If you ever find yourself in Japan with a half day completely free, I recommend taking a quick train trip to Hakone. It’s only 2 hrs away from Tokyo but worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If you leave Shinjuku Station by 10am, you can go to Hakone and be back in town by 3pm the same day. Visit one of the oldest hotels in Japan—The Fujiya Hotel. Great food, service and atmosphere. It’s tucked into the side of the mountain and very secluded.
日本で半日開いていたら、僕は電車で箱根に行くことをお勧めします。東京からたったの2時間で、都市の雑踏とは別世界に行けるのです。10時に新宿駅を出発して、箱根に行っても3時までには戻れます。日本で一番古いホテルの中の一つ、富士屋ホテルに行ってみては。食事はおいしいし、サービスも雰囲気も最高。山の横に隠れていて、人里離れたところにあります。
Old and historic antique shops…古く歴史のあるアンティークショップ。。。
The area is famous for its “onsen” (or hot springs). But if you don’t have time to visit them, try this cafe where you dip your feet into natural hot spring water while sipping tea.
この地域は「温泉」が有名です。でも、温泉につかる時間が無ければこのカフェでお茶をしながら足湯につかることをお勧めします。
Train Culture in Japan is totally different than in America. For example, traveling a distance from New York City to Chicago would be done on a train in Japan without batting an eyelash. In America, 9 out of 10 people would fly. The entire experience is completely different I guess, so we can’t be blamed.
日本の電車カルチャーはアメリカとはまったく違います。たとえば、ニューヨークからシカゴまでの距離を移動するとき、日本では迷い無く電車でします。アメリカでは10人中9人は飛行機に乗ります。まあ、アメリカの電車の環境が違うので、しょうがないかもしれません。
It was interesting for me to read this post about taking the train. I love train rides, and when I was younger, my grandmom would take my cousin and I to Florida on the train. I live in Philly. We did that once a year for 3 or 4 years. Recently I’ve been making plans for train trip to Georgia to visit family. What I really need to do is make plans to visit Japan. I’ve always wanted to go.