Kanagawa in One Day: Hakone-Yumoto & Owakudani — Guide Danda

Title: What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine

I guided guests visiting from North America on a private one-day tour of Hakone. Deciding on a meeting point took quite a while, and even once it was settled it was vaguely set as "Odawara Station," with no clarity on how they would arrive. We finally agreed on the Odakyu Line ticket gate, but on the morning of the tour the guests got caught up in a serious situation caused by an accident involving a person on the Odakyu Line. We communicated via a messaging app, and they managed to reach Odawara Station via a Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama after coming from Machida. The tour started an hour late, but I was truly relieved they made it. (At the meeting they looked exhausted, saying that English hadn't gotten through to the station staff and they had no idea what was going on, so it had been very stressful.) To make matters worse, it was the middle of a three-day weekend overlapping with the summer holidays, so waiting times occurred in various places, an unfortunate string of events, but they understood this point.

The guests thoroughly enjoyed the mountain ranges of Hakone, the beautiful flow of the Hayakawa River, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine. At Kuzuryu Shrine, they prayed carefully following proper etiquette, and at Hakone Shrine, both of them purchased ema plaques and wrote down their wishes. As always, the Peace Torii had a long line, so we limited ourselves to taking photos from the top of the stairs. Because we were running behind schedule, I suggested buying lunch at a convenience store and eating it on the pirate ship, but they wished to "eat slowly at a restaurant," so we skipped the Hakone Open-Air Museum, which we had planned to visit. Unfortunately the weather forecast was completely off, and it was cloudy all day, so we could not see Mount Fuji. I recommended enjoying the scenery from the deck of the pirate ship, but perhaps because they were tired, they chose the seats below, and the view was hard to see. My explanation of the scenery felt a bit incomplete, and I reflected on whether I could have given a better talk. They did not show much interest in Owakudani, and they found the black eggs a little unsettling, so they did not eat them. They also seemed afraid of the glass-floored observation deck jutting out over the valley, and only one of the guests tried it. On the mountain railway, they were puzzled by the switchbacks, saying, "Wait, what, the direction?" I also helped them make an online reservation for the Romancecar on the way back, and we parted ways at Hakone-Yumoto Station. The guests kept smiling to the very end, and they truly did well through it all.

Hoping to broaden my range as a guide, this was my first time guiding in Hakone. Dealing with the guests' transportation trouble and the heavy crowds everywhere was, in a sense, a good experience. In any case, I would love to guide in Hakone again when I get the chance.

Click here for more details: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.