By the time we moved on to the Green Plaza Hotel in Hakone, the weather system had changed dramatically. Light drizzles, mist and fog were the order of the day and Mt Fuji hid her face. As we had anticipated this, we did 2 earlier side trips down the Fuji express toll road from Kawaguchiko and managed to capture bright sunny images on the famous Skyline Highway & on the pirate ship cruise around Lake Ashi.
Contrasting with the sparkling blue days were moody and mysterious ones which had their own special beauty.
We enjoyed hiking through shifting fog in the Sengokuhara Susuki fields (Japanese Pampas Grass).
Next we climbed from the famous lakeshore Tori gate up to the Hakone Shrine of the nine-headed dragon.
We also walked through a reconstruction of the Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho) located between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi along the shore of Lake Ashinoko.
We then ambled in awe through a grove of magnificent 300-year old cedar trees.
These trees can rival California's Redwoods and giant Sequoias in grandeur. Theresa, an avid tree-lover, feels that we are greatly privileged to have seen these Californian giants on our previous travels.
Historically, Hakone used to be a very important checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido, the highway which linked Tokyo with Kyoto during the feudal Edo period.
(Please click the sidebar links to our online Picasa albums).
When Theresa and I lived in Boston over 1991-1992, we couldn't imagine any other place more beautiful in autumn than New England, with it's famous Swift River-Kancamagus Highway and many other scenic waypoints. Now that we have seen momiji or the Japanese maple, we feel doubly-blessed for each region has its own beauty.
On this trip, we specially drove up to the Subaru 5th Station on Mt Fuji. Although the official climbing season ended in August, the first 1 km of the "Yoshida" summit trail was still open for the public to explore. We also did a part of the "Ochudo-meguri Trail" which means the boundary between heaven and earth, encircling the mountain between the 5th and 6th Stations. On the volcanic scree slopes we saw numerous stunted Japanese larch (karamatsu). This is the only conifer to change colour (and lose its needle-shaped leaves) in autumn. The Japanese larch rivals the ginkgo tree with its brilliant yellow colour.
Since we had rented a nice Subaru Imprezza with 4WD, we decided to drive the 50km from Kawaguchiko on one of the blue sky days we enjoyed in the first week of this vacation. Along the way, we stopped by Lakes Motosuko & Saiko, each of which had their own beauty.
Waterfalls have always had a magical aura about them. Wherever we travel in the world, Theresa & I will seek them out, especially if it doesn't entail significant danger! After all, where there's water & green moss, a careless slip can translate into a trip to the hospital.
When we finally cast our eyes on this amazing waterfall, we understood why Shiraito Falls is a national treasure. There were throngs of people but the parking wardens were able to handle traffic flow smoothly. We were impressed that the walking paths were nicely paved. Inspired by the natural beauty, Theresa decided to step gingerly amongst the rocks to pose for some really cool shots.
Contrasting with the sparkling blue days were moody and mysterious ones which had their own special beauty.
Next we climbed from the famous lakeshore Tori gate up to the Hakone Shrine of the nine-headed dragon. 
Nothing ventured, nothing gained is so true when it comes to choosing a room with the best view. Technically speaking, we had pre-booked a corner panoramic room with "Mt Fuji view". But seeing how the weather was inclement, we asked instead for a highest floor room and gained so much more, as can be seen from these panoramas.