Overnight Trip to Hakone!

Bright and early on Saturday morning, CIEE Language and Culture students embarked on an overnight trip to the city of Hakone in Kanagawa prefecture. After the bus ride from Tokyo, students took a lesson at a traditional woodworking shop and made intricate pieces of wood art. Yosegi Zaiku is an art form native to the Hakone area, which is known for its sprawling nature. 

After creating their one-of-a-kind wooden mosaics, we were off to our next stop; Owakudani! Owakudani is the area around a crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone around 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone from which sulfurous fumes emit, and thus the area is known for hot spring baths. Not too far in the distance, the iconic Mount Fuji can be seen on clear days. After arriving the students got to explore the area by walking around the crater and buying various souvenirs such as the famous black eggs which are said to extend your life by seven years by eating one. These eggs are cooked in Owakudani's hot spring pools and their shells are blackened by the sulfur. 

Afterward, all the students were back on the bus and we headed to our hotel stay in Atami, a beautiful coastal town in nearby Shizuoka. At this hotel, students had the chance to wear yukata, take traditional onsen hot spring baths, and enjoy a buffet dinner complete with many Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, tempura, and udon noodles. 

On day two of our trip, there was a guided tour of Odawara Castle in Hakone, where students got the opportunity to learn about the castle's history, about ninjas and samurai, and about how it would defend itself from invaders. Inside the castle there were historic artifacts and documentaries available for watching, and from the top of the castle the view of the entire Hakone area and beyond. After this educational experience, students were given free time to eat lunch in small groups around the city of Odawara before heading back to Tokyo.