Cuddle up close with animals in Japan’s super-cute zoo and aquarium in Hakone!

Text & photos byKuo Jen-jung

Super cute!!! This is a zoo in Hakone, Japan~ So adorable~ I didn’t want to leave!!! Today, entertainment reporter Kuo Jen-jung will take you on a relaxing “one-night, two-meals” trip to Hakone, the hot spring resort!!! The first stop is the Hakone Zoo—though it’s not very big, it’s full of cuddly, adorable animals you can pet and hug!!

What animals are there? Besides the dog and alpaca in the first picture, here’s proof—let’s give you a sneak peek first!

Aren’t all the animals so adorable? But I think the cutest area is the dog zone, where there are about 20 puppies aged 0 to 1 year old, and every single one is just so cute!! As soon as you sit down, they’ll lovingly come over and snuggle up on your lap—it really made me not want to leave!!

Especially this little dachshund named PEACE—he’s super clingy~ ^^ Look at his innocent face~ Oh my gosh~ I’m totally melted!!! I could hug three of them at once~~~ Left and right, that’s definitely describing me right now!!! Living the dream~!!!

Next to the zoo, there’s also the Hakone-en Aquarium, which is worth a visit

As soon as you walk in, you’ll see the aquarium’s star animal—the little seal statue, holding bath accessories while soaking in the onsen. It’s seriously adorable~ Maybe we’ll even get to see a hot spring-loving seal later?! Tickets are 1,500 yen for adults and 750 yen for kids, open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM!!!

As soon as you walk in, you’ll see the aquarium’s star animal—the little seal statue, holding bath accessories while soaking in the onsen. It’s seriously adorable~ Maybe we’ll even get to see a hot spring-loving seal later?! Tickets are 1,500 yen for adults and 750 yen for kids, open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM!!!

Inside, the most eye-catching area is the shark zone—unlike the great whites you see in movies, these sharks are quite tame and love to hang out on the sandy bottom.

If you love watching transparent jellyfish change colors under different lights, you could easily get lost in admiration here!!!

And of course, NEMO the clownfish from Finding Nemo is also here at Hakone-en Aquarium!

Now let’s head over to the freshwater fish area!!!

Oh my gosh~~~ What are these super beefy big fish?! They’re even bigger than me, and I’m 173 cm tall!!! Turns out, these are arapaima—pretty common in Southeast Asia!!

Do you know how big the biggest arapaima can get? Check the comparison chart below—you’ll see!!! They’re really huge~

The king penguin, beloved in Taiwan, is also here to see!! I think what’s thoughtful about Hakone-en Aquarium is that they’ve applied a special film to the glass, which prevents fog and grime from sticking—so you can clearly see every move the animals make.

Next, we’ll head to the outdoor animal star area and see the most popular little seals take the stage!!!

Aside from the usual handshakes, claps, and dribbling, when you think of Hakone, you’ll definitely think of hot springs. That’s right!!! These little seals are so cute—they even strike hot spring soaking poses for photos!! ^^

Since I visited in December, the seals went the extra mile by wearing reindeer headgear~ Doesn’t it feel very Christmassy?!

Before leaving the aquarium, you can also find hot spring-themed little seal plush toys at the souvenir shop!! If you like them, take one home!!! Guaranteed you won’t find them anywhere else!!

Where should you go for lunch when you’re hungry? There’s a public cafeteria next to Hakone-en Aquarium—let’s see what tasty food they have!!

Chicken karaage rice bowl is only 1,200 yen—prices aren’t jacked up just because it’s a tourist spot!!!

Whether you’re in the mood for noodles or rice, they’ve got both here!! And the taste is pretty good!!! ^^ It’s got that homestyle Japanese mom flavor~ After eating your fill, let’s go admire Lake Ashi, Hakone’s most famous scenic spot.

On a nice day, you can even take the Komagatake Ropeway for a lake view from high above~ ^^

A trip needs a place to stay!!! Today I’m recommending a traditional Japanese inn: [Ryugeiden], a high-end hot spring ryokan under the Seibu Prince Hotels group in Japan (click here to check discounted rates)

I stayed in the Hakugasa Premium Room today

As soon as you enter, the entrance hall splits left and right—going left leads to the bathroom and soaking area inside the guest room.

The bathing space inside the room is so spacious—this is definitely a high-end Japanese inn!!! The other direction, going left from the entrance, leads to the living area (click here to check discounted rates)

This is just way too beautiful!!! It's like the hot spring inn scenes from Japanese movies have come to life right in front of my eyes~ Such a big room, it’s such a pity for me to stay here alone!!

When staying at a Japanese hot spring inn, you definitely have to put on a yukata and take photos~ Hurry up and CHECK it out~

When the weather is nice here, you can see Mount Fuji from the window of your room!!! Can everyone see that white peak in the distance~? It’s Japan’s national treasure and iconic landmark, Mount Fuji!!! (Click here to check for discounted rates)

After checking out the guest rooms, let me take you around the surroundings of the inn!!! The first-floor lobby area

The shop on the first floor also sells lots of souvenirs!! Many of them are limited-edition products from the Hakone area, such as Hakone manjū~ They’re filled with flavors like red bean paste and jujube paste. They’re honestly quite sweet on their own~ It’s best to enjoy them with unsweetened Japanese tea.

Upstairs is the main dining hall~ Ryugeiden preserves the old-school Japanese style where everyone dines together in a large hall. Just look at the picture below to see Up!!! You won’t feel crowded even though everyone is eating in the same room—the seats are really well spaced apart.

Here’s the dinner MENU for that one-night-two-meal stay

From appetizers to desserts, every dish is as beautiful as a painting, making it really hard to bear eating them~ My favorite was the beef stewed in red wine—the beef was so tender and flavorful, I could’ve eaten several more bowls of rice with it. Next, let’s go check out the men’s bath!!! The entertainment reporter timed it perfectly, rushing in to shoot right after it had been cleaned and before anyone else arrived Up！

The bathing area is pretty spacious, but unfortunately, there’s no open-air hot spring pool. If you want to soak in one, you can head to another inn at the nearby Prince Hotel. As long as you want to soak, you can ask the staff at Ryugeiden to take you there!!!

After spending the night here, please take a look at the next morning’s breakfast!!

It’s just as lavish!!! That’s it for this travelogue~ I really want to go back to Hakone again~~~ I want to soak in the baths, eat delicious food, and hug some dogs~~~

Inn Information:
Hakone-en
Address: 144 Motohakone, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0522, Japan
Phone: +81 460-83-1111

Ryugeiden
Address: Postal Code: 250-0522, 139 Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0522
Phone: +81-(0)460-83-1121
Official Website: http://www.princehotels.com/zh-tw/ryuguden/

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