Hakone ー
箱根
Volcanic resort easy to get:
Hakone is the place name for the whole area of the Hakone caldera neighborhood in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was a strategic point of Tokaido Road which was Japanese aorta since ancient times, and the foot of the Hakone mountain pass which was a shelter became a post town and a barrier. It has been developed as a health resort and a sightseeing spot since modern times. Hot springs and lakes, a scene of the caldera topography attract many tourists. And as there are many unique museums, going around museums is also pleasant.
Access and Getting Around
Hakone is a big resort located in the Fuji-Hakone National Park, so it is really convenient to get, and it is possible to go round the Fuji mountainous area at one time. Hakone Yumoto is the gate of Hakone in case of coming from Tokyo. A train of the Odakyu Line goes from Shinjuku Station to Hakone Yumoto directly. Hakone Yumoto is a spa town with big hotels souvenir shops and restaurants. It is also a basic spot of mountain climbing railways and bus lines.
By train
Tokyo Station―(the Tokaido Shinkansen)40 minutes or(the Tokaido Line)1 hour 20 minutes―Odawara Station―Hakone Mountain Climbing railway 15 minutes― Hakone Yumoto. Tokyo・Odakyu Shinjuku Station(limited express line)1 hour 25 minutes―(the Odakyu Line)－Hakone Yumoto Station.
By bus
Direct buses bound for tourist spots leave from Odakyu Shinjuku Station 1 bus per hour.
Buses from JR Gotenba Station of Fuji Mountain area are not so many.
Trains bound for Hakone Yumoto are so many.
By car
1 hour and 30 minutes from Tokyo Station to Hakone Yumoto Station; 50 minutes from Gotenba Station to Hakone.
In addition, loop buses go around highlights every 15 minutes, which makes tour to main tourist spot convenient.
Features
-Specific Nature
Ashinoko is a caldera lake in the center the caldera of Hakone volcano.The earth and sand by the eruption of Owakudani approximately 3,100 years ago dammed up a river,and it became a lake.Scenery of Mount Fuji seen from the Suginamiki or Japanese cedar trees of the southern coast is popular,and there are various facilities such as hot-spring hotels, a pleasure boat pier and so on....
-Specific Nature
Owakudani is the crater trace of a mountain collapse caused by the eruptionof a volcano approximately 3,000 years ago.There is a trail now in the mountain where smoke containing hydrogen sulfidegets out of many places.Visitors can observe the state of the dynamic activity of a volcano on seeing emitting gasblow up white smoke with their eyes.＊It is forbidden now to enter because of the active volc...
Moto-Hakone Sekibutsu/Sekito-gun
-Historic Sites -Outdoor Activities
The important cultural property of the country along National Road No.1.There is a trail near a small pond called the Shojin Pond and Sekibutu or stone statue buddhas,and towers for the repose of souls made about in 1200 are here and there.The image of Buddha inscribed on the polished cliff called the Rokugojizo is in particular worth seeing.There is also a history museum on the shoreline of Shoji...
-Specific Nature
It is a botanical garden where the plants that grow in the water damp ground, river or wetlands are seen.There are approximately 200 kinds of hygrophytes, alpine plants, foreign rare flowers,and a walk road of one lap of approximately 40 minutes is maintained....
-Historic Sites -Outdoor Activities
It is a well-known trail to walk on the old road (Tokaido) of Hakone which is different from the current national highways.This hiking trail is a route from Hakone Yumoto to Lake Ashinoko,but from Hakone-machi , Ashinoko lakeside to Hakone Yumoto going down the mountain, which is easier.You can enjoy the atmosphere of the road of the old mountain pass via a row of cedar trees, the historic spots....
-Culture
It is the small art museum of the Orient and Japanese ceramics, but there are a lot of preciousand important cultural properties in the museum.There is a Japanese garden and a tea house in the site, tourists can see red leaves outsidewhile drinking Japanese green tea in the house, this is just what we want to call ‘VERY JAPANESE’.The next is Gora Park, a French garden.It is a beautiful garden with...
-Culture
It is a museum displaying world modern artworks whose way of display gives a good feeling to visitors.It also has a walking path in the forest....
-Culture
Ukiyoe prints, ceramics and the showpiece of the first class goods.Admission is 2800yen.Though the admission is expensive, if you are interested in Japanese arts, it is worth seeing....
Accommodation around Hakone
