This week, we continue on our economical trips – costing under 10,000 yen – around Japan in summer. Our next stop in Hakone is a large flower garden, where one can see one million flowers in bloom – including 200,000 lilies. What a delightful feast for the senses! If you want to do something interesting, try your hand at making a Tonbo ball made of glass at a shop nearby. It serves as a beautiful souvenir of your trip.
After this, make your way to your inn for the night. Take a free shuttle bus to Ohiradai spa, one of the top 17 spas in Hakone. A 100-year-old giant weeping cherry tree welcomes guests at the entrance of the inn. Inside, the lobby is decorated with a fine selection of antique furniture. The room rates start from 4,980 yen (S$77); the price includes two buffet meals. Besides the stylish rooms, the inn is also proud of its refreshing hot spring. The buffet dinner is served in a restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere. Besides an impressive selection of salads, the buffet also features a total of 15 items such as cold udon noodles, sweet and spicy burdock Teriyaki chicken, horse mackerel, boiled rice cooked with meat and vegetables, curries, and sardine balls in soup.
The next day, start your morning by taking a refreshing bath, which you can book in advance. Then, enjoy a delicious buffet spread for breakfast. You’ll have a choice of 15 items comprising Japanese, Western and Chinese-style dishes. After this hearty meal, go trekking. First, take the Hakone mountain railway from Ohiradai Station, then transfer to a cable car from Gohra. From here, use your Hakone Free Pass to take the ropeway to Togendai Station near Asinoko Lake. Admire the view of Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and Owaku Valley along the way. Begin your trek to Owaku Valley from the Hakone visitor centre, which is near Togendai Station. This popular tour, featuring both stone pavements and grassy plains, is free in August and is guided by volunteers. During the trek, you will come across items such as Japanese pepper rose, the Fossa Magna plant and lots of pretty flowers. During the tour, you will also be taken to Hakone’s attractions such as unique rocks and superb viewing spots. The highlight of the tour is a dense beech forest. It takes about two hours to reach Owaku Valley, with its fantastic view of the surroundings. The total cost of this economical overnight trip to Hakone – including two-way transport, accommodation and meals – is 9,980 yen (S$155).
The next journey during the summer holiday season takes us to Shirahama in South Boso City. We will travel by direct bus from Ueno to the Boso Shirahama Hotel, which is located near the sea. The total cost of this trip – including transportation, accommodation and two meals – is 9,800 yen (S$152). One attraction of this comfortable bus journey is the beautiful scenery during the two-hour ride. Many family groups travel by this tour bus which drops you right in front of the hotel. Shirahama is the southernmost town in Boso Peninsula. The hotel’s check-in-time is normally 3pm, but guests who come by tour bus can check in earlier and go to their rooms. All the rooms come with a wonderful ocean view. After relaxing in your room, head out to the beach to enjoy the fresh sea breeze. You can even drop by the many local shops here. There is an intermediate wholesaler of seafood, where you can buy fresh local seafood at economical prices, before it is shipped to Tsukiji market. It sells popular seasonal items like turban shells and even abalone. The best abalone, called Kuro, sells for between 1,700 to 1,800 yen (S$28). Shirahama is famous for its women divers who catch fish. The practice started 1,500 years ago and there are still about 280 divers now.
To try some abalone dishes, go to a popular shop nearby. You can have abalone with rice for 1,000 yen (S$16), stewed abalone with egg, or abalone ramen. After this deluxe meal, continue exploring Shirahama town. As flower growing flourishes in Shirahama due to the mild weather here, many people come to a farm to pick flowers. However in summer, vegetables are grown in the flower beds! Try your hand at harvesting vegetables such as tomatoes, shishito (small sweet green peppers), egg plant, and even fruits like watermelons. After your hard work, you can eat the fruits of your labour under the summer sky. Return to your hotel to enjoy a refreshing bath. Later, enjoy a deluxe buffet dinner featuring 40 kinds of dishes. It includes plenty of locally-caught seafood items such as grilled turban shells, snow crabs, bonito from Katsuura in Boso, squid and yellow tails; and other dishes such as roast beef. A kids corner is even provided for those travelling in family groups.
The next day, indulge in a breakfast buffet boasting 20 kinds of Japanese and Western-style dishes. As the return bus leaves at 1pm, make use of the time to do some sightseeing. Tour guests can rent a bicycle for free and travel around the Shirahama town. You can pick up some souvenirs such as T-shirts designed locally which feature words written in the Boshu dialect. Then, head to a popular tourist spot - the perpendicular rocks (Byobu Iwa). They are called Byobu rocks as they stand against the rough Pacific Ocean like folding screens (Byobu). It is the perfect spot to enjoy the superb view of the Pacific Ocean.
For our final trip, we take a cheap bus tour to Nasu-Shiobara at a total cost of 5,600 yen (S$87). The Yukemuri is a direct bus contracted by inns and departs from Ikebukuro – in front of Tokyo Art Theater – at 9am. The return bus tour to Nasu-Shiobara costs a mere 300 yen (S$5), compared to the nearly 10,000 yen it would cost if you were to take a train both ways. The bus goes directly to Nasu-Shiobara via Tohoku Motorway, with a short stopover at the service area in Tochigi Prefecture. After leaving the highway at Nishi-Nasu interchange, the bus travels along a mountain road. The bus trip from Ikebukuro to Shiobara hot spring takes about three hours. Shiobara spa in Tochigi Prefecture has 1,200 years of history. The Hotel New Yashio is spacious with a beautiful garden. On weekdays, the cost of a twin-sharing room starts from 5,300 yen (S$82) per person. The 14-mat Japanese-style room is comfortable and homey.
After relaxing for a while, go for a walk along the Houki River at the spa town. Enjoy the nostalgic scenery and drop by the various interesting shops. For example, there is shop which sells lots of products made of wood such as original wood carvings. It used to be a geta (wooden clogs shop) but is now a general store. There is also a sweet shop which sells hot spring steam bean buns and huge chestnut buns. It is a Shiobara tradition to make huge chestnut buns during the May Festival to pray for the success of boys. Yuzu (aromatic citron) and dadai (orange) are added in the buns to make them light and refreshing.
For lunch, go to a well-established restaurant called Asahi-tei. It serves delicious eel meals. Eel is best eaten in summer. The restaurant uses only the best eels from Mikawa. After lunch, continue roaming around Shiobara. Take a stroll along the well-maintained sidewalks as you admire the natural surroundings. Visit a tea house near the Kotaroga-Fuchi (deep pool), which is a famous scenic spot in Tochigi. Try the tea house’s famous dumplings. They are served with soya bean powder and red bean paste. After this delicious treat, walk along the Yoshi pond round route; you’ll get to see lots of rare plants and flowers.
Return to your inn and soak in its spacious open-air bath. You can even make a reservation to enjoy the hot spring all by yourself. Next, indulge in a buffet-style dinner comprising over 20 kinds of dishes. This popular buffet dinner features Japanese, Western and Chinese cuisine and the menu is changed daily. Favourite items include tofu hamburger, spring rolls and chicken salad with sesame sauce. The next day, you will be served a breakfast buffet consisting of 20 kinds of Japanese and Western dishes. Since the return bus to Ikebukuro leaves at noon, make use of the time to visit Yukemuri Hall. It stages various popular plays which tour guests can enjoy for free.
