in Hakone, Kanagawa
Hakone is a picturesque town located in the mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. The region has been a popular resort area for hundred of years, known for its traditional ryokan (Japanese inns) and onsen (natural hot springs) where guests can experience authentic Japanese hospitality and cuisine. Hakone offers a delightful escape for those looking to immerse themselves in the tranquility and culture of this enchanting Japanese destination.
My Experience
We visited Hakone in the second week of November, which was a little early for the autumn leaves this year. We were able to see some leaves changing colors at higher altitudes though! However, there are many evergreen trees in Hakone, making it a beautiful lush green mountainous area throughout the year. We arrived at Hakone station at 6:00 am and rode the first train to Gora on the Hakone Tozan Railway. There was only a couple of people at the station this time, so we pretty much had the entire train to ourselves.
Hakone Tozan Railway
The Hakone Tozan Railway is a railway that climbs the mountain using the switchback method, zigzagging up the slopes. The driver and conductor switch positions in three locations. The train runs from Hakone-Yumoto Station to Gora, where you can change to the cable car to continue up the mountain. The ride is about 30 minutes and the train goes quite slowly up the mountain so you can enjoy going through the forest! There's a beautiful view of the train running through a bridge near Tonosawa station. Tonozawa station is also filled with onsen along the river making it quite a picturesque area. The train does get quite crowded later in the day as its the only train running from Gora.
Gora / Hakone Museum of Art
Gora is a small mountain town in Hakone mainly filled with resorts and museums. We visited the Hakone Museum of Art to see the Shinsenkyo, which is a constellation of landscaped gardens. The most famous is the moss garden, which is filled with 130 varieties of moss and over 200 maples trees. We were still a bit early as the leaves are changing color quite late this year, but the garden was still so beautiful! We went in the morning so there were not that many people.
We saw workers tending to the moss, patch by patch, so it's amazing to see how much curation and upkeep is needed. They also have a small teahouse where you can drink green tea overlooking the garden.
Hakone Tozan Cable Car
At Gora, you can switch to the Hakone Tozan Cable Car that links Gora with Sounzan. The ride is about 1.2 kilometers and the incline is quite steep as you travel up further up the mountain! The Cable Car is particular popular in late spring/early summer when the hydrangea are in bloom. We rode the first train up the mountain of the day and I was surprised at how many people were already lining up! Everyone could sit down when we went up, but the train get's really packed from mid-morning.
Hakone Ropeway
At Sounzan, you can change to the Hakone Ropeway which will take you to Owakudani and eventually to Lake Ashi. The ropeway passes through the valley at over 130 meters from the ground and is about a 20 minute ride one way. The view is absolutely stunning and you can see Lake Ashi, Owakudani, and Mt. Fuji (maybe on a clear day) on the ride. The lines can get long during the day, but the gondolas are constantly running so the wait isn't too bad. We did go on a cloudy day, but the view of the valley was still quite neat!
Owakudani
Owakudani is the area around a famous crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone over 3,000 years ago. You can still see the volcanic activity and the sulfur pits in the area. The volcanic valley is famous for its black eggs that have ben cooked in the steaming volcanic hot springs! The shells become black due to the sulfur in the water. To be honest, the eggs do taste like regular boiled eggs though! The area also produces a lot of noxious fumes, so I would be careful if you have lung issues! The sulfur smell is super strong. The Hakone ropeway gondola passes right over the fumes and the gondola has vents on the bottom too, making you extra susceptible. From Owakudani you can ride the gondola to Hakonemachi-ko to see Lake Ashi.
Lake Ashi
Lake Ashi is a volcanic crater lake, formed thousands of years ago. You can see Mt. Fuji from here on a clear day! Unfortunately, it was incredibly cloudy the day we went, so we of course weren't able to see anything. There's also a ferry that will you can take to transport you across the lake between Hakonemachi-ko and Motohakone. I personally think there's more to do in Motohakone and prefer this area the most in Hakone. I think the pier is so pretty and the town is a bit more walkable with more shops! Hakone Shrine is also a short 10 -15 minute from Motohakone.
Hakone Shrine
Hakone shrine is famous for its torii peace gate that sits in the water in Lake Ashi. The shrine itself has been around since the 700s and enshrine the Hakone Okami. The shrine was popular with samurai during the Kamakura period. I was so surprised with the line to take a picture at the torii when we went! It was a 30 minute to 1 hour wait. I remember like 5 - 10 years ago there was no wait! To be honest, while the torii is very beautiful, I'm not sure it's worth waiting that long for a picture if you are in a rush. I would recommend going early in the morning to avoid the crowd!
Sengokuhara Susuki Kusahara
Sengokuhara Susuki Kusahara is a large field of pampas grass covering the western side of Mount Hakone. The area is popular in autumn as the grass turns a beautiful shimmery silver/gold color. There is a short walking path that runs through the base of the hill. I was surprised at how popular a destination this is among college kids. We saw some cosplayers taking photos here as well. The grass fields were quite pretty and it's not something you really see in Tokyo. We could only walk on one path to the end and then walk back. I don't know if it's worth it to walk to the end as the view doesn't really change, but it's not that long of walk! The entire path is gravel though, so I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes!
Overall Hakone is a great day trip / weekend getaway from Tokyo. There's a lot of scenic areas and the area is relatively accessible without a car, which is surprising given how mountainous the terrain is! The temperature is much cooler than Tokyo so it's also a popular place to visit during the summer. If you don't have a car, I would recommend getting a 1-day free pass to cover all the transportation methods (Tozan train, bus, cable car, ropeway, etc.), so you don't need to keep purchasing tickets. I do also think it's probably cheaper. If you bring a car, I would be wary of parking prices, since parking is scarce and the rates are much higher than in Tokyo!
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