via oh, hello, friend

Where we stayed:
Hotel Green Plaza Hakone (There will be a review of all the hotels in a later post)

Where we went:
Owakudani 大涌谷 (This area was created by the eruption of Mount Hakone around 3000 years ago. Still an active volcanic zone with a strong ‘scent’ of sulfur. Be prepared to smell it in your onzen as well, it’s smelly, but it’s supposed to be really good for you!)

In Owakudani, they sell these black eggs that are cooked in the hot sulfur spring water, the Japanese believes they can prolong your life for 7 years with every egg you eat. So if you eat their pack of 5, you can live 35 years longer! oh… if you wonder how it tastes, it’s the same as any hard boiled eggs you’ve had.

Going in white

Coming out black (they keep putting in cages and cages of eggs, I wonder how many they make & sell each day)

鮨 鰺魚丼 (a must-go small sushi place owned by a really sweet old couple)

The life-changing Aji (horse mackerel) rice bowl

Hakone Yumoto [Souvenir Street] 湯本手信街 (you can find lots of shops/souvenirs on this street)

Self-serve free fish tasting, a very unique taste-before-you-buy experience

Hakone Jinja 箱根神社 (A famous shrine that has been patronized by many military commanders and travelers on the Tokaido route. Their Treasure Hall exhibits many important cultural properties including a statue of Priest Mangan, the founder, and artifacts with over 1,253 years of history)

Next stop, also our last stop, Izukogen, a small town filling with cherry blossoms over Spring time.

Where we stayed:
Fuji Ginkei 富士吟景

Where we went:
Fudou Houtou Restaurant (Fujigoko is famous for their Houtou Noodle which is a chewy flat udon) Not only Fudou make their own Houtou Noodle, they also have this unique recipe to an ultra rich miso soup base made with pumpkins, sweet potatoes & Fuji mountain vegetables that you can only taste it here in Japan. What we like about this restaurant, besides their really yummy soup, is their traditional Japanese decor, their souvenir area and coupons at their cashier counter!!

FujiKyu Highland (a park full of exciting rides similar to Six Flags. Be prepared to spend a whole day here if you are planning to play all their rides. We waited for 2 hours for one ride, I didn’t play but was told that it was worth the wait)

Mount Fuji (there’s no reason to not go Mount Fuji if you are in the area, it’s just too breathtaking)

Konohana Museum 河口湖木ノ花美術館は (museum of a really great & internationally well-known Japanese illustrator)

Oshino Village 忍野村 (a cultural village located close to Mount Fuji. Includes food stands, gift shops and restaurants. One of their features is their 8 spring ponds, Oshino Hakkai 忍野八海, which water comes from the melted ice of Mount Fuji. If you are there, be sure to try their miso tofu and white peach soft ice cream, it was so good that I wish I could bring them back home with me)

So this is it for our 1.5 day in Fujigoko, nice food, nice sight, no complaints.

Next stop, Hakone.

Karuizawa 軽井沢

Where we stayed:
Hotel Generous

Alternative stay (highly recommended): Hoshinoya

Places we went:
旧軽井沢森ノ美術館 (lots of shops on the same street – 旧軽井沢銀座)

Prince Shopping Plaza (If you really miss the shopping, here’s an outlet with brands like Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Kate Spade)

Sawaya Jam (jam, juice, preservatives. Must try their strawberry juice, so good served warm with ginger!)

水音 (very good soba, but the tempura & noodle in soup is not as impressive)

白系の淹 (a small waterfall)

Harunire Terrace (a small shopping area located next to Hotel Hoshinoya with hot spring/spa and some good restaurants)

Below are the places we planned to go but were closed during the time we visit, so if you are going during winter/snowy season, you should take this into consideration.

Karuizawa Taliesin (a lake with museums and recreational facilities, sadly we could only see the view below, but can imagine it to be very pretty during fall when the lake is surrounded by red leaves)

Mountain Pasture (where you can experience the making of Karuizawa’s famous jam, soba noodles, sausages, candles etc. It was such a bummer it was heavily snowing that day the pasture had to close)

If I have the chance, I’d really love to go Karuizawa again in the summer/fall for its beautiful scenery and to the places we have missed.

See more photos here.

And don’t forget to also see its making of

via desire to inspire

Really love this photo, reminds me of Edgar Degas’ paintings.

See more of her work from her flickr.

Cupcake Pedestal Vanity Stand, Love Bunnies Ring Holder

Hawks by Geren Ford Strapless Romper, Pins and Needles Knit Romper

BDG Grazer Cigarette Jean,
Rendez-Vous by Paul & Joe Sister Surplus Short

Pins and Needles Open Weave Fedora with Bow,
Pins and Needles Ruched Blouse

It’s actually quite sad to see one of the greatest Chinese invention dying in its own country, so I was glad to know that Mr Lee has been negotiating with the government to preserve this machine and also the lovely lead type.

There’s thousands of these Chinese lead type, and apparently there is no system in organizing them, no wonder it took them 3 hours to just arrange the type for a name card… and imagine when they had to do a book…

The last time the machine was running was for the shooting of the movie Echoes of the Rainbow (歲月神偷). Mr Lee was proudly showing us articles about his company and also photos he took with Simon Yam (任達華), who won the best actor award because of this movie.

Type specimen book, I love!

To learn more about Chinese letterpress, you can visit idsgn, an article written by a friend who was also there that day and did a much better job in describing the industry than I do.