Hakone

箱根町はこねまちHakone-machi

Hot springs and Fuji views in a volcanic caldera

Hakone is a mountain town in south-western Kanagawa occupying the caldera of the Hakone volcano, about 90 minutes from Tokyo. One of Japan's best-known resort areas, it combines some twenty hot-spring villages with Lake Ashi, the steaming valley of Owakudani, the historic Tokaido checkpoint and outstanding art museums, all within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Overview

Hakone lies within the caldera of an old volcano whose central cones, led by Kami-yama at 1,438 m, still steam at Owakudani. The outer rim, crossed by the old Tokaido highway, separates the Kanto from the Izu Peninsula and the foothills of Mount Fuji, and the caldera lake, Lake Ashi, fills its south-western corner. Almost the whole town lies within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

The volcano feeds around twenty hot-spring villages, from Hakone-Yumoto, the gateway at the bottom of the valley, through Tonosawa, Miyanoshita and Kowakidani to Gora, Sengokuhara and the lakeside. In the Edo period travellers on the Tokaido and pilgrims rested at the 'seven springs of Hakone'; from the Meiji era Western visitors and Japanese high society made Miyanoshita and its Fujiya Hotel one of Japan's first international resorts.

Today Hakone is visited on a classic circuit by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway over Owakudani and sightseeing boat across Lake Ashi, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days. Its museums – the Hakone Open-Air Museum, the Pola Museum of Art, the Okada Museum and others – make it as much an art destination as a spa town.

Landmarks

Lake Ashi
芦ノ湖Ashi-no-ko
Caldera lake crossed by sightseeing boats, with Mount Fuji rising beyond its western shore.
Hakone Shrine
箱根神社Hakone Jinja
Forest shrine on the lake whose red 'torii of peace' stands in the water.
Owakudani
大涌谷Ōwakudani
Volcanic valley of fumaroles and sulphur vents reached by ropeway; access depends on the current volcanic alert level.
Hakone Checkpoint
箱根関所Hakone Sekisho
Faithful reconstruction of the Edo-period barrier with guardhouses and a lookout, beside a museum.
Old Tokaido stone road
旧街道石畳kyū-kaidō ishidatami
Surviving sections of the cedar-lined, stone-paved highway, with the thatched Amazake-chaya teahouse.
Hakone Open-Air Museum
彫刻の森美術館Chōkoku no Mori Bijutsukan
Japan's first open-air sculpture museum, with works by Henry Moore and a large Picasso collection.
Pola Museum of Art
ポーラ美術館Pōra Bijutsukan
Collection of Impressionist and modern Western and Japanese art in a building sunk into the beech forest of Sengokuhara.
Fujiya Hotel
富士屋ホテルFujiya Hoteru
Historic hotel of 1878 in Miyanoshita, blending Western and Japanese architecture, with registered cultural properties.

Districts

Hakone-Yumoto
箱根湯本Hakone-Yumoto
The gateway spa town at the terminus of the Odakyu trains, with shopping streets and many inns.
Miyanoshita and Kowakidani
宮ノ下Miyanoshita
Historic resort on the mountain railway with the Fujiya Hotel and antique shops.
Gora
強羅Gōra
Hillside spa at the end of the mountain railway, with Gora Park and the Open-Air Museum nearby.
Sengokuhara
仙石原Sengokuhara
Highland basin with museums, golf courses and fields of silver pampas grass in autumn.
Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
元箱根Moto-Hakone
Lakeside villages at the southern end of Lake Ashi with the shrine, the checkpoint and the old Tokaido.

History

Mount Hakone was a centre of mountain worship, and Hakone Shrine traces its origins to the eighth century. The Hakone pass was the main route of the Tokaido between Kyoto and the east; after 1619 the shogunate controlled it with a checkpoint on the shore of Lake Ashi, strictly watching for weapons entering and women leaving Edo. Travellers crossed the 'Hakone Eight Ri', a notoriously steep stone-paved road.

The checkpoint was abolished in 1869. The Fujiya Hotel opened in Miyanoshita in 1878, the Hakone Tozan Railway reached Gora in 1919, and the area became part of Fuji-Hakone National Park in 1936. The present town was formed by merger in 1956. Volcanic unrest in 2015, including a small eruption at Owakudani, temporarily closed parts of the area.

