7/17/2023

Hello Blog Readers,

Our second day in Hakone had us waking up to a glorious sunrise. Though clouds still covered Mt. Fuji, blocking any views of it, the fog that had covered the lake had lifted and the sky was clear. I woke up early, made myself some coffee, and enjoyed the sunrise in solitude from the comfort of the ryokan.

Around 8 a.m. the ryokan staff gathered us for breakfast. It wasn’t a western style breakfast, but a Japanese style breakfast. Consisting of grilled fish, tamogoyaki, a salad, miso soup, and rice, it was very healthy and delicious, but by the end of the meal our American heritage was starting to take over – we were growing tired of healthy seafood and reasonable portions and craving something big and unhealthy like a burger.

When we finished breakfast, we made use of the Hakone baggage delivery service (aside – most places in Japan have baggage delivery services where they will check your bags and have them delivered to your hotel or the local train station at a time of your choosing…they are reputable, efficient, convenient, and safe to use – so definitely make use of them when you’re in Japan to free yourself of having to carry luggage everywhere), and then headed down to Lake Ashi.

We had two goals while at Lake Ashi – see the famous shrine whose torii gate is on the lake and try to see Mt. Fuji. We started with the shrine, which was really awesome and well-nestled in nature. There was a long line to have your photo taken at the torii gate. My sister and brother-in-law were willing to wait in the line, but I wasn’t, so we briefly went our separate ways with me meandering along the lakeshore to see the traveling ships and eventually finding a different (line-free) view of the torii gate.

Next, I wanted to try to spot Mt. Fuji, so I continued along the lakeshore until I stumbled upon a really awesome park. The park was peaceful and relaxing. It offered some great views of nature and the lake, but on this day no views of Fuji, which remained cloud-covered.

Around this time, Sam and Trey had finished the line and got their photo. I shared my location with them and we re-gathered in the park, ready to head into town. Taking the bus into town, we grabbed lunch (I had some great tonkatsu), and separated again to explore the village. I for one spent much of my time wandering along the Haya River, which oddly enough holds a lot of sentimental purpose for me. This is because last winter I started my second novel with the main character strolling along this very same river in the heat of summer – just as I was doing that day. When I was writing, I had no idea that I would be here in Japan or along this river just a few months later. It just seemed like the appropriate place to start the novel based on its plot and my research. Seeing it in person for the first time, knowing that it was a spot that the character who lived in my mind cherished was kind of surreal and spiritual. Anyways, here’s how my second novel, The Stream Sniper, begins. Let me know if I captured in my winter-time writing the same energy and tranquility of the river that I captured with my camera here in person! 😊

The Stream Sniper

Chapter 1

“The Haya River snaked its way purposefully and peacefully through the humid, summer Japanese countryside, with the emerald blue river’s stones and its babbling, clear waters offering a feminine grace to the steep, verdant canyons that were its home. The sound of the river was neither a rush, nor a roar, but a confident, constant whisper and murmur, quietly but confidently declaring nature’s splendor.

Along the river’s bank, Fuyuko leisurely strolled beside her parents, Kenji and Yua, and her sister Atsuko. The family was spending their summer holiday at Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, a ryokan renown in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest hotel and continuously operating business on the planet. Originally established in the year 705, the rural, out-of-the-way luxury destination was nestled like a jewel in the mountains of western Yamanashi Prefecture. It was far from the cities, and it stood proud and golden in its wild habitat. The gentle Haya River flowed past the ryokan as it had for over one thousand years, and the area’s trails and paths allowed for the hotel’s guests to take in the river and contemplate nature and life. Above, the greenery of mountain trees reached for the hazy blue sky and filled the humid space with the sounds and colors of the forest. There was a timeless harmony to the place – the coming together of natural beauty with tradition and human culture. To Fuyuko the moment walking along the bank of the river was, in many ways, heaven on Earth…”

I’m still working on getting this manuscript published. Hopefully it happens someday soon…as the novel was a lot of work. Anyways, after exploring town for the day, we regathered and made our way over to the train station to head to our final destination – Tokyo.

Cheers,

-Rob