hello tokyo bye bye osaka

Day 5: Shinjuku - Hakone - Fujiya Hotel - Kaiseki

Our time in Tokyo flew by so quick, it felt like we had been on the constant go since we stepped off the plane. We could of easily stayed on for a week and still not have seen everything in Tokyo. As we headed off to Shinjuku, and say our goodbyes to the beautiful gardens of our hotel and Tokyo, we were both really looking forward to taking it easy in Hakone.

Riding on the cute, red tozan railway to our hotel I notice patches of snow dotted along the mountainside. I was quietly excited as it was my first time seeing snow!

As we made our way to the hotel we saw more signs of snow on the streets which only meant to us, that this place was going to be much colder than Tokyo.

Exploring the grounds of the historical Fujiya Hotel felt peaceful and especially beautiful with the mountainside as the backdrop. You really got the sense that you were up here with the clouds. That afternoon we decided to try the cakes we bought from a nearby french bakery. I'm usually a savoury person, but after having a bite into these light and airy cakes it was enough to make me a convert and begin my love affair with cakes and french patisseries in Japan.

That night we arrived at Kikka-so Inn to start Kaiseki - a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner. Upon entry we were politely ask to take off our shoes and put on a pair of slippers. Soon after, we were whisked away into our own private sitting room which looked like one of those traditional tea ceremony rooms and maybe it was. 

Kaiseki was an amazing experience, one that you should try at least once if you ever find yourself in Japan. The whole experience lasted for about 2 hours and felt similar to watching a culinary art show unravel before us. It was not just the plating of the food that got us more interested in photographing rather than eating these pieces of art, but also the exquisite plates the meals were served on. Sure, some of the flavours were completely foreign to my palate but I guess that's all part of the experience.