XIX. Hakone

Sometimes it is necessary to escape the city with its stress and its deadlines and its throngs of workers. So off we went, Margreet and I, to enjoy the tranquillity of rustic Hakone. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was bad- but we weren’t going to let a little bit of rain stop us. When we arrived in Hakone, the weather was warm and humid- but it was dry, so we decided to go for a hike along the remains of the old Edo-period Tokaido. There’s a fairly large stretch of road that’s still intact, as well as the newly renovated Hakone Barrier. In spite of its historical significance, we decided to forgo the checkpoint as the rain was gradually setting in (a recurring theme during the weekend). Instead, we jumped on a pirate ship that took us across lake Ashi. It was really raining by this time, but of course we went on deck to enjoy the view, which was quite beautiful (what with the mist slowly rising from the mountains that surrounded the lake). Naturally, the Japanese all stayed inside, watching the lake from behind glass.

We stayed at a traditional Minshuku, with onsen-water baths. During the night the rain really set in typhoon-style. We had been hoping to take the ropeway to get a nice view of Fuji, but the fog was so thick we couldn’t see more than a metre ahead of us. Naturally, the ropeway didn’t run in such weather, and when we took the bus up into the mountains we found that the famous sulphuric waters of Owakudani were also closed off to visitors. Luckily we were able to get our hands on some of the famous “black eggs” (boiled over the sulphuric water so their shells turn black) and thus added 7 years per eaten egg to our lifespan. Rather disappointed with the weather, we spent a large part of the afternoon in the wonderful Pola museum of art. Its collection is fine (one painting per impressionist), but it’s the building and the location in the middle of the woods that make it special. On the ground floor, the building has huge glass windows rising up from the floor so that you almost feel like you’re inside the surrounding forest.

Work wise, the last week of May has been a busy one, as I have been finishing my report on Japanese and Western Corporate Social Responsibility as well as preparing for my week with the strategic branding office. The report was well received, and although it needs some editing, I think it will make a good basis for my final report. That's at least one deadline helping the other...