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Amakusa Kaisen Kura
Located at the northern tip of Shimoshima, the largest island in the Amakusa archipelago, this popular complex offers dolphin watching in some of Kumamoto’s clearest waters along with dining options that let you fully enjoy local seafood.
The attached restaurant focuses on fresh seafood, and you can tell right away the ingredients are really solid. Both the sashimi and the seafood rice bowls are generous and feel really well done.
Hakone Gindofu
In front of Hakone Tozan Railway’s Gora Station, there is an established tofu shop which provides tofu for breakfast for many hotels and inns in Hakone. On holidays, a waiting line forms at this local favorite store.
The texture of Gindofu is a lot like our douhua (tofu pudding). I tried it with the soy sauce recommended by the owner, and it was surprisingly delicious!
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
The Hakone Venetian Glass Museum is located in the lush greenery of Hakone Sengokuhara. The compound consists of the Venetian Glass Museum, the Modern Glass Museum and the Glass Workshop. The garden overlooks Owakudani Valley. There is a lovely cafe/restaurant, and an interesting museum store.
This dreamy European-style estate has outdoor glass art blended with nature. Inside, there are lots of exquisite glass artworks for sale—they're really beautiful! When you get tired from walking around, you can relax at the restaurant, have a drink, and listen to violin music. It really makes you feel surrounded by art.
Pola Museum of Art
The Pola Museum of Art is located in the middle of a forest in Hakone and is filled with greenery and sunlight. The museum was opened in 2002 to exhibit the artworks collected over a period of about 40 years by the second generation of Pola's founding family, Tsuneshi Suzuki.
Inside the museum, you can enjoy a wide variety of art styles and types, including paintings, sculptures, and photography. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to explore, or you might miss out on fully appreciating each exhibition area. Also, the way the museum's architecture blends with nature is really something special and makes you want to linger.
Owakudani
After changing from the cable car to the ropeway at Hayamiyama Station on the main route of the Hakone tour, While enjoying an aerial walk for a while the scenery suddenly changes.
In the Owakudani area, you can try lots of foods cooked with geothermal heat, like black eggs (eggs boiled in the hot springs) and noodles made with geothermal steam. These dishes have a unique texture and flavor, making them a real highlight of the trip.