We decided to take a daytrip to the Hakone area to do a little hike.
It was a hot and hazy day, the first properly warm day since we arrived in Japan. We got the train from Tokyo station, through the sprawl of Tokyo and Yokohama, to Odawara on the coast.
From Odawara we took a small local train to the small town of Daiyuzan. It was a far cry from the crowded Tokyo metro.
After a short bus ride through a cedar forest, we arrived at the entrance to the temple complex of Saijo-ji. It's a beautiful place, and it was very quiet while we were there.
After a short potter around the temple, we started our hike towards the mountain of Myojingatake. The mountain is about 1150m tall, which is well below the tree line in these parts, so we were in an ever-changing forest day long. The variety of trees was incredible. Cedars, pines, cherry trees, bamboo...