This Disney-like, cartoonish pirate ship reflects the whimsical part of the Japanese character we noticed before (see earlier photos). We boarded this ship at the Moto-Hakone port on the southeastern side of Lake Ashi and took it to the Togendai port on the northern side of the Lake. At Togendai we rode the Hakone Ropeway (cable car) to Owakudani ("The Great Boiling Valley" - see later photos).
Lake Ashi also is known as Lake Ashinoko or Lake Hakone. The name Ashi is a shortened version of Ashinoko meaning "lake of reeds" - from the word "ashi" meaning "reed" and "ko" meaning "lake." Lake Ashi was formed about 3000 years ago within the collapse of land (a caldera) caused by the last eruption of the Mt. Hakone volcano.
The Hakone area (including Moto-Hakone), famous for its natural beauty and hot springs, and Lake Ashi are visited by many international travelers and Japanese looking to escape the hustle and bustle of big cities, such as Tokyo.
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