The dragon staircase has seen its share of visitors of the likes of Charles Chaplin, Helen Keller, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon along with myself family, friends and hundreds of thousands of others. The dragon staircase is the entrance way for guests staying at the Fujiya Hotel located in Miyanoshits; it's in the middle of the Hakone area. The Fujiya is one of the oldest hotels in Japan, founded in 1878. As of April of 2017, the Fujiya hotel will be temporarily closing its doors for guests to stay, while they conduct necessary earthquake retrofitting and a major refurbishment. The hotel will re-open in the spring of 2020. Over twenty years I have been visiting the Fujiya, it has quite dramatic architecture, and its history is a bonus for visitors to ponder over upon! The service is one of its highlights; you can expect your bags taken to your room while you are escorted by a traditionally well-dressed bellhop, and they speak perfect English as do most of the hotel's staff. The gardens and the interior of the hotel are gorgeous but are now slightly Viking/rustic in condition, while they area refurbishing, they will be returning the time honoured Fujiya Hotel to its grandeur’s state, before the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games of 2020. When they do open their doors again for guests, I expect the price to jump to there previous prices of twenty-thirty years ago. I hope I have another chance to visit before April, I missed serval photo opportunities, and I would be able to take advantage of the hotels current reasonable rates.  It will be exciting to stay in 2020 and experience the atmosphere, I do hope they will be as open to photographers as currently.

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