Komagatake Ropeway - Views of Mount Fuji

One of the best views of Mount Fuji from the Hakone area is from Komagatake Ropeway. This ropeway takes you from the shores of Lake Ashi to the top of Mount Komagatake. This ropeway climbs slowly up the mountainside, giving you a full view of Lake Ashi as it ascends. Toward the top, you’ll even be able to see Mount Fuji on a clear day.

At the top, there are some nice walking paths to explore as well as a beautiful shrine. Next to the shrine, you’ll be able to see more of Mount Fuji. As you can see in this photo below, Fuji is so big that it even shows up in the background of the shrine image.

We’ve been to this ropeway twice, once on a clear day and once on a completely cloudy day. When it’s cloudy, this mountain area is completely in the clouds. It felt like we were in another dimension, shrouded in fog. We had know idea that such an amazing view was actually behind all of those clouds.

A round trip ticket up and down the ropeway will cost you 1600 yen, but if you get the Hakone Free Pass in the area, you’ll get 10% off. I definitely recommend the Hakone free pass, as you’ll get access to free bus rides in the area on specific bus routes. You’ll also get other perks and discounts. It’s a great way to get around Hakone!

So next time you’re in Hakone near Lake Ashi, check out the Komagatake Ropeway! You can find it right by the Prince Hotel. Enjoy!

Owakudani's Black Eggs

In the mountains of Hakone, lies a volcanic valley with live sulfur vents, called Owakudani. Owakudani’s claim to fame is their “kuro tamago” or black eggs. This post will be the first of a two-part series on Owakudani, and this time, we’re going to talk all about these special eggs.

The “kuro tamago” is a normal, standard chicken egg. The only difference is that it has been hard boiled in the hot spring waters of Owakudani. Because the hot springs are filled with so much sulfur, the outside of the eggshell turns black like coal. But don’t worry, the inside is still your typical egg.

These lucky black eggs are said to add on 7 years to your life for every egg you eat! I ate 5 of these, so I am in for a long healthy life! These eggs are so famous, that they even have a statue of the black egg in front of the visitor center.

I ate my eggs with a little bit of salt while sitting on some nice benches that look out at Mount Fuji in the distance. From this vantage point, you can see the giant mountain perfectly on a clear day. After cracking open the egg, there is nothing unusual about it. Once you get past the black shell, everything else is normal.

The eggs were still hot and the air was cool and crisp with the mountain climate. It was the perfect combination. I have never enjoyed a hardboiled egg as much as I did in that moment. If you are ever in the Owakudani area, you have to try it!

Stay tuned for more details on Owakudani in the next part of this series. We will talk about the terrain, views, and other sites to see in this volcanic valley.