Fujikyu Group’s Hakone Yusen will begin operating a new sightseeing boat, “Hakone Yusen Dai-chakai” on December 20, 2012, under the theme of “tea” at Lake Ashinoko, Hakone. Hours of operation are from 10:00 to 16:00.
The route is Hakone Sekisho Ato Port – Moto Hakone Port – Hakoneen Port – Kojiri Port (approximately 70 minutes). The boat has a capacity of 595 passengers, and the fare for a one-day free ride (unlimited boarding and unlimited disembarkation) on the round trip course is 2,400 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children (elementary school students).
The Hakone Yusen Grand Tea Ceremony is a sightseeing boat designed to enjoy tea with all five senses. The ship will offer a variety of areas with different atmospheres, including tatami mat seats that resemble a tea room with a shimmering golden color, a zone where visitors can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere with a lantern motif, an open-air bench reminiscent of a tea plantation, and the “Tea Room Ryokufu-An” where visitors can look out of a round window at the view of Lake Ashi.
The design was created by Yasuyuki Kawanishi, who has worked on the JR West Group’s SEA SPICA high-speed boat and WEST EXPRESS Ginga express train, as well as the Fujikyu Group’s Hakone pleasure boat SORAKAZE (to be launched in February 2024) and Hatsushima Resort Line Kinba Ginba (to be launched in July 2025). The “HATSUSHIMA RESORT LINE” (launched in July 2025).
At the “Tea Shop” on the first floor of the ship, visitors can enjoy drinks and sweets made from powdered green tea, the perfect accompaniment for a cruise. On the first day of operation, an opening ceremony will be held to celebrate the ship’s departure with a Japanese drum performance, and at the “Tea BAR (Tea House)” on the third floor of the ship, “Kaiseicha”, the highest quality tea from Kanagawa Prefecture will be served.
© Source travel watch