Hakone

Hakone, nestled amid the forested slopes of western Kanagawa Prefecture, occupies roughly 92.82 square kilometres of terrain shaped by volcanic activity and mountain passes. As of 1 October 2023, its population stood at 10,965 residents, a modest figure in comparison to neighbouring urban centres yet sufficient to sustain a community that balances tradition, tourism and natural splendour. Most of the town lies within the Fuji‑Hakone‑Izu National Park, with Lake Ashi at its heart and Mount Hakone’s peaks framing its perimeter. The region’s geological restlessness, climate and human history combine to make Hakone both a refuge and a crossroads, where thermal springs, scenic vistas and centuries‑old routes converge.

Hakone occupies the eastern side of the historic Hakone Pass, a route that for centuries separated Kantō from westward provinces. Its elevations range from the shore of Lake Ashi—formed in the caldera of a long‑dormant volcano—to the ridges that rise beyond 1,000 metres. The town’s humid subtropical climate brings warm summers, with average highs around 24.0 °C in August, and cool winters, when temperatures dip to approximately 2.9 °C in January, rarely yielding more than light dustings of snow. Annual precipitation averages 2,221 mm, the greatest share falling in September, when monsoonal rains swell mountain streams and drape the forest canopy in mist. This rainfall sustains waterfalls, wetlands and the verdant moss gardens for which Hakone is celebrated.

Documentary traces of Hakone extend to Heian‑period chronicles, which mention the Hakone Gongen shrine. Perched on slopes overlooking Lake Ashi, this Shinto sanctuary witnessed a pivotal moment in the 12th century: following defeat at Ishibashiyama in 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo offered prayers here, seeking divine favour against his rivals. In the fractious Sengoku era, authority over Sagami Province—and thus Hakone—passed to the Later Hōjō of Odawara. Their hold on the region emphasised both its strategic importance and its natural resources.

With the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Tōkaidō highway became the principal artery linking Edo (modern Tokyo) and Kyoto. Hakone‑juku emerged as the tenth post station along this route, requiring all travellers to halt at the Hakone sekisho, the shogunate’s checkpoint. Here, officials scrutinised travel permits, inspected baggage, and enforced strict regulations on the movement of women and weapons. The imposing barriers and redoubts testify to Edo‑period concerns over security and internal order. Although the physical checkpoint no longer stands in its original form, its legacy endures in reconstructed gates and interpretive displays that speak to a bygone era of enforced passage.

Following the fall of the shogunate in 1868, Hakone briefly formed part of Ashigara Prefecture before its integration into Kanagawa Prefecture’s Ashigarashimo District in August 1876. By 1889, Hakone had attained official town status. That same era saw the Imperial Household Agency establish a summer villa on Lake Ashi’s banks, a testament to the area’s appeal as a retreat from Tokyo’s summer heat. Wealthy Japanese, diplomats and foreign residents of the Yokohama settlement soon followed suit, constructing villas and gardens that harnessed the cool mountain air and therapeutic hot springs.

Hot springs—or onsen—are the cornerstone of Hakone’s economy. Dozens of ryokan (inns) and public bathhouses draw both domestic and international visitors eager to soak in mineral‑rich waters reputed to ease muscular tension, fatigue and a host of other ailments. Among the more renowned establishments is Tenzan Tōjigō, a sprawling complex near Hakone‑Yumoto offering multiple indoor and outdoor baths, saunas and even a shuttle bus from the station. For those seeking a more playful experience, the Yunessun complex in Ninotaira features novelty soaks—coffee, sake and wine baths—alongside traditional onsen pools.

Beyond the springs, Hakone’s landscape offers volcanic spectacles at Ōwakudani. Accessed by ropeway from Sounzan station, the “Great Boiling Valley” still emits plumes of sulfurous gas and scalding steam. Visitors follow boardwalks above bubbling vents, sampling eggs cooked in the thermal waters—said to prolong life with each shell‑stained bite.