757
Traditional date of the founding of Hakone Shrine by the monk Mangan.
1619
The Hakone checkpoint is established on the shore of Lake Ashi.
1869
The checkpoint is abolished after the Meiji Restoration.
1878
The Fujiya Hotel opens in Miyanoshita, catering to foreign travellers.
1919
The Hakone Tozan Railway opens between Yumoto and Gora.
1936
Hakone becomes part of Fuji-Hakone National Park, later Fuji-Hakone-Izu.
1956
The present town of Hakone is formed by merger.
1969
The Hakone Open-Air Museum opens.
2007
The reconstruction of the Hakone checkpoint is completed on its original site.
2015
A small phreatic eruption occurs at Owakudani.

Culture

Hakone's culture is that of a resort shaped by the Tokaido and the Meiji-era discovery of the Japanese countryside by foreigners. Its onsen etiquette, ryokan hospitality and kaiseki cuisine are central to the experience, and its crafts – especially yosegi marquetry and puzzle boxes – are made in workshops around Hatajuku on the old highway. The Hakone Ekiden, a university relay race from Tokyo to Lake Ashi on 2 and 3 January, is one of Japan's most watched sporting events.

Festivals

Hakone Daimyo Procession
箱根大名行列Hakone Daimyō Gyōretsu
On 3 November, a costumed feudal lord's procession passes through Hakone-Yumoto.
Lake Ashi Festival
芦ノ湖湖水祭Ashinoko Kosui-sai
On 31 July, Hakone Shrine's lake festival with floating lanterns and fireworks, followed by the torii-burning festival in early August.
Gora Daimonji-yaki
強羅大文字焼Gōra Daimonji-yaki
On 16 August, the character 'dai' is lit in fire on the slope of Mount Myojo-ga-take.
Hakone Ekiden
箱根駅伝Hakone Ekiden
University relay race on 2–3 January between Tokyo and Lake Ashi, finishing and starting at Ashinoko.

Food

Black eggs
黒たまごkuro-tamago
Eggs boiled in the hot springs of Owakudani, whose shells turn black; each is said to add years to one's life.
Tofu and yuba
湯葉丼yuba-don
Tofu made with Hakone's spring water and yuba on rice, served in Yumoto and Miyanoshita.
Soba
蕎麦soba
Buckwheat noodles made with mountain water, a staple of Hakone-Yumoto's restaurants.
Lake Ashi fish
ワカサギwakasagi
Smelt and trout from Lake Ashi, often fried as tempura at lakeside restaurants.

Getting around

Odakyu Romancecar limited expresses run from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes; alternatively, take the Tokaido Shinkansen or JR to Odawara and change to the Hakone Tozan line.
The Hakone Tozan Railway climbs from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora with switchbacks, continuing by cable car to Soun-zan and ropeway via Owakudani to Togendai on Lake Ashi.
Sightseeing boats cross Lake Ashi from Togendai to Hakone-machi and Moto-Hakone; buses connect all parts of the town and return to Yumoto and Odawara.
Volcanic activity can close the ropeway and roads around Owakudani; the current status is published by the town and the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Day trips

Mount Fuji
The Fuji Five Lakes and the northern foothills, by bus via Gotemba.
Atami
Seaside hot-spring city on the Izu coast, reached via Odawara.
Fujikawaguchiko
Lake Kawaguchi at the northern foot of Mount Fuji.
Kamakura
Temples and the Great Buddha, via Odawara and Fujisawa.
Odawara
小田原Odawara
Castle town of the Hojo at the foot of Hakone, with a reconstructed keep and kamaboko shops.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalYokohamaYokohama-shiJapan's first window on the world, on Tokyo Bay CityKamakuraKamakura-shiThe samurai capital between green hills and Sagami Bay Designated cityKawasakiKawasaki-shiFactory coast, Daishi temple and hillside museums along the Tama

Frequently asked questions

Can I see Mount Fuji from Hakone?

Yes, on clear days – most reliably in the mornings from late autumn to early spring – from Lake Ashi, the ropeway, Owakudani and the Hakone Checkpoint area.

Is Hakone a day trip or an overnight stay?

The main circuit can be done in a long day from Tokyo, but an overnight stay in a ryokan with a hot-spring bath is the classic way to experience Hakone.

Is Owakudani safe to visit?

Owakudani is monitored as an active volcanic area. When activity rises, access is restricted; visitors should follow the official announcements of Hakone Town and the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Are tattoos allowed in Hakone's onsen?

Policies vary by facility; many public baths restrict tattoos, while private baths (kashikiri-buro) in ryokan offer an alternative.

What is the Hakone loop?

The popular circuit by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and lake boat from Hakone-Yumoto via Gora and Owakudani to Lake Ashi, returning by bus.

Sources

1.箱根町ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 箱根町 (Hakone Town)
2.富士箱根伊豆国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
3.気象庁ホームページ（火山情報） (opens in a new tab) — 気象庁 (Japan Meteorological Agency)
4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO