tour 2 of 15
Collecting souvenirs in Japan: a diary
17 January: Hakone and Mt Fuji
I had been told that the view from Hakone of
Mt. Fuji across Lake Ashi is one of the most popular with the
Japanese. Hakone used to be one of the main stations along the
Tōdaidō highway up until the late nineteenth century, but the one
day excursion made by most visitors now tends to involve a round
trip up the surrounding mountains, from where the view of Mt. Fuji
is even more spectacular, and back down across Lake Ashi. The
excursion is promoted in part through the different modes of
transport involved. From Odawara, the nearest mainline train
station, a smaller train zig-zags up into the foothills, followed
by a funicular and cable-car which take visitors to the panoramic
terraces at Ôwakudani and down to the lake where large boats,
including a replica of a seventeenth-century ship, ferry people
across to Hakone. This circuit and the ticket booths and nearby
shops provided me with opportunities to investigate the role of
transport in souvenirs. I found badges in the form of train
carriages, little cardboard kits to make and decorate a cable-car,
all combining the views of Mt. Fuji with distinctive transport
motifs.
On a cold day in
January such as this, most visitors aimed straight for the warmth
of the restaurants and souvenir shops. Souvenirs sold in Ôwakudani
are inspired by a local speciality of black eggs baked in the mud
around the hot springs. Most visitors end their tour in Hakone, or
visit only Hakone, admiring Mt. Fuji across Lake Ashi. The town is
known for a style of wood crafts developed in the early twentieth
century, combining different coloured woods to make geometric
patterns. Puzzle boxes are the most popular souvenir, but also
toothpick holders and trinkets such as
keyrings.