Hakone

Hakone is a popular mountain resort town in Kanagawa Prefecture, easily accessible from Tokyo as a day trip or overnight getaway. The area is famous for its hot springs (onsen), with many ryokan and hotels offering private and public baths. Key attractions include the volcanic Owakudani valley with its sulfurous fumes and black eggs said to extend life by seven years, pirate ship cruises on Lake Ashi with views of Mount Fuji, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum featuring sculptures in a mountain setting. The Hakone Loop route using trains, cable cars, ropeways, and boats is a scenic way to explore the area. The Hakone Freepass offers excellent value for transportation. From Shinjuku, the Romancecar express train reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes.