Enoshima

Enoshima is also a popular place in the summer. Many of the Jap dramas often use the sunset at Enoshima as a backdrop....
The top of Mt Fuji can be seen only on very clear days....

Sunset at Inamuragasaki Beach

This beach is one of the top 50 scenic beaches in Japan... Popular place for surfers and it is very packed during the summer. Sugoi ne... To live just beside the Pacific Ocean...

Tsurugaoka Jingu

Built to commenerate the shogun who protected Kamakura - the capital of Japan in the 16th centure. He built the whole stretch of toriis down to the see to pray for the preganancy of his wife.

Flock of birds going home during sundown...

Thousand-yr-old gingko tree at the foot of the stairs of the shrine. Too bad when we went in 2004, the leaves have all dropped... This is the pic taken in 2003, when we went during an earlier period...

Kamakura

Hase-dera...

Buddha statues at Hase-dera....
An eagle flying overhead the temple...

Moto-Hakone

This is the same view as the weather camera set up in Moto-Hakone...
Further down Moto-Hakone...
Moto-Hakone... bus terminal...

Pirate Ship...

From Hakone-machi...
From Moto-Hakone...

Owakudani

Sulphuric fumes coming out from the mountain...

Stream of mineral water from the mountain... Our hot spring bath water at Fuji-Hakone Guest House...

Lake Ashi (Ashi-no-Ko)

From Tougendai to board the ferry on Lake Ashi...

View of Lake Ashi from the ropeway to Owakudani...

Mt Fuji

Taken from the ropeway to Owakudani...

From Owakudani...

Think 2004's snowfall was pretty much lesser than my previous trip in 2003...

16th Dec 2004... The long zig-zag lines are the hiking paths to the top of Mt Fuji...

3rd Dec 2003... More snowfall than 2004...

Gora Park

December is the completely wrong time to visit this place. We sort of forgot it was winter and went here. And... it was bare... Haha~ Mananged to still get these from the park though...


Almost froze myself to death trying to take this pic. The park had a light up for the night for X'mas celebrations. So we got our tripods all set up and ready for the shot. But it didn't turn dark as fast as I thought it would (it was already 5.30pm and I thought the sun sets earlier in the winter?). We waited in the 9 degrees Celsius cold for about 15 mins and then we gave up. Just took our best shot and left... So, here it is... a light tree and a still-bright sky... Haha~

A Pine Tree

A few hundred year old pine tree found in the Hakone Glass Museum.

Glass Works

Works from the 17th century...


Modern works...

Venetian-styled houses

Inside these houses are the glass displays of different themes.

Hakone Glass Musuem

Venetian style musuem and garden. Here's the view from the entrance. The smoke billowing in the background is from Owakudani - the volcanic area.


Close up of the Christmas tree in the middle. It's not a real tree... It's shaped into a tree with little pieces of glass to represent the leaves.


I like the way the different sides of the glass catch the reflection of the sun.

Japan Dec 2004

Got off the plane from an overnight flight at around 7am, dun like the breakfast they serve... Super hungry.... Worse... Didn't have time to eat as we were rushing to go Hakone. So from the airport, we took a limousine bus to Shinjuku and bought the Hakone weekend pass and the 10.30am romance car tickets to Hakone. The pass was a very good buy... 5,500 yen for 3 days and it covered all transportation.

Bento set on the way to Hakone... Think the theme is "oden" - Japanese yong tau foo...


We managed to check into Fuji-Hakone Guest House at about 1pm after a 50min twisting and turning uphill bus ride from Odawara Station. Very nice place to stay. I'd recommend it to all. Cheap, cosy and also private use of 'onsen' with water from Owakudani volcanic area.

We set off at about 1.30pm to the Hakone Glass Museum - about 15mins walk from Fuji0Hakone Guest House. We had very good weather that day... Blue, clear sky... These were taken during our walk to the museum.