Monday 20th April

Started the day meeting Pietman at Nishi Nippori station to buy tickets for the Shinkansen (bullet train).  I was very excited because it was the first time I had taken this train in all the years I have been to Japan.  

After collecting our tickets for the reserved seats, we only had a short time to wait.  I would usually take the local express, sometimes the rapid express to get to our destination – Hakone. 

Hakone is a very popular tourist attraction.  Whilst on the bullet train heading to Odawara at over 200 miles/hour, we were very fortunate to catch our first glimpse of Mount Fuji due to the clear weather. It was the first time I had seen Fuji Yama with the tip snow capped. 

After arrival at Odawara, we took a train zig-zagging up the mountain to Gora and then transferred via the funicular, up to the Hakone Tozen cable car, to view Mount Fuji again – this time with an upper cloud topping.  Sulphur mines below bellowed gaseous plumes from yellow stained crevices. 

Descending in the cable car to Lake Ashi, we stopped off for lunch before continuing our journey on a Pirate ship across the lake!  This brought back many memories for me from trips with previous students. 

A bus transferred us back to Odawara station, the bullet train and what we thought was the end of our exciting day…….

however, coming to an unexpected stop in the middle of a dark tunnel, everything went quiet.  After a time, a long announcement was kindly translated by a fellow passenger, informing us there was a black out (power cut) due to a sizeable earthquake (7.4 at source, but luckily only 3 in Tokyo). 

We were able to continue and complete our bullet train adventure without any further incident. 

A Sushi dinner rounded off a most eventful and enjoyably full day.