Hakone

Attraction

Prefecture

Kanagawa

Type

Attraction

N/A

1 review

English Staff Restaurant Train Access Cafe Vegetarian

About This Destination

Mountain resort town offering hot springs, art museums, Lake Ashi cruises, and stunning views of Mount Fuji.

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.

Location

Prefecture: Kanagawa

Address: Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan

Nearest Station: Hakone-Yumoto Station

View on Google Maps

Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Accepted

Food Options: Kuro-tamago (black eggs) at Owakudani, handmade soba, and ryokan kaiseki dinners.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Hakone Freepass worth buying?

Almost always yes if you're doing the standard Hakone Loop (Hakone Tozan Railway → Cable Car → Ropeway → Lake Ashi pirate ship → Hakone Tozan Bus). The 2-day pass from Shinjuku is around ¥6,100 adults (¥1,100 children) and includes the Odakyu round trip from Shinjuku plus unlimited rides on all the loop transportation. Buying each leg separately easily exceeds ¥7,500. The Romancecar express seat costs an extra ¥1,300 each way but saves 30 minutes vs the regular Odakyu. Buy via Odakyu's site or any Odakyu station counter.

Will I actually see Mount Fuji from Hakone?

Honest answer: only on clear days, which are more common in winter (Dec–Feb) than in the famously cloudy summer months. The classic shot is from Lake Ashi with Hakone-jinja's red torii standing in the lake and Fuji behind it — best in the morning before clouds gather. The Owakudani ropeway and Hakone Komagatake Ropeway also have good Fuji views on clear days. If Fuji is critical to your trip, leave a buffer day in Kawaguchiko (closer and slightly better odds) or watch live webcams from Hakone hotels before committing.

What about the Owakudani volcanic activity warnings?

Owakudani is part of an active volcanic system and the Japan Meteorological Agency's volcanic alert level dictates what's open. At Level 1 (normal) everything operates as usual. At Level 2 (do not approach the crater) the ropeway runs but visitors can't walk through the steam vents — you can still buy black eggs at the upper station. At Level 3+ the ropeway is closed entirely. The hiking trails through the crater have been mostly closed since the 2015 activity spike. Check Hakone Navi (hakonenavi.jp) the morning of your trip — status can change daily.

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