Day 8- Hakone/Tokyo

This morning, we will be checking out of the hotel and before we do that we just had to visit the Onsen again! It feels really nice, with the cool cold breeze and the hot spring water it is really relaxing. We love open air Onsen!


There are many things that one can do at Hakone but you will need at least 2 days to see everything. As we did'nt had much time we just choose to cruise on the lake Ashi. Btw, we did'nt really enjoy the cruise, feel that it was a little too expensive. It just go around half the lake that all.But if you were to get the Hakone Pass, i am sure it will be alot more fun and affordable.

Hakone Free Pass (5000/ 3900yen)

• It allows you to circle the region with 5 different transport



• Cruise the Lake Ashi



• Take the Hakone Ropeway to get views of Mt Fuji and to visit Owakudani (crater); you can boiled eggs at the hot water and apparently it will turn black! Suppose to make you leave longer too.



• Includes trains and bus rides too.
  

Time to depart for Tokyo, and as today is the New Year Eve many Japanese will be doing the hatsumode- visiting temples and shrines.

Once we arrive at Tokyo, we immediately check into our hostel and proceed to visit Japan was famous Shinto shrine- Meji Shrine. There be alot of people lining up to pray at the temple especially before midnight. Its tradition is pretty much the same at chinese, to visit the temple on the day New year day to get some good luck for the next year.

It is located near to Harajuku Station and of course also famous for its cosplay but it is better to visit it on sunday. But we still manage to see some while walking through the streets and also visit the the biggest Daiso shop (100yen shop).

There are some sites around to visit if you are there,

1. Yoyogi park - Tokyo largest park

2. Omatesando road- Tokyo Champs-elysees
   
3. Takeshita Dori- Cosplay
   
   
   Our Hostel

Shinjuku

Harajuku

Meji Shrine, it is really beautiful with all the lanterns light up all the way into the shrine.

We were there around 10 pm and there were some Japanese already there wishing for good luck for the next year by throwing coins over the barrier. We spoke to a Japanese journalist and he told us that the crowd will get larger and larger ever hour.

We saw a huge crowd just opposite the Meiji Shrine and soon realise the Ayumi Hamazaki was having a concert!

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