Side Trips from Tokyo - Tokyo - page 295

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minutes to Hakone Yumoto and 50 minutes to Odawara, where you can catch the Oda-
kyu train back to Shinjuku.

WHERE TO STAY
Japan's ryokan sprang into existence to accommodate the stately processions of daimyo
and shogun as they traversed the roads between Edo and the rest of Japan. Many of these
ryokan were built along the Tokaido Highway, and some of the oldest are found in
Hakone. Most accommodations cost more during peak travel times like Golden Week,
school holidays, New Year's, weekends, and national holidays.
Expensive
The Fujiya Hotel The Fujiya, which was established in 1878, is quite
simply the grandest, most majestic old hotel in Hakone; indeed, it might be the loveliest
historic hotel in Japan. I love this hotel for its comfortably old-fashioned atmosphere,
including such Asian touches as a Japanese-style roof and long wooden corridors with
photographs of famous guests, from Einstein to Eisenhower. A landscaped garden out
back, with a waterfall, pond, greenhouse, outdoor pool, and stunning views over the
valley, is great for strolls and meditation. There's also a small hotel museum and an
indoor thermal pool and hot-spring public baths (hot-spring water is also piped in to
each guest's bathroom). Even if you don't stay here, come for a meal or tea.
There are five separate buildings, all different and added on at various times in the
hotel's long history, but management has been meticulous in retaining its historic tradi-
tions. Rooms are old-fashioned and spacious with high ceilings and antique furnishings.
The most expensive rooms are the largest, but my favorites are those in the Flower Palace,
which has an architectural style that reminds me of a Japanese temple and seems
unchanged since its 1936 construction. Be sure to ask the front desk for the hotel's map
of the surrounding village and leaflets describing how to reach sightseeing spots in
Hakone from the hotel.
Note: A limited number of the least expensive rooms in the main building (dating
from 1891) are available for foreigners at a special discounted rate, in dollars, based on
the hotel's age. However, the special rate is not available on Saturday, the night before
national holidays, during Golden Week, the month of August, or New Year's. And if
these discounted rooms are sold out, you'll pay the regular rate.
359 Miyanoshita, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa-ken 250-0404. & 0460/82-2211. Fax [phone]. www.
fujiyahotel.jp. 146 units. Special rates for foreigners (excluding tax and service charge): $131 single or
double in 2010, $132 in 2011. Regular rates: ¥20,040-¥44,190 single or double; ¥5,670-¥13,860 extra on
Sat, night before holiday, and peak travel times. AE, DC, MC, V. Station: Miyanoshita (Hakone Tozan Rail-
way; 5 min.). Bus: From Odawara or Moto-Hakone to Miyanoshita Onsen stop (1 min.). Amenities: 3
restaurants (see “Where to Dine,” below); bar; golf course; hot-spring baths; Jacuzzi; indoor/outdoor
pools; room service; sauna; Wi-Fi in lobby; hotel museum. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.
" Ichinoyu Located near Tonosawa Station (on the Hakone Tozan Line) next
to a roaring river, this delightful, rambling wooden building stands on a tree-shaded
winding road that follows the track of the old Tokaido Highway. Opened more than 380
years ago, Ichinoyu is now in its 15th generation of owners. It claims to be the oldest
ryokan in the area and was once honored by the visit of a shogun during the Edo Period.
Old artwork, wall hangings, and paintings decorate the place. The ryokan has only tat-
ami rooms, the oldest dating from the Meiji Period, more than 100 years ago. My favor-
ites are the Take, Kotobuki, and Matsue rooms, old-fashioned and consisting mainly of

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