrine (Hakone Jinja)? It's kind of disappointing that we couldn't go there today, but it's still nice to be able to gaze at it from here!

K: We can even catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji! It really sets the mood, doesn't it?

H: The scenery changes with the season, so you can come here and enjoy it anytime!

K: I think there's a 3D art space on the first floor of the boat. Let's go there and take some pictures!

H: Sure! Sounds fun!

Hakone-Yumoto (Approx. 100 Minutes)

Hakone-Yumoto's onsen (hot spring) district is easy to get to from Tokyo, so you can easily enjoy a day trip to an onsen. It's a popular sightseeing spot with old buildings, temples, and an abundance of nature. It is also an amazing food spot!

K: There's such a great atmosphere here. I heard there are ashiyu (public footbaths) too, which is such a good option for people who don't feel like going to an onsen.

H: That would be nice. There are delicious-looking manju (sweet dumplings) and lots of souvenir shops as well!

K: Cool! But I'm hungry, so let's have lunch first. There's a restaurant that's famous for their yuba-don (rice bowl dish with tofu skin).

H: Sounds delicious!

K: Here we are now, at Yuba-don Naokichi!

H: Check that out! There's an ashiyu here as well!

K: Wow! Let's soak our feet for a while!

H: This is their famous yuba-don. It's so fresh and delicious!

K: Mmm, the soup is so tasty. It goes really well with the yuba and rice.

H: I could eat this all day!

K: I heard that there are lots of other great restaurants in Hakone-Yumoto, like the soba (buckwheat noodles) restaurant called "Hatsuhana".

H: I'd love to come back and eat here!

K: Me too. Let's go to the shopping street to find some souvenirs.

H: Sure!

H: Wait, hold on a second! I've spotted some manju!

K: This is the "Moon of Hakone", made with rapeseed... perfect for dessert!

H: I love the flavor of the dark brown sugar and the chewy texture of the skin!

K: Their sister shop around the corner is called "Fukuya", and they have an ashiyu as well!

H: Hakone really is onsen heaven!

K: I agree. Even just walking around it is so much fun!

K: See that red bridge? That's the Ajisai Bridge!

H: I know this place! It's really famous. I have to take a photo!

K: This shop looks great for buying souvenirs.

H: They have traditional handicrafts, as well as delicious-looking local produce and sweets!

K: I can't decide what to buy! Wait, you bought all of that?! 

H: Do you think I got too many things? Oh well, we'll be on the bus anyway, so it'll be okay!

K: Have you heard of a shop here called "Eva-ya"? They sell things relating to the anime, Evangelion. The anime is set in Hakone.

H: Any anime fan would have to go there!

K: There is so much to see in Hakone! I'd love to look around more, but we'd better get back to the bus soon.

(Depending on factors like traffic, you may get back later than expected.)

K: It really feels like today flew by, doesn't it?

H: It was a lot of fun, but I'm exhausted. Good thing we can sleep on the bus...

K: Right! The best part is that we'll get dropped off at Shinjuku. Let's grab some dinner before heading home!

H: Sure! I wonder what I should eat?

Thoughts After the Day Trip

K: Even though we went around to all the standard sightseeing spots, I think that this sort of service is really useful for travelers coming to Japan for the first time. They can reach their destination without any hassle or the need to figure out how to get there. Even if you're unlucky and it rains on the day of the trip, you won't run into much trouble, thanks to the bus. I also think that this service could be really good for those travelling with children or the elderly. 

H: When we were on the bus, I could relax and view sights that I wouldn't normally be able to see from train windows, so even the bus ride was interesting. I think the best selling point of this service is that it's a tour, so you don't need to research anything in advance yourself. I really do recommend it for families, since a lot of the time, you end up worrying about how to get there in one piece!

Book Your Trip Here! <<From Shinjuku>> Mt. Fuji & Hakone 1-Day Bus Tour

* This tour is no longer running as of September 2019. We will update this article if they start running the tour again.

 

If even one person signs up, the tour will go ahead, so make sure to book early! Take part on the tour and enjoy a wonderful day trip!