Introduction to Hakone

Mountainous hot spring resort

Destinations

Introduction to Hakone

The Hakone area, which is surrounded by nature that includes Ashinoko Lake and and Mt. Komagatake is one of Japan's premier hot spring resorts.

There are 20 hot springs around the Hakone area, such as Yumoto Onsen, Gora Onsen, and Miyanogashi Onsen, and you can experience ryokan inns, which are a concentration of Japanese culture. There are also plenty of destinations where you can feel the power of nature and the earth and outdoor areas, such as Owakudani which is famous for black eggs, Sengokuhara Plateau where marsh plants grow in clumps, and the pleasure boats going back and forth across Ashinoko Lake.

In addition, there are numerous unique museums, and it is famous as a cultural area too. Mt. Fuji, which can be viewed close up, presents a variety of appearances from season to season. Enjoy the magnificent and beautiful Mt. Fuji to your heart's content.

Most Popular Trips

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Western Area

Hakone Art Museum Tour

Duration: 5h30m

Western Area

Hakone's Sengokuhara pampas grass and relaxing visits to art museums

Duration: 6h45m

Western Area

Film Locations of Takeshi Kitano's A Scene at the Sea - 2 Days, 1 Night - Tour of Yugawawra and Yokosuka (Car Rental Plan)

Duration: 14h15m

Western Area

The lovely flowers which color the wetlands - Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands

Duration: 4h

Western Area

Explore all Hakone has to offer

Duration: 9h

Western Area

Owakudani-Mount Kisokoma walking course (Hakone Geopark)

Duration: 6h30m

Western Area

Hakone-Gotemba-Yamanashi round-trip course (round-trip excursion course) 2days

Duration: 10h

Western Area

2 Days, 1 Night - Enoshima & Hakone Road Trip

Duration: 14h45m

Top Destinations

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Ōwakudani

【CAUTION! Volcanic gases are hazardous to your health. Do not enter this area if you have asthma, bronchial disease, respiratory disease, heart disease, etc.】 Ōwakudani is a popular tourist spot that attests to the past volcanic activity of Hakone. Actually a crater on Mt. Kamiyama formed by the last volcanic eruption of Hakone around 3,000 years ago, Ōwakudani still actively emits a white “smoke” of sulfuric volcanic fumes. The desolate sight traces back to the time when the place was called “Grand Inferno,” which was later renamed when the Meiji Emperor and Empress visited Hakone in 1873 because people hesitated to invite the Emperor and Empress to a place with such a name. It almost seems a shame to have lost such an evocative name. Now, a tourist center has been established with souvenir stores and a restaurant/café. “Kuro-tamago” (black eggs) have gained popularity as a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs.

Kuzuryū Shrine

The Kuzuryū Shrine is an outer precinct shrine of the Hakone Shrine, worshipping the guardian deity of Lake Ashinoko and Kuzuryū Shrine. This shrine, located in the forest of Lake Ashinoko, has a small Torii(shrine gate) in the lake and is known for its dragon deity (Ryujin-sama) who is said to have strong powers in bringing fortune, business prosperity and love. During the Tsukinami Festival (festival of the months) held on the 13th of every month, many people come to visit via boats departing from the Moto-Hakone Port. Near the main Kuzuryū Shrine is the Benzaiten Shrine which worships Benzaiten (Goddess of Fortune), one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. Please feel free to also visit the Benzaiten Shrine when visiting the Kuzuryū Shrine.

Zama Sunflower Field

The sunflower of Zama was selected to represent Zama city in 1969 and as "100 sights of flowers in Kanagawa" in 1994. The scale has increased every year and now has expanded over a scale exceeding 5.5 hectares. The field is divided into the Kurihara venue and Zama venue, where sunflower festivals are held every year.

Haya river of Hakone, the habitat of fireflies

Many fireflies appear and fly at Haya river for two weeks from early in June. Although the number of fireflies is variable depending on the year, the scenery of the light of fireflies dancing on the green surface of the river is fantastic. At the 'Hakone-Yumoto fireflies park', 3 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto station, you can see the dance of fireflies in the center of Hakone, which was revived by continuous efforts of local people.

Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival

From Nishihirabatake Park you can see an astounding view of Mount Fuji, which is even recognized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as being one of the best as it made it onto their Fujimi-byakkei List.

Hakone Venetian Glass Museums

This museum showcases the Venetian Glass which enchanted the royalty and nobility of Europe in the middle ages. Besides the exhibition, there are many interesting things in the museum, including a hands-on workshop, a museum shop selling glass items imported from around the world, and a restaurant well-known for its authentic live canzone (an Italian ballad) performance by an Italian singer.

Taikanzan Mountain

This mountain is located on the border of Yugawara and Hakone, allowing a magnificent view of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashinoko. It is named after the famous Japanese painter of pre-World War II Japanese art, Taikan Yokoyama, who was said to love painting Mount Fuji.

Hakone-jinja Shrine

Hakone Shrine has been considered to be one of the most prestigious shrines in the Kanto region and is the site of prayers for traffic safety, realization of wishes, and good luck/expelling bad luck. The origin of the shrine dates back to the reign of Emperor Kōshō, about 2,400 years ago, when the holy priest Shosen was enshrined as the object of worship in Komagatake, Hakone, which since that time has became the most sacred site for mountain worship in the Kanto area. In 757, the holy priest Mangan established the village shrine to enshrine the Great God of Hakone in the current location. The Hakone Shrine’s traditional “Kosui” (late water) festival held every summer derived from the historical legend that Mangan defeated the nine-headed dragon that had been troubling the people by often blowing up storms, and enshrined it as the dragon god of Ashinoko Lake. The area surrounded by the rich natural environment such as Ashinoko Lake, the old cedars, and the pure forest of hime-syara stewartia, a designated natural monument, is considered to be one of the major spiritual spots in Hakone.

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