My Driving-Vacation to Japan Part 3

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Hakone and Fuji Go-Ko

Hakone is famous for hot springs, outdoor activities, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji. Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo. This green lush mountainous region is even more charmed by the calm Lake Ashi.

Due the weather system in the region, it is a very rare occasion to be able to see the famous Mt. Fuji as the backdrop for the already amazing postcard perfect view of caldera Lake Ashi. Most of the time, the thick fog curtains Mt. Fuji. Finding exhilarating roads in this region was very easy. By zooming in and out the navigation system, I was able to see the stupendous serpentine mountain passes. I decided to drive Toyo Turnpike, Hakone Skyline, and Route 401.

Toyo Turnpike is a very swift wide twisty road with mild elevation change. Looking up I saw the fast large radius bend followed by a few tight zigzags. It felt like we were on a roller coaster track. Black tire marks forming all kind of shapes on the parking lot on the connecting road between Toyo Turnpike and Hakone Skyline entrance gave me enough proof that the scenes I saw in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift are common occurrences here and they are not just a Hollywood imagination.

Hakone Skyline is a narrower road than Toyo Turnpike. It is a slower road but it is packed with a different kind of fun because it has more elevation change and tighter turns. No matter where we look, the mountains, layer after layer, filled the landscape. At a distant, the thick fog rolled down from the top of the mountain slowly turning the landscape from fluorescent green to moist grey. In the late afternoon, we arrived at the Fuji-Go-Ko, the land of five lakes. Mt. Fuji, with the highest point at 12,388 feet, appeared and disappeared behind the thick fog. It was a very elusive mountain to admire ...@driving-vacation


More pictures...

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