How would it feel to you if we proclaim that we are going to take you on a virtual trip to the scintillating lake Ashinoko. Baffled right! but true, Lake Ashinoko is a caldera lake on mount Hakone after the volcano erupted some 3000 years ago in Japan. Today lake Ashinoko is a charm to watch especially when you get to see the majestic mount Fujiyama at the backdrop. The best views of the lake in combination with Mount Fuji is really enjoyed by tourists who never forget to capture the treasured moments from Moto-Hakone. It is a double bonanza if you happen to see a boat at the same time cruising the lake.Located in the volcanically active Fuji- Hakone - Izu national park in Japan Ashinoko is a picturesque lake in the arena of mount Fujiyama. This place is famed for its hot springs beneath it which are miracles in itself.When the chat is all about the serene Ashinoko lake how can we forget the great boling valley in Owakudani, a volcanic hot spot full of sulphurous springs. Owakudani can be reached by cable car from Sounzan and even via the Ashinoko lake.Cruise boats, some of which look like pirate ships, are an interesting means of transportation along the Ashinoko lake where there are hotels and small towns which provide solace to the tourists.This place is a true paradise and lies hiddden from the rush of the madding world. Visibility of Mount Fujiyama here is considered to be dream come true as the clouds and the foggy weather block the view. But one can get a clear view during the colder seasons of the year as the whole environa is covered with mist and fog during the early morning and late evening hours.When one goes to the Fuji-Hakone region he/she will enjoy the ambiance, traveling from Odawara by train, cable car and ropeway over the mountains to lake Ashinoko. It is really a thrill to ride the pirate ship ferrying across the lake Ashinoko, landing at Hakone. The ropeway will stop at this sulphurous valley where visitors to lake Ashinoko can enjoy the views of the surrounding hills either on a cruise boat or from higher up in a cable car.A trip to lake Ashinoko is afterall not that tough as frequent buses connect Odawara via Hakone-Yumoto with Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi at the southern end of lake Ashinoko in Japan. The one way journey from Odawara takes about 50 minutes. One needn't worry much about the transport facility as there are frequently plying Hakone Tozan bus lines from Odawara via Hakone-Yumoto to Togendai at the northern end of lake Ashinoko.But the true adventure buffs who have that instinct to enjoy nature can take scenic way of approaching lake Ashinoko. It starts from Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto by taking the Hakone Tozan railway to Gora, followed by a cablecar and ropeway ride to Togendai towards the northern stretch of lake Ashinoko. On the way one goes enjoying the mesmerizing beauty of mount Fujiyama as well.Truly, a visit to this quaint lake in the backyard of mount Fujiyama is a true adventure worth remembrance.
