[Travel Report] Mother-Daughter Trip with My 9th Grade Daughter - Hakone Part 2

Click here for Day 1 ↓

Day 2 has fewer photos and more mother-daughter conversation.

Off to the morning bath at 6:30 AM.

Still, it's been a while since I've seen my daughter without makeup and wearing her glasses, but

this round-eyed look is the cutest. As a parent, I think my daughter's natural face is the cutest.

After finishing our bath and returning to the room, I brought up something that had been on my mind for a while, as I often do on these trips.

"Lily, you drop things a lot, don't you?"

My daughter replied without missing a beat,

"Mom! You're trying to say I'm "},{handicapped-handed", aren't you! I know that myself!"

"O-oh, I wonder if you take after your father?"

"If you're going to say that... Mom, you're forgetful too! Yesterday you left your earrings in the bathroom, and this morning you forgot your face wash... And at the Hakone Open-Air Museum yesterday, you were desperately trying to jam your bicycle key into a coin locker! You were like, 'It won't open,' but of course it wouldn't open! lol"

"Gah! W-well, that's true. I've always been forgetful, and sometimes I just space out naturally."

"Exactly. I'm handicapped-handed and you're forgetful. So we just need to make up for each other's shortcomings."

"Y-yeah, you're right."

I wonder which one of us is the mother... sweat

We had breakfast and left the inn.

Heading to Owakudani by ropeway

We left Hakone early and hopped on the train

On a whim, we also went to Odawara Castle

We went inside the castle keep, but...

“You know, all the exhibits say the same thing. It’s just all about the Omori clan and the Hojo clan. This doesn't even help with studying history.”
(↑Mom being critical lol)

“I don't really like history.”

“Why?”

“Because, you know, we don't even know if it's true. They just go back and forth about it based on old books. Don't you think the author's own subjectivity is mixed in? Did they really exist? Did the Omori and Hojo clans really look like that? They might have just been making it all up. I just can't truly believe in historical figures.”

“Huh. So you can't believe it unless you see it with your own eyes.”

Exactly! That's why I like geography when it comes to social studies. Geography is about things that are definitely there in that specific place.

Japanese geography? Or world geography?

World geography. You know, I'm a bit irreverent like you, Mom, so when I studied things like racism and poverty in Africa, I actually got interested. I thought, 'Ah, the fact that I'm interested in this kind of thing really proves I'm your child'.

So, we share the same irreverent side, huh?

Exactly! The 'Fuji-loving' side comes from Dad, and the 'irreverent' side comes from Mom!

I was impressed by my daughter's perfect self-analysis. Haha.

After that, we bought souvenirs, went back to Hakone to pick up our luggage at the station, and took the Odakyu Line express train home.

However, Hakone and Odawara were both crowded everywhere. Well, I thought it was just because of the weak yen that foreign tourists were flocking here, but it's not just that anymore.

Mom, everywhere is full of foreigners, isn't it?

That's right. This has become a common sight in tourist spots now. I've already gotten used to it.

I see, you're right. This is becoming the new normal, isn't it?

Yes. Japan has no choice but to make a living through tourism. We have to be grateful and welcome the foreigners who bring in foreign currency to a country that is the cleanest in the world, has the cleanest water in the world, and the most delicious food in the world.

Where should people who don't like foreigners go?

They should go to places that haven't caught the attention of foreigners yet. People in rural areas are working hard, so they should go there. You remember the Atsumi Peninsula we went to last year, right? They should go to places like that.

I see. I want to go there again this year.

＊

The second day turned into a post mostly about our chatting, but it was a truly fun mother-daughter trip.

I had actually planned to go to a hot spring and an art museum on a day trip by myself, but my daughter asked me, "Please, please take me with you," so we ended up staying overnight.

My daughter's only request was that she wanted to eat delicious food, so I chose all the places I wanted to go. As a result, I'm glad it turned out to be a trip that my daughter was also very satisfied with.

Still, my daughter never complains about anything (if I had to say one thing, it's just that her luggage is heavy). She accompanies me wherever I go without complaining, listens to my silly stories, and is truly a grateful presence.

I couldn't help but say,

"I'm sorry for being such a silly mom."

And she replied,

"It's fine, you're funny."

She said that to me. How heartwarming lol

Thank you for reading through my two-part series again.

Well then, ta-ta for now~