I have no itch to get out of the city just yet since everything in Tokyo still feels shiny, new, and exciting. But the opportunity presented itself when our friends Shilpa and Brian decided to visit us. 

I would normally give a hard no to guests before we’ve fully settled in. Knowing that our shipment will not arrive about a week after they leave meant that we’ll be camping in our half-empty apartment with cartons for curtains. Ah, the glamorous side of a foreign posting—however, they’re the type of friends who get it, the type of friends who have gotten close enough to see me without makeup when I myself was staying with them. A barely functioning apartment cannot compare. Being a diplomatic couple as well who are about to leave Manila at the end of the month and heading back to Dublin, they were also getting a chance to reacquaint themselves with moving limbo. It felt great, actually. Being like college roommates in a bare dorm, chatting ’til late while sitting on the tatami and being tourists in Tokyo together.

How’s your luck?

Omikuji are pieces of paper that tell your fortune either at the Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples all over Japan. You give 100 yen, shake a box containing sticks until one comes out. The number on the stick corresponds to a specific drawer containing flyers with your fortune. I visited Meiji Shrine with Shilpa and Brian on a weekday where I got an Omikuji that said: “Going to excess is as wrong as falling short. So used carelessly, words can also be the cause of propagating harm.”

“Nobody likes ambitious women who tell the truth,” I texted my husband who was smart enough not to argue. I had better luck at the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa a few days later which basically told me that I will get anything I want this year. I’m choosing that as my main fortune for 2024 while keeping the warning from Meiji in mind. While I enjoy fortune telling in its various forms, I still believe in making things happen for myself.

A day in Hakone

Come Sunday, we hopped on a train to Hakone to test our luck and see whether Mount Fuji will show itself to us. It did, on our way there. From the huge windows of the Odakyu Line’s Romance Car train, we saw its snow-capped peak. Majestic and wrapped in mystique, Mount Fuji is gorgeous, especially at a closer vantage point. It won’t show itself again for the rest of the day but it was already worth the journey.

We arrived in Hakone, a little more than an hour later. The town, also famous for its hot springs, is quaint and filled with museums. Okada Museum came highly recommended by my good friend Yoko but with only a day to explore and us choosing a particularly busy weekend ensured that we’ll just have to go back. For this visit, we focused solely on just getting to know the area.

We took the Hakone-Tozan Railway for a short, scenic ride taking us to higher ground. At Gora station, we caught the funicular going steadily higher and allowing us glimpses of daily life in the town which, on most days, have tourists outnumbering the actual locals. Most of the town is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park which is home to active volcanoes around Lake Ashi, making it a well-known destination for hot springs and spas. Once I figure out a way to hide my tattoos, I shall make my way to an onsen.

On the Hakone Ropeway (cable car), we were treated to stunning views of the town’s topography. Seated in our car, we saw the bottom of the Owakudani valley with volcanic steam rising from it. It made for an ethereal spectacle. Mt. Fuji is visible from the ropeway on clear, cloudless days. But fret not if it’s feeling rather shy as you’ll still get to appreciate Lake Ashi from above.

We disembarked in Togendai port where pirate ships awaited us for a cruise on the lake. Yes, pirate ships for sightseeing. I looked through Google, trying to find any historical or creative connection to piracy—maybe the popularity of One Piece? But there was nothing. Some may say it’s kitschy but I did enjoy the ride, staying mostly on the spacious deck and risking a cold. It was worth it, though. The lake is stunning and towards the end, you get to see the Heiwa no Torii (red gate of peace) standing on the lake. It is part of the Hakone-jinja shrine dating back to the year 757. It’s known for being a shrine that brings luck in battle, making it popular among the likes of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate and one of my favorite people to read about in history. 

We took a walk to the shrine after the cruise to see people enjoying a weekend shrine visit. With all the shrines and temples I’ve visited since coming here, I’m really expecting good luck throughout 2024. So here’s to luck and many fun adventures this year. To more friends and visitors who will keep letting me see Tokyo in a different perspective. Just last night, we met New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Peter Kell, for dinner in Shibuya. He’s had diplomatic postings in Tokyo before and is here on a personal visit. He showed us a secret curry restaurant perfect for vegetarians just off the Shibuya Scramble. Something I never would have found on my own!