Hakone

When my mom and I were in Japan, we visited Hakone, a small city known for its onsen hot springs. The mountains of Hakone, covered in black lava rock, were lush and peaceful and I loved the main street of the town, which was lined with ceramics and food vendors. Here, I happily discovered that Hakone produces an enormous amount of mochi and then I ate it all.

We stayed at the Fukuzumiro ryokan, which is an extremely traditional Japanese ryokan with three beautiful hot springs. Our guide, Tamake-san, took care of us during our stay and fed us an eight-course dinner (I've posted photos of some of the items from five of the eight courses) and a big breakfast. I love you, Tamake-san!

This was the first course, which also came with udon that was cooked over a low flame on the table.

Sashimi.

Pink soba noodles. So cute!

Grilled fish and pickled radish.

Shumai, miso, rice, matcha, and tsukemono.

Breakfast.

Thanks mom for taking me!