Kanagawa in One Day: Take the bus to Togendai. — Guide Toshi

Title: What Is a Private Autumn Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests seemed to enjoy the autumn foliage, marveling at the beauty of Chokoji Temple, the view of the shore of Lake Ashi from the pirate ship, and the garden of the Hakone Museum of Art. In the afternoon, when the clouds cleared and Mount Fuji became visible, the guests were delighted, saying it was the first time they had seen it since arriving in Japan. For lunch, they had katsu curry at Owakudani (the roux also contained minced pork), and since they liked pork, they were satisfied. They had been looking forward to the matcha and Japanese sweets at the Hakone Museum of Art, but unfortunately we did not make it in time (tea service ended at 15:30). I felt sorry about this, but they did not seem too disappointed, saying they would like to try it somewhere during their stay in Japan. (Since they are heading to Kyoto after this, there should be plenty of opportunities.) It was a group trip, and although one of the guests had caught a cold after arriving in Japan and was not feeling well, they were recovering, so there was no particular problem.

Impressions: In Hakone, buses are used frequently, and since the service tends to run late, it is difficult to keep the tour on schedule. This time as well, the bus from Sengoku to Togendai was nearly 15 minutes late, and we almost missed the pirate ship we had planned to board. Also, even when you know the bus will be late, you still have to be at the stop on time, which is somewhat frustrating. In this case, the stay at Chokoji Temple was 20 minutes, and even though I had the guests hurry, we then waited at the bus stop for the same 20 minutes. (I had factored in some waiting time for the ropeway to a certain extent. Since the direction from Sozan toward Togendai seems to have somewhat less waiting time than the reverse, careful route planning is needed during crowded seasons.)

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Tour Report by Toshi

I have worked as a diplomat for 48 years until last year(2024), so I think I am good at explaining anything about Japan in English. Though I’m a novice as tour guide, l promise that I will make detailed and thorough preparations for guiding you and to make your trip smooth and enjoyable. I myself like to experience various means of transportation and interested in local culture, history and food. You may be a bit concerned about my age(71 years old), but I am quite fit for work. Just to prove this I wish to say that I played 5 rounds of golf this summer month of August, 2025.