Abuelo and Gram Explore Japan: Fujiyoshida, Shira Ito Waterfall, Lake Ashi, Odawara Castle

YAYAYAYAY! We were finally able to get our first visitors to Japan after nearly 2 years! It was such a blessing that Abuelo and Gram were able to spend 3 weeks of October with us. We had such a good time together and really packed a lot of trips in to that time too.

Our first weekend together we drove up to the Mt Fuji area. Day 1 was to Fujiyoshida so we could see all the Mount Fuji views. We ran into traffic so it took us longer to get there and unfortunatley that weekend had bad weather so Mt Fuji pretty much hid from us the whole time we were there. My parents were able to experience what its like to drive through the our area and braved a crowded food court at our rest stop. lol. Once we got to Fujiyoshida, we planned to do a ropeway but it started raining as soon as we arrived so we decided to go check in to our hotel. We did go to a yummy tempura restaurant (where the boys were acting silly) and the hotel was very nice so we still had a great evening.

Day 2 we set off to find Shiro-Ito waterfall. It was a rainy drive but despite the weather the area was really nice. At the location there was a paved walkway from the parking lot to get to the waterfall. It was a short walk to the waterfall. The greenery with the hints of fall was a treat and the waterfall was so beautiful. The boys really enjoyed running around and splashing in puddles. There were some shops along the pathway and the boys were treated by some nice ladies with a sample of some giant green grapes. Oishii!

After enjoying the nature, we went to Makaino Farm, a touristy farm where they had a buffet restaurant and homemade cheesecake (not quite the same as NY cheesecake but still tasty). The boys especially enjoyed the chocolate fountain. Jeffrey may or may not have stuck his hand in it….

We finished the day by driving to Lake Ashi in Hakone. On this drive we finally got a glimpse of Mt Fuji….kind of…

Our hotel here was cool because it was right on the lake. It was still cloudy when we checked in but the next morning was gorgeous. Abuelo and Gram could even see Mt. Fuji from their room. The boys and I could see the “pirate” ships. That evening we found a Japanese version of a western diner to eat for dinner. Wish I got a picture but it was nice and the food was good.

Day 3 we started the day by taking a short cruise on a Hakone “Pirate” Ship to the next port over.

After our boat ride, we went to Hakone Shrine to see their scenic tori gate and shrine.

Afterwards we drove to Odawara Castle. This has been on our list to see for a while now, so it was extra special that we could go with Abuelo and Gram. The current castle is a reconstruction of the original castle from the 15th century. It was fun to walk around the grounds and go through their museum inside the castle. We even got to go to the top of the castle and look out. Our favorite part was the Ninja Museum. Super fun for the kids!

We finished the drive back home after this and got another look at Mount Fuji from the distance.

What a lovely start of our time together.

BRB, Out to Japan – Jackie