Famous for the Hakone Ropeway and the
Owakudani view, Hakone is often visited by both
native
Japanese citizens and foreign travelers from all over
the
world. There are various activities that visitors usually
try during their stay, including eating the famous boiled
eggs, their egg custard ice cream, or simply taking a
couple of photographs near the fumes of the boiling
waters.
Hakone is a place famous
for its hot springs, beautiful
nature, and breath taking views of Mt. Fuji. It is a
popular tourist attraction amongst Japanese and
foreigners. The area is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu
National Park, which is located south west from
Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. There are many
ryokans (Japanese traditional inn) with hot spring
baths. The most known place for onsens (hot springs)
in Hakone is Yumoto. It is located near the Odawara
and has a long history for having high quality water.
There are public bath houses available for visitors to
enjoy or you can visit different ryokans at certain
times to enter their hot springs for a nominal fee.
Aside from the hot springs there is the Hakone
Ropeway that goes over Owakudani. It is a thirty
minute ride starting from Sounzan and ending at
Togendai station. From the ropeway you can see
Lake Ashinoko, Mt. Fuji and the volcanic fume
emitting from Owakudani. It is a great way to get a
bird’s eye view of the area. Owakudani is a volcanic
valley that has sulfur vents releasing fumes. The
volcanic activity attracts the interest of many tourists.
While there it is recommended to have the famed
kuro tamago (black egg). It is a hard-boiled egg that
was cooked in the hot springs with sulfuric properties.
The black color comes from the chemical reaction
with the sulfur in the water. It is said that eating one of
the eggs will increase your life expectancy by seven
years. They can be found along the short walking
trail from the ropeway station. There are also hiking
trails that lead to the peak of Mount Kamiyama and
Mount Komagatake.
Lake Ashi is a caldera lake that was formed 3000
years ago from the last volcanic eruption of Mount
Hakone. The natural beauty surrounding the blue
lake with Mount Fuji in the background has become
the symbol of Hakone. There are sightseeing boats
you can take to fully enjoy the scenery. The cruise
around Lake Ashi can be taken not on just any boat,
but on a pirate ship. There are three different ships
called Royal II, Victory and Vasa. Each ship has
something unique as with each port. If there weather
is good you will have a clear view of everything.
Traveling from one end of the lake to the other on a
boat takes about 30 minutes. During the autumn and
spring seasons sightseeing around Lake Ashi are an
activity that should not be missed.
Please see below for tours that include
Hakone:
