Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Your Questions About Our Hakone Trip!
Q: What attractions did you try to visit in Hakone? A: We had a pretty full list! We wanted to see the Kamaboko (fish cake) Museum [00:02], take the Hakone Tozan Cable Car [00:13], and visit the Owakudani Valley, which is the volcanic site [00:13]. I'll also walk you through the two different onsen (hot spring) hotels we stayed at [00:22].
Q: That Kamaboko Museum looked fun! What was that activity? A: It was great for a family! We did a little project where we got to make our own Kamaboko (fish cake) [00:33]. Mine... well, it didn't look the best, but it tasted amazing when it was fresh [02:40]! I'd really recommend it, but just be sure to make a reservation online before you go [00:33].
Q: The cable car and the valley looked intense. What happened there? A: Oh, that was a whole adventure! Unfortunately, because of strong winds and bad weather, the cable car was suspended [03:56]. We ended up having to drive up. The visibility was really low because of all the smoke, wind, and rain [04:18], and the Owakudani trail itself was closed [00:13].
Q: Were you still able to see the volcanic valley? A: We were! The shops were still open, so we got to try the famous black eggs [04:28]. (Spoiler: they just taste like regular eggs!) We got really lucky for a moment when the wind changed, and we had less than a minute of clear visibility to see the actual volcanic site, which was amazing [04:41].
Q: You stayed at two different hotels? What was the first one like? A: The first one was an all-inclusive hotel [02:49]. The dinner was a set Shabu-Shabu meal, which was a neat experience [03:03]. The onsen (hot spring) facilities there were very good [03:23]. I thought its location was perfect, honestly. It was just a 10-15 minute walk from the train station, with lots of restaurants and shopping nearby [05:37].
Q: And the second hotel? How was it different? A: The second hotel was a completely different experience! It was much newer and felt more like a high-end, Western-style hotel, but it was also an onsen hotel [05:19]. It was about a 20-minute drive from the station [05:11]. It had a lovely library area [05:25] and 24-hour coffee/tea, which was perfect for me [07:07].
Q: Which hotel would you recommend for kids? A: That's easy—definitely the second one! Traditional onsen hotels can sometimes be a bit boring for kids. But this second hotel had a small onsen water park just a 10-minute walk across the street [06:15]! If you're a guest at the hotel, you get unlimited access [06:21]. At the time, they had a collaboration with "Blue Lock," which my daughter loved [06:42].
Q: I saw you were driving. Was that difficult? A: I had actually never driven outside of the US before [07:50]! We decided to rent a car to get to a Pokémon store that was near the Fuji Mountain area [07:38]. It was only a 45-minute drive versus a 2.5-hour train ride, so it was worth it to help my daughter complete her collection [07:50].
0:00 - Hakone Attractions: Kamaboko Museum & Owakudani
0:22 - Hotel Tours & All-Inclusive Stays
0:33 - Activity: Making Kamaboko (Fish Cakes)
2:40 - Our Finished Kamaboko Project
2:49 - Hotel 1: Check-in & All-Inclusive Dinner
3:03 - How We Made Shabu-Shabu
3:23 - Hotel 1: Onsen Facilities
3:50 - Hotel 1: All-Inclusive Breakfast
3:56 - Adventure to Owakudani (Volcanic Valley)
4:10 - Cable Car Suspended (Weather)
4:28 - Trying the Famous Owakudani Black Egg
4:41 - A Clear View of the Volcanic Site
5:11 - Hotel 2: Check-in & Room Tour
5:25 - Hotel 2: Library & Reading Area
5:37 - Comparing Hotel 1 vs. Hotel 2 Locations
6:08 - Hotel 2: A Perfect Perk for Kids
6:15 - Onsen Water Park (Free Access for Guests)
6:36 - Water Park's "Blue Lock" Collaboration
7:01 - Hotel 2: All-Inclusive Buffet & 24-Hour Coffee
7:38 - BONUS: Driving to the Mt. Fuji Pokémon Center
SUMMARY
Join our Hakone adventure! We start by making our own fish cakes at the Kamaboko Museum, then face a challenge when the cable car to the Owakudani volcano closes. Come with us as we drive up, try the famous black eggs, and give you a full tour of two all-inclusive onsen hotels—including one with its own water park!
#JapanTravel #Hakone #Owakudani #KamabokoMuseum #TravelVlog #FamilyTravel #PokemonCenter #japanadventures
Hotels
. 1st Hotel : Yumoto Fujiya Hotel - yumotofujiya.jp
. 2nd Hotel : Hakone Kowakien Hotel (Highly Recommended) - hakone-hotelkowakien.jp
Attractions
hakone.or.jp/od-booking
kamaboko.com
English is already hard for me. Please "excuse", "forgive" and "correct" my Japanese pronunciation in the comment section. Thank you so much!
