Hakone: A Major Sightseeing District
Recognized Both Domestically and Internationally

Hakone refers to a district in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture centering on LakeAshi, and Mount Hakone, which is an active volcano. The area is blessed with numerous
hot springs and scenic spots and is also popular as a place for keeping vacation homes.
Hakone can be reached in just under two hours from Tokyo and is popular among both
domestic and foreign tourists.

IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)

1. Lake Ashi
Video: https://youtu.be/d3DV0NGrisU

Lake Ashi occupies the caldera of Mount Hakone. There are numerous resort facilities
and sightseeing spots around the lake, which is also popular as a fishing spot whererainbow trout and other fish can be caught. Many sightseeing boats ply the lake,
including pirate ships, and there are always many people enjoying the cruises and gazingat Mount Fuji in the distance.

2. Hakone Sekisho (Barrier Checkpoint)
Video: https://youtu.be/GbFluAi-SHw
Located on the siteof one of the mostimportantcheck-points in the Kanto
region set up by theEdoshogunate(1603–1868),

theHakone

Sekisho(BarrierCheck-point)

reproduces

the facility as a
tourist attraction. Various scenes are recreated using mannequins, giving a very realistic
picture of the time. Visitors from overseas show great interest as well.

IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)

3. Onshi-Hakone Park
Video: https://youtu.be/ceilyMRDxmA

Registered as a national monument, Onshi-Hakone Park is situated on the Togashimapeninsula jutting into Lake Ashi. The park follows a hill rising from the large car parkand stretches as far as the lake. When you climb to the top of the hill, you can view LakeAshi and Mount Fuji. In good weather, you can spend a very refreshing time here indeed.

4. Hakone Shrine
Video: https://youtu.be/jZ8g6juACR0

Hakone Shrine was deeply revered by the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333). Known as
one of the leading “power spots” in the Kanto region, the shrine attracts visitors from allover. There is also a torii of the shrine, known as the “peace gate,” standing in the watersof Lake Ashi. Inscribed with the Japanese word for “peace,” the frame of the torii looks
out over the lake. The mysterious sight of the red color reflected on the surface of thelake is very Japanese.
IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)

5. Hotel de Yama
Video: https://youtu.be/y0yJ0hM6DyI

Situated near Hakone Shrine is the Hotel de Yama, which is operated by Odakyu Resorts
Co., Ltd. The hotel’s garden is famous for its azaleas. Every May 3,000 blossoming
azaleas adorn the garden with brilliant colors. If you are lucky, you will also be able tosee Mount Fuji in the distance, creating a gorgeous and very Japanese spectacle.

6. Sengokuhara
Video: https://youtu.be/XCo3L0IH9Zw

Situated in the northwest of Hakone, Sengokuhara has bustling hot springs and vast
roadside fields of beautiful pampas grass. There are also art galleries and museums inthe area, so it is an ideal place to spend a day off.

IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)

7. OwakudaniVideo: https://youtu.be/iXRNHmwCv7c

Owakudani, which is almost in the center of Hakone, is an area that was devastatedwhen the Mount Hakone volcano collapsed. Known as the “fumarolic zone,” the areaemits clouds of volcanic smoke and steam, and the smell of sulfur is pungent. The blackeggs boiled in the hot-spring pond are popular. It is said that eating one such egg canextend your life by seven years!

8. Hakone Tozan Train
Video: https://youtu.be/ylC2YQqtZsc

Operated by Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the Hakone Tozan Train consists of arailway from Odawara to Gora via Hakone-Yumoto and a cable car from Gora to Sounzan.
One popular route is to take the Odakyu Romancecar limited express train from
Shinjuku in Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto and change to the Hakone Tozan Train at HakoneYumoto for Gora.
IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)

9. Gora Park
Video: https://youtu.be/LjhHtqCLkGw

Gora Park is a French-style landscape garden with a 100-year history. There is abeautiful fountain in the center, surrounded by a café, crafthouse, botanical garden, andvarious experiential studios and other facilities. The park is just a five-minute walk from
Gora Station, so access is excellent. It is visited by many families with children.

10. Mount Fuji
Video: https://youtu.be/J2l77IWNZVM

As you travel around Hakone, you realize that every now and then the majestic figure ofMount Fuji looms in the distance. Like this moment when day breaks over the lake andthe sun sinks behind the mountains. In the past people who visited this region no doubt
watched out for Mount Fuji and enjoyed the active volcano of Mount Hakone.

IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)Postscript
I traveled to Odawara on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku and then rented a car to drivefrom Odawara to Hakone. Hakone is an expansive area with lots of sightseeing spots
dotted around. It attracts many tourists from overseas as well. You can enjoy hot springs,
diverse cuisine, and magnificent and exquisite scenery. Hakone is a place where you canspend a truly luxurious time.

Photos and text: Arata Matsumoto, Sharata and Adwise, Inc. (http://sharata.info/)(Sharata supplies 4K videos of outstanding scenery in Japan so that as many people aspossible can enjoy it.)IHCSA Café

International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)