Lake Ashinoko

Cradled in the Hakone caldera, Lake Ashinoko lies still as a mirror at dawn, mist drifting low across the water. A vermilion torii stands at the shoreline, and on clear mornings Mt Fuji glows white beyond the far ridge. The lakeside skyline road runs along the heights with sky on both sides, its white dashed center line like a row of notes underfoot. After the cold mountain mist, this is the serene reward — blue water, white peak, and one quiet lap around the lake.