Hato Bus One-Day Trip to Gotemba

Gondola ride, mini boat cruise & illumination event

George Popescu May 22, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Hopes and fortunes tied to a tree.</p>

<p>Some seriously huge sandals or rather benches shaped as sandals.</p>

<p>He is lonely but enjoying the view and raindrops.</p>

<p>Excellent view of the nearby town and other mountains.</p>

<p>Very traditional bridge and small pond at the top of the mountain.</p>

<p>These guys can catch the food in full flight.</p>

<p>They kept coming near the boat as many people fed them snacks.</p>

<p>They seem to enjoy the scenery and fishing in the ocean waters near the various islands.</p>

<p>Not sure how this turtle ended up vertically tied to a pole...</p>

<p>Beautiful designs create a real fairy tale walkway in the evening.</p>

<p>Many different things are added to the lighted designs to make them even more whimsical.</p>

<p>The illumination festival is a sight to be seen indeed, many different colors and waves of light.</p>

<p>One lonely snowman is driving towards the North Pole in a truck with no tires.</p>

<p>A beautiful horse drawn carriage welcomes you to the illuminated walkway.</p>

<p>A million cranes hang above your head as you walk along the walkway.</p>

In November I went on a Hato Bus day trip to the Gotemba area west of Tokyo. We first arrived at a location called Panorama Park, where we took the gondola to the top of the mountain. Back down we got a nice buffet style lunch, followed by a short river cruise. While waiting for the boat we could purchase snacks from the store for the hungry seagulls that would assault the boat. After that we went to a fantastic illumination event, Gotemba Toki no Sumika—a spectacular illumination laser and light show. By the way, bento style dinner was included, too!

George Popescu @george.popescu

I was born in Bucharest, Romania and after a brief stay in London, England I settled and lived in Toronto, Canada for 20 years. I moved to Tokyo in late 2013 and have lived here ever since. I enjoy exploring the city with my camera as well as going to many special events that Tokyo has to offer e...