Boopalicious.: Japan Part 2 ♥

Still on the first day. We proceeded to Hakone soon after we landed in Narita.

Japanese countryside on our way to Hakone. During this trip, they played "The Last Samurai" on the bus, haha.

The ferris wheel near the Gotemba factory outlet center in Shizuoka. We didn't go to Gotemba but they carry brands like McQueen, Ferragamo, Prada/ Miu Miu & Armani; just to name a few.

Getting closer to the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and Lake Ashi.

Voila! Lake Ashi in Hakone (also known as Hakone Lake). The lake is known for its views of Mt. Fuji and hot springs.

We first had lunch at a huge restaurant facing the lake. The building has a souvenir/ gift shop on the bottom and the restaurant's on the upper floor. Clockwise from top right: Kakiage, Shinjoage (Money bag tenpura), Miso soup, Tsukemono (Pickles), Small glass of Sweet Sake, Specialty sweet miso paste, Grilled mackerel (Saba), Dessert of Almond Jelly cubes (Annin Tofu) and Preserved fruits, Oden (Tofu, Konnyaku, Gobomaki), Chawan mushi, Soba, Glass noodles & Grated vegetables tossed in spicy vinegar).

After lunch, we went on board this huge pirate ship. It was drizzling and the air was freezing thanks to strong wind. Due to the weather, going up Mt. Fuji was pointless as the skies were cloudy so we chose to explore Lake Ashi instead. Mt. Fuji was scheduled for the next morning.

Spotted this uber cute Japanese girl and my brother took a picture. :P

From Lake Ashi, we proceeded to a Memorial Peace Park located in the same area.

Posed with Mr. Monk dude. Damn, just realized the lions were looking at me. Creepy.

Gorgeous view from our hotel in Hakone. I believe that's part of Lake Ashi.

Mt. Fuji and clear skies :) The trip up Mt. Fuji was most enjoyable for me. When we were on the 5th level on the volcano (the highest the bus will take you), the view from Mt. Fuji was breathtaking but looking up at the volcano itself was...interesting but boring after a while.