Happy Friday eve (that’s what I call Thursday 😀 ) and Throwback Thursday (TBT) everyone! 😀 For my TBT this week, I’m going to share some of my favorite moments from my trip to Hakone a few years ago and I will start with my enjoyable experience cruising the picturesque Lake Ashinoko aka Lake Ashi.

Lake Ashi is a beautiful place! It’s one of those places that you would want to go to when you want to unplug and really relax because it’s refreshingly beautiful and serene. Lake Ashi or Lake Ashinoko is located in Hakone, a part of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu Japan. I was drawn to this place because of the torii gates that I have seen in some movies :). I was really intrigued by it and wanted to see it in person. Weather permitting, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi. You can also enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Mt. Fuji aboard Hakone’s Komagatake Ropeway. It is an aerial tramway that climbs Mt. Komagatake on the east side. It was a beautiful day in autumn when I went there and I got to really enjoy the scenery although it was a bit chilly. I also went on a ferry ride where I got to enjoy the picturesque Lake Ashi even more. I wish I had also gone on the pirate ship but I didn’t have enough time so I’m saving that for my next visit :).

Hmmm…I wonder if they serve something else other than ham & sausage. 😀

Canoes and a glimpse of another torii gate.

Prince Hotel Hakone Lakeside Annex

Getting close to the famous torii (gate) of Hakone Shrine.

The Torii of Hakone Shrine at Lake Ashi

The Hakone Pirate Ship

The Hakone Pirate Ship

Just moi being a tourist! 😀

The Hakone Pirate Ship

Gotta have that souvenir photo op with the Hakone’s famous Pirate Ship since I didn’t get to go on it! Another to-do in my list for my next visit! 🙂

The Hakone Pirate Ship

Beautiful Pirate Ship!

Swan Boats at Lake Ashi

So cute! I’m definitely renting one of these swan boats next time! 🙂

This was the boat I was on while cruising Lake Ashi.

More cute swan boats! 🙂

I don’t know what it is but I really love the way this tree and the clouds look together, so I had to take a snap of it! 🙂

On to the next adventure! About to head on to the Hakone Ropeway.

…but of course I had to check out some of the stores first! I brought this back to the US and it was absolutely delish! 🙂

Another yummy treat I brought back with me from this trip!

I wanted to buy all of this for my collection!!!

…and so are these! But I wasn’t willing to pay for an extra luggage plus the cost of these cute collectibles so I said next time. 🙂

I used to have one of these dolls when I was little and I had a key chain too but didn’t know exactly where it came from until I saw these at Hakone then last year at Asakusa.