5 Places Not to Miss in Hakone

Located in Kanagawa prefecture, next to Tokyo, Hakone is a popular onsen (hot spring) spot. It is part of the Fuji- Hakone-lzu National Park and you can enjoy nice views of nature. It is about 100 km away from Tokyo. If you take shinkansen (bullet train), it takes less than an hour. There are many attractive sightseeing spots in the Hakone area, but there are 5 in particular that you should definitely not miss while visiting Hakone!

Hakone Shrine was built over 1,250 years ago and has a very long history. The shrine is known as a special sacred power place and it was worshiped by famous Japanese military commanders such as Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is believed that the gods of the shrine will help you win battles or competitions. Nearby the shrine, you can also find an ancient cedar tree that dates back over 800 years.

The Hakone Museum of Art is the oldest museum in the Hakone area, dating back to 1952 when it first opened. Here you can find collections of earthenware from the Jomon period, historical Japanese tea sets, beautiful folding screens from the Edo period, and more. The garden area is very beautiful and covered with moss, giving it a truly earthen atmosphere. If you visit during the fall season, the view from the garden is especially beautiful, as many of the leaves change into bright shades of yellow, orange, and red! For those looking to immerse themselves in Japanese traditional culture, you can also try drinking Matcha green tea at the tea room located at the museum.

The Hakone Ropeway operates from the Souunzan station in Gora to the Togendai sation in Moto-Hakone. It covers a distance of about 4km and is very popular for tourists and locals. In 2008, it entered the Guinness Book of Records as the ropeway with the largest number of passengers in the world. While riding in the ropeway, you can also enjoy stunning views of both Mt. Fuji in the distance and Lake Ashinoko at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level.

If you visit the ropeway, please take precaution. Some of the ropeway stations (Owakudani) are currently closed due to a high concentration of volcanic gasses. Most sightseeing areas, shops, and restaurants are open, but people with respiratory issues should take precaution before taking the Hakone Ropeway.

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is a place where you can enjoy over 100 sculptures and works of art. At the Picasso Pavilion, you can enjoy more than 300 pieces of Pablo Picasso’s work. Overall, the museum takes a space of about 70,000 square meters and you can enjoy many views of Mount Hakone and its surrounding nature every season of the year. For those that are looking for a place to rest, you are in luck! The museum also has an Ashiyu, a foot bath, relax and sit down with your feet in a hot bath while enjoying the many works of art. How ideal!

Lake Ashinoko

Lake Ashinoko is a crater lake on Mount Hakone which was created after an eruption that occurred 3,000 years ago. It is located at the foot of the nearby Kaminyama Mountain. Kaminyama literally means “God’s mountain” and it is considered to be a holy mountain to the local people. On clear and sunny days, you can get a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji. If you want to be more adventurous though, you can also ride a boat and explore the lake further! There are two companies that offer a boat rides: the Hakone Sightseeing Boats and the Izuhakone Sightseeing Boats. Both companies operate boats between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi. The Hakone Sightseeing Boats offers a unique experience, as the boat was created to resemble a pirate ship! Make sure to bring your camera to take some of the best landscape views in Japan at Lake Ashinoko.


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