Staying in Ebisu at the Westin Tokyo – Enjoyable and Convenient

For this particular trip to Japan, the location of the Westin Tokyo Hotel was ideal – just a few stops from my friend’s apartment and close to Shinjuku station for my excursions outside of Tokyo. There's also a convenient covered walkway connecting the basement level of the hotel to the Ebisu train station. Part of the JR Yamanote Line and Hibya Line, I could easily go from Ebisu to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Roppongi, and Ginza without transferring. It takes a while to get to station from the hotel (about a 10-15 minutes) but the moving walkways help.

Like most things in Japan, the Westin Tokyo is clean and immaculately maintained. I was a little thrown off by the Italian décor though – lots of dark marble with gold accents. I had to laugh when I saw marble columns in the living area of my room…I felt like I was back at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Regardless, the room had a good layout and I enjoyed my stay. My experience with the concierge staff was mixed. They did a great job coordinating my dining reservations, but weren’t very helpful with recommendations – good thing I did a lot of my own research before the trip. [Recommendation: During a previous trip, I had an incredible experience at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. Depending on what part of Tokyo you want to be in, I’d highly recommend this hotel. It’s pricey, but well worth it – luxurious accommodations, excellent service and attention-to-detail, amazing views, direct access to Mitsukoshimae Station]

Westin Tokyo bedroom
Bathroom - my friend said the Japanese love the 90s look of marble and gold lighting
The hotel's bruléed banana oatmeal is the only room service item that I'd recommend. A nice way to start the day.
Ebisu is a nice part of Tokyo. It’s a little more quiet, which was nice after long days filled with crowds and sightseeing. There are also tons of dining options across the street from the hotel in Yebisu Garden Place. It was great to have so many food shops and stands (Atre Mall, bottom floor of Mitsukoshi) nearby when I needed to grab a quick snack. [Recommendation: There’s a fantastic smoothie place in the area called Smooch – the perfect thirst quencher on a warm day. The apple ginger crush was delish!!]

Yebisu Garden Plaza
The top of the Yebisu Garden Place Tower offers beautiful views of Tokyo. There are also restaurants on the 38th and 39th floors. B and I decided to have dinner at Hokkaido (on 39th floor) since we were enticed by the seafood items on their menu. We must have been craving crab that night…

Crab Fried Rice
Pot of Crab Porridge
Steamed Hokkaido King Crab - so meaty and succulent!
The food was good and totally hit the spot. And considering all the crab we ate, the prices weren’t too bad either.

Night view from top of Yebisu Garden Place Tower
Day view from top of Yebisu Garden Place Tower

BITE METER:
Westin Tokyo - 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)
Hokkaido - 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)

Traveling the Hakone Loop – Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Ok, it was more like buses, boats, ropeways, cable cars, and trains…but you get my movie reference. Hakone is a beautiful place to visit, and getting around is part of the fun. It takes a whole day to go around the "loop" (3-4 hours actual travel time, waiting for each mode of transportation, and sightseeing stops). For anyone traveling the loop, I highly recommend purchasing the Hakone Free Pass. It’s not actually free (~$60 USD), but gives you access to the various modes of transportation to/from and around Hakone operated by Odakyu. Plus, it’s valid for 2 days.

I traveled the loop clockwise since I was coming from Yugawara (after staying at Hakuunsou). First was the bus ride over a mountain and to Lake Ashi – very scenic 1 hour trip. Because of our early start, B and I had the whole bus to ourselves.

Everything was so lush and green.

Great view of Lake Ashi coming down the other side of the mountain.

Yes, folks – we rode a ‘pirate ship’ across Lake Ashi!

The 40 minute boat ride from Hakone-Machi to Togendai was great -- standing on the top deck and enjoying the spectacular scenery.

Next, riding up the ropeway towards Souzan. I recommend making a pit stop right before Souzan and getting off at Owakudani.

Owakudani, which means ‘great boiling valley,’ is the area around a crater formed by Mount Hakone's last eruption over 3000 years ago. It is still an active volcanic zone with sulfur fumes rising from the ground. I could smell the sulfur from the ropeway, but it’s nothing compared to the stench after walking on the trail up Mount Kamiyama (yes, people actually want to get closer to the sulfur vents!).

Along the “nature trail,” there’s a place that sells eggs cooked in the boiling sulfur water. The sulfur turns their shells black, and eating them is supposed to prolong your life. There were lots of Japanese people eating the eggs, but I decided to pass on this custom. I also didn’t hike the rest of the way up the trail – no need to see (or smell) more steam vents and bubbling pools of sulfur water.

After taking the cable car to Gora, the next mode of transportation was a train on the Hakone Tozan Railway. I HIGHLY recommend getting off at the first stop (Chokoku-no-Mori) to visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum – this was by far the best thing to see in Hakone. It’s one of my favorite museums in the world, and features artists such as Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Naum Gabo, and Henry Moore. [Note: There are 2 restaurants at the Open Air Museum. Since the Japanese buffet didn’t look very appetizing, we went to the Chinese restaurant. The dim sum items were pretty good.]