The region’s natural beauty pairs with a surprising concentration of art museums. The Hakone Open‑Air Museum, established in 1969, sets sculptures amid undulating lawns and wooded glades, punctuated by a dedicated Picasso Pavilion. Nearby, the Pola Museum of Art houses some 10,000 works—from Impressionist canvases by Monet and Renoir to Japanese ceramics and modern glassware—collected over four decades by the Pola cosmetics family. Smaller institutions, such as the Hakone Museum of Photography and the Moss Garden‑adorned Hakone Museum of Art, further diversify the cultural landscape.

Traditional crafts persist as well: yosegi, the mosaic‑like wood marquetry produced in nearby Odawara, finds its way into decorative boxes and cabinetry, offering a tangible link between past and present.

At New Year, the Hakone Ekiden footrace renews an ancient tradition of courier‑style endurance. Collegiate teams depart Tokyo on the 2nd of January, traverse the 107.5‑kilometre out‑and‑back course, and return to the capital the following morning. The event captivates millions of television viewers, invigorating the silent roads that once bore samurai messengers. In spring and autumn, spectators gather by Lake Ashi’s shores and the moss gardens to admire cherry blossoms and Miscanthus sinensis (susuki), respectively. Golfers compete each November in the JLPGA CAT Ladies tournament, an event that further underscores Hakone’s sporting profile.

Literary figures and political leaders have long found refuge here. The storied Fujiya Hotel in Miyanoshita, opened in 1878, accommodated guests ranging from Yosano Akiko to future world statesmen, its wood‑paneled halls echoing with the quiet conversation of Meiji and Taishō eras.

In more recent decades, Hakone has attained cult status among anime enthusiasts. The town’s scenery, from mist‑shrouded pines to lakeside torii, served as inspiration for the setting of “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” wherein its streets transform into the fortified city of Tokyo‑3. The Anime Tourism Association recognised Hakone in 2017 as one of 88 pilgrimage sites for 2018, and local businesses have since embraced this niche, decorating buses, museums and storefronts in homage to the series’ final film releases. Such initiatives exemplify how a place steeped in millennia of history can also adapt to the currents of contemporary culture.

Although only two hours by car from Tokyo, Hakone requires a measure of logistical planning. From Haneda Airport, direct buses to Hakone‑Yumoto depart the international terminal twice daily, with the journey lasting approximately two hours at a fare of ¥2,000. Travelers disembarking at Narita must allot between two and four hours, often passing through Shinjuku en route on the Narita Express or highway buses.

Rail remains the most versatile option. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen’s Kodama services connect Tokyo and Odawara in under an hour; from Odawara, the steep‑grade Hakone‑Tozan Line carries passengers to Hakone‑Yumoto. Odakyu Railway’s Romancecar limited‑express trains from Shinjuku likewise offer a one‑hour, ¥2,330 trip. Once within the valley, a network of mountain trains, cable cars, ropeways, sightseeing ships and buses links hot springs, museums and hiking trails. Most visitors opt for the Odakyu Hakone Free Pass, which—depending on point of departure—provides unlimited transit on these modes for two or three days and grants discounts at attractions and inns.

Beyond scheduled services, a network of footpaths invites exploration on foot. Hikes from Togendai to Ōwakudani and onward to Mount Komagatake span bleak ridges and cedar‑clad hollows, terminating at a cable‑car descent that shuttles day‑walkers back to lakeside. Stout footwear eases the varying grades, but the trails remain accessible to most walkers in good health.

Culinary traditions emphasize seasonal produce and mountain ingredients. Soba noodles, made from Hakone’s pristine spring water, feature prominently on menus throughout the town—served chilled with dipping sauce in warm months or in steaming broth when winter’s chill sets in. Accompaniments such as tempura vegetables and homemade tofu speak to a simplicity that champions ingredient quality over elaborate preparation.

In Hakone, the pulses of earth and history remain palpable. Steam vents exhale their sulfurous breath, stone torii mark shrine precincts created more than a millennium ago, and 21st‑century visitors follow in the footsteps of shogunal envoys and samurai couriers. Yet the town also embraces modern leisure, from art installations scattered in cedar groves to celebratory bus decorations for a beloved anime franchise. This coexistence of past and present, nature and craft, ritual and recreation defines Hakone’s enduring appeal—a place where the landscape itself feels alive with memory and possibility.