A day in the life of a Hobbit

In September we went to Hakone, a scenic town that takes its namesake from the volcano upon which it sits.  http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html

Hakone is famous for its hotsprings and can easily reached from Tokyo for day trip.  We wound up staying for two at a little ryokan called Yamagaso.  https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/ryokan-single/?ryokan=Senkei+Annex+Yamagaso

We mostly lounged and ate, and didn't do any hiking, as most of the park was closed.  Last spring, Mr. Hakone gave a rumble and coughed up some ash, which resulted in the closure of most of the park for most of 2015, including during our trip.  That's okay. I'd rather not wind up like the poor folks of Pompeii when Mt. Vesuvius got indigestion.

 

Of course, staying at a Ryokan means stuffing your face and soaking in the onsen! The spread was about a five course meal comprised of small dishes featuring local cuisine.

 

 The world's smallest potato!

 This was the best tempura I've ever had! They had some sort of lemon salt coating. So yummm...

So Japan is a land of short and thin (by American standards) people.  Jeff had some trouble with the accommodations.

Yes, this was the size of the doorway.  But you just have to duck.