I loved the juxtaposition of modern art with nature as the back drop. The visual effect was stunning.

The Net Forest is made of over 500 interlocking logs of wood… and it's a play area for kids!! No one under 13 allowed inside - such lucky kids!

The Picasso Pavilion displayed over 300 works by Picasso, one of the largest collections in the world. Even the sign on the building was visually stunning, surrounded by the beautiful landscape.

Inside the Symphonic Sculpture, a spiral staircase enclosed by a tower of colorful stain glass. It was cool to be completely surrounded all these colorful pieces of light.

Who says art has to be serious?

Art was everywhere, even in the most unexpected places.

The Glass Web was another unique and interesting play area for kids -- no boring jungle gyms here!

It was surreal seeing all the giant sculptures among the mountains and open blue sky. The landscaping was amazing.

And finally, it was a 2 hour train ride back to Tokyo. What a fantastic trip!

Hakuunso Ryokan - A Relaxing Retreat

Since we were spending most of our time in Tokyo during this trip to Japan, I thought it’d be nice to get away for a weekend in Hakone. Only 90 minutes away by train, it’s the perfect destination for a quick trip outside the city. After researching several different ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), I decided on Hakuunsou – great reputation, high quality of accommodations and food, private bathrooms, and the clincher…our own onsen (hot springs bath) in our room!

Upon arrival, we were greeted with green tea and some refreshing snacks to enjoy while they checked us in.

Our room was pretty sizable for a ryokan, and we enjoyed hanging out on the balcony.
I loved having a private onsen in our room!! It was connected to our bathroom, then extended out onto the balcony…such a cozy place to sit back and relax. A small stream ran below our balcony. It was so soothing to hear the sounds of the water from our room. There's also a family onsen which can be reserved for private use. It’s housed in a cottage separate from the ryokan. The facilities were excellent.
The kaiseki dinner was served in our room - this is always my favorite part about staying at ryokans. The amount of care and energy it takes to bring each course (and there are many) into the room and serve all of the beautiful dishes really makes it special.

The evening’s menu was printed on pretty Japanese paper – I wish I could read Japanese.
Kaiseki meals are a form of art, showcasing local ingredients in their optimal taste, textures, and colors. Our first course consisted of silky steamed tofu, an assortment of seafood, and an apertif.Sashimi course with conch, tai, chu-toro, hirame, and maguro. The tai (red sea bream) was especially tasty and refreshing. I’ve never actually seen the wasabi root before, so I was impressed that our nakai (woman in charge of our room) gave us our own in case we wanted more than the amount she had grated for us.
Clear vegetable broth with a surprisingly light and airy ball of fish paste and red beans This rich and flavorful langoustine bouillabaisse was heated right at our table. Fresh vegetables and beef for us to cook on the hot plate with soy and ponzu sauce. Look at the lovely marbled fat on the beef (maybe Kobe…if only I could read the menu!)
Marinated and grilled fish with a bowl of stewed radish and yuba. The yellow dish in the back contains freshly ground pink salt. Lots of components to this course – baby shrimp tempura, miso soup, pickled veggies, and mushroom rice… … and sliced radish creatively presented in a kabuso fruit - the sweet and tangy flavors freshened my palate And last but not least, dessert – peach gelee, creamy and delicious peach custard, and super sweet cantaloupe.

I could definitely get used to waking up to sounds of a babbling brook and sunlight streaming in through the balcony. After a sound night's sleep (due to the wonders of hot baths and a full belly), our nakai comes to set up our room for breakfast - oh yes, another huge feast will be served in our room! :-9

Breakfast begins with hot green tea, sashimi (ika, maguro), and an assortment of pickled vegetables.

Then a soothing vegetable and tofu soup. We each had our own pot heated at the table.

I loved the rich savory taste of the grilled salmon. The colors of the fish were also beautiful.

Grilled mackerel with chawan-mushi (egg custard)

This langoustine miso soup was my favorite part of breakfast - the rich langoustine flavor gave it an extra level of depth.
Cold and refreshing egg custard.

Breakfast was finished off by ridiculously juicy and sweet pears and cantaloupe.
Our large table was literally FILLED with food -- now that's a breakfast of champions!

For anyone visiting Hakone, I would definitely recommend at least one night's stay at Hakuunsou. Comparing this to my other favorite ryokan experience, Hakuunsou wasn’t as luxurious as Hiiragiya (during my previous trip to Kyoto), but it had charm and I enjoyed the onsens here a lot more. I also thought Hakuunsou’s breakfast was better, while Hiiragiya served the superior kaiseki dinner. Regardless, both of these ryokans are fantastic and staying at either one would be a treat.

BITE METER: Hakuunsou Ryokan – 4.0 bites (out of 5)