Japan Road Trip 2022: Arrival in Japan

Traveling to Japan from Bosnia and Herzegovina takes some time, but it’s not as complicated as I thought it would be. It only takes one layover in Istanbul and in a “short” 15 hours travel time you are there. There is a lot to do before you get there though. Japan has only recently gotten out of lockdown so everybody is still very cautious over there. It wouldn’t stop me from enjoying my time there. The trip was a big undertaking with many stops and relied all on public transportation. Fortunately public transport in Japan is the best in the world. Everything runs smoothly and on time. Something that I would grow to love about this country.

We arrived and Hanada Airport, and got our 14-day Japan Rail Pass. It’s a essential tool when traveling through the country. With the pass you can use various JR lines (Japan Railway), shinkansen trains (bullet trains), the Tokyo Monorail as well as the Miyajima ferry (which I will talk about later in this travel series).

After the long flight it was time to head to the first hotel, which was the APA hotel close to Haneda Aiport. There was so much adrenalin going through my body that sleeping right away was not an option. We went for dinner first in a small 24h chain restaurant. Everything was so delicious. We also browsed a little convenience store. So many colors, products and unique packaging. I was flabbergasted.

Only the next morning, when I woke up, did I realize that we were situated in a very cute little alley. Japan is very safe, so the thought of back alleys and streets is not a alarm raising one. I remember the sunrise very well. It was a glorious sight. At 6 in the morning the sun came out and I immediately knew why Japan was known as the country of the rising sun.

The breakfast in the hotel is sweet bread with chocolate running through it. It would be the first in a line of many sweet breakfasts. Even the food I wouldn’t consider sweet, like eggs, were very sweet in Japan. We had to get used to that. The road kept calling and we took the train to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo. We planed to leave Tokyo immediately and go on our road trip, which would ultimately lead us back to Tokyo for the last stretch of our travels. So I only got a brief glimpse of Tokyo from the train while we were making out way to the first bullet train journey!

We boarded the Shinkansen train to Odawara. It was a great experience. The bullet trains are really fast. As we raced through the country, so did my thoughts. Only yesterday I was in my home and now I’m at the far east of the world in a train taking me to destinations unknown to me. This was my first big road trip since the 2018’s Pacific Northwest trip. It was all very exciting.

At Odawara station a sweet older lady helped us get the right local bus to Hakone, which was the first main stay of our journey. The bus ride took 50 minutes, as we arrived to the Green Plaza Hotel in Hakone. It was a onsen hotel with traditional ryokan rooms that have tatami mats as flooring. The hotel was really beautiful. Though we didn’t want to spend too much on accommodation we really went all out here.

So we arrived in Hakone, right in the foothills of Mounain Fuji and the amazing Ashi Lake. Before the sun set we went to the lake and nearby forest and I will bring you more sights and stories from there in the next part!