More Hakone.

The trip from Shinjuku station in Tokyo to Hakone takes about 1.5 hours. Once in the area, a combination of train, funicular rail, gondola, ferry/pirate ship, and bus moves visitors through the area. Thus, the need for cars and parking is greatly reduced. In order to reduce smog and traffic jams, national parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite desperately need to implement similar measures.

Smoking Mountainside.

Iconic Mt. Fuji.

Hordes of Visitors.
With 35 million people nearby, don't expect to find solitude on a trip to Hakone. The crowds were staggering, and this trip was made on a weekday. Of course, autumn also brings out particularly large crowds.

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O' Venerable Giant.

Mt. Fuji, which rarely makes an appearance, was spotted today from the smoking valley of Hakone. In the foreground, the volcanic sulphurous springs of Hakone release toxic gasses into the air. More to come...

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