Your Questions About Our Hakone Trip!
Q: What attractions did you try to visit in Hakone? A: We had a pretty full list! We wanted to see the Kamaboko (fish cake) Museum [00:02], take the Hakone Tozan Cable Car [00:13], and visit the Owakudani Valley, which is the volcanic site [00:13]. I'll also walk you through the two different onsen (hot spring) hotels we stayed at [00:22].
Q: That Kamaboko Museum looked fun! What was that activity? A: It was great for a family! We did a little project where we got to make our own Kamaboko (fish cake) [00:33]. Mine... well, it didn't look the best, but it tasted amazing when it was fresh [02:40]! I'd really recommend it, but just be sure to make a reservation online before you go [00:33].
Q: The cable car and the valley looked intense. What happened there? A: Oh, that was a whole adventure! Unfortunately, because of strong winds and bad weather, the cable car was suspended [03:56]. We ended up having to drive up. The visibility was really low because of all the smoke, wind, and rain [04:18], and the Owakudani trail itself was closed [00:13].
Q: Were you still able to see the volcanic valley? A: We were! The shops were still open, so we got to try the famous black eggs [04:28]. (Spoiler: they just taste like regular eggs!) We got really lucky for a moment when the wind changed, and we had less than a minute of clear visibility to see the actual volcanic site, which was amazing [04:41].
Q: You stayed at two different hotels? What was the first one like? A: The first one was an all-inclusive hotel [02:49]. The dinner was a set Shabu-Shabu meal, which was a neat experience [03:03]. The onsen (hot spring) facilities there were very good [03:23]. I thought its location was perfect, honestly. It was just a 10-15 minute walk from the train station, with lots of restaurants and shopping nearby [05:37].
Q: And the second hotel? How was it different? A: The second hotel was a completely different experience! It was much newer and felt more like a high-end, Western-style hotel, but it was also an onsen hotel [05:19]. It was about a 20-minute drive from the station [05:11]. It had a lovely library area [05:25] and 24-hour coffee/tea, which was perfect for me [07:07].
Q: Which hotel would you recommend for kids? A: That's easy—definitely the second one! Traditional onsen hotels can sometimes be a bit boring for kids. But this second hotel had a small onsen water park just a 10-minute walk across the street [06:15]! If you're a guest at the hotel, you get unlimited access [06:21]. At the time, they had a collaboration with "Blue Lock," which my daughter loved [06:42].
Q: I saw you were driving. Was that difficult? A: I had actually never driven outside of the US before [07:50]! We decided to rent a car to get to a Pokémon store that was near the Fuji Mountain area [07:38]. It was only a 45-minute drive versus a 2.5-hour train ride, so it was worth it to help my daughter complete her collection [07:50].
0:00 - Hakone Attractions: Kamaboko Museum & Owakudani
0:22 - Hotel Tours & All-Inclusive Stays
0:33 - Activity: Making Kamaboko (Fish Cakes)
2:40 - Our Finished Kamaboko Project
2:49 - Hotel 1: Check-in & All-Inclusive Dinner
3:03 - How We Made Shabu-Shabu
3:23 - Hotel 1: Onsen Facilities
3:50 - Hotel 1: All-Inclusive Breakfast
3:56 - Adventure to Owakudani (Volcanic Valley)
4:10 - Cable Car Suspended (Weather)
4:28 - Trying the Famous Owakudani Black Egg
4:41 - A Clear View of the Volcanic Site
5:11 - Hotel 2: Check-in & Room Tour
5:25 - Hotel 2: Library & Reading Area
5:37 - Comparing Hotel 1 vs. Hotel 2 Locations
6:08 - Hotel 2: A Perfect Perk for Kids
6:15 - Onsen Water Park (Free Access for Guests)
6:36 - Water Park's "Blue Lock" Collaboration
7:01 - Hotel 2: All-Inclusive Buffet & 24-Hour Coffee
7:38 - BONUS: Driving to the Mt. Fuji Pokémon Center
SUMMARY
Join our Hakone adventure! We start by making our own fish cakes at the Kamaboko Museum, then face a challenge when the cable car to the Owakudani volcano closes. Come with us as we drive up, try the famous black eggs, and give you a full tour of two all-inclusive onsen hotels—including one with its own water park!
#JapanTravel #Hakone #Owakudani #KamabokoMuseum #TravelVlog #FamilyTravel #PokemonCenter #japanadventures
Hotels
. 1st Hotel : Yumoto Fujiya Hotel - yumotofujiya.jp
. 2nd Hotel : Hakone Kowakien Hotel (Highly Recommended) - hakone-hotelkowakien.jp
Attractions
hakone.or.jp/od-booking
kamaboko.com
English is already hard for me. Please "excuse", "forgive" and "correct" my Japanese pronunciation in the comment section. Thank you so much!
