Hakone in Kanagawa, Japan

<<Owakudani>> 

aerial lift "Hakone Ropeway" [Japanese: 箱根ロープウェー]

to go to Owakudani [Japanese: 大涌谷]

 

Mt.Fuji* from the window of Hakone Ropeway

*Mt.Fuji is the highest mountains in Japan and world heritage.

volcanic valley "Owakudani"[Japanese: Ōwakudani; 大涌谷].

the specialty of Owakudani "Kuro Tamago"(=black egg) 

 

Eggs become black naturally after boiling in the hot springs for one hour.

"Eating black egg" is said "to increase longevity".
"Eating one black egg" is said "to add seven years to your life".
 

They sell warm Kuro-Tamago [Japanese: 黒たまご] 

in the special paper bag.

  

 

↓

<< Lake Ashinoko>>

Hakone sightseeing cruise [Japanese: 箱根海賊船] 

in Lake Ashi [Japanese: Ashinoko; 芦ノ湖]

 
The boat goes between Hakonemachi [Japanese: 箱根町] 

and Togendai [Japanese: 桃源台].
 We can choose single cruise or return cruise.
 

 

Episode of Hakone [箱根]

Onsen (=Hot springs) is the best in winter! So, Tomo&Chouchou went to Hakone for enjoying hot springs.
Hakone onsen [Japanese: 箱根温泉] is located in Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo district in Kanagawa prefecture [神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町]. Tomo&Chouchou stayed in Hakone Yumoto onsen [Japanese: 箱根湯本温泉] where was the entrance of Hakone hot spring resorts. Hakone Yumoto Onsen was located close to the Hakone Yumoto station [Japanese: 箱根湯本駅] of Hakone Tozan Tetsudō (=the Hakone Tozan Railway)[Japanese: 箱根登山鉄道]. So it was very convenient.
Hakone Yumoto hot spring is effective for neuralgia, arthralgia and poor blood circulation. The hot spring water was transparant. The skin became smooth.
 mous spot to see Mt.Fuji.

We also enjoyed sightseeing in Hakone. Owakudani [大涌谷] is a famous place in Hakone. So we decided to go there. We took Hakone Tozan Railway at Hakone Yumoto station to Gora station [Japanese: 強羅駅]. Then we took aerial lift "Hakone Ropeway [箱根ロープウェイ]” to Owakudani. While going up by the ropeway, we could enjoy the view from the window. When we looked down Owakudani from the lift, we could see the wideness of Owakudani. We could also see volcanic smoke. We could understood it was still active. We could luckily see Mt.Fuji from the ropeway.
As soon as we arrived at Owakudani, we smelled sulfur strongly. We could feel the power of the nature a lot. To get the energy from the nature, we bought the famous specialty of Ōwakudani "Kuro Tamago" (=black egg) there. The staff boils eggs in the hot springs. We could buy warm black eggs there. They gave the salt for Kuro Tamago. We tasted Kuro-Tamago at Owakdani. It was good! We felt our life was extended. :-)
We went down from Owakudani to Togendai station by Hakone Ropeway.
Hakone sightseeing cruise in Ashinoko (=Lake Ashi) is also popular sightseeing spot in Hakone. So we went to Togendai port [Togendai-ko; 桃源台港]to take a ship. We bought the single cruise tickets. We enjoyed Lake Ashinoko. It was the peaceful cruise. The ship was very beautiful. It was enjoyable and relaxing cruise. We got off the ship at Hakonemachi port [Hakonemachi-ko; 箱根町港].

Then we visited Hakone Sekisho [Japanese: 箱根関所]. We experienced Old Japan there. 

Hakone was full of things to see. We really enjoyed Hakone!

 

Travel information
Access to Hakone,
by Romancecar (Odakyu Electric Railway) [小田急電鉄 ロマンスカー]
by Hakone Tozan bus or Izu Hakone bus [箱根登山バス or 伊豆箱根バス]
by Hakone Tozan Railway [箱根登山鉄道]

Reference
Hakone Tozen Railway [箱根登山鉄道]
Odawara station - Hakone yumoto station [箱根湯本駅] : one-way fare 300yen
Odawara station [小田原駅] - Gōra station [強羅駅] : one- way fare 650yen
Hakone yumoto station - Gōra station: one-way fare 390yen  (2013.March)

Hakone Tozan Cable Car [箱根登山ケーブルカー]
Gōra station - Sounzan station [早雲山駅] : fare (one-way) 410yen  (2013.March)

Hakone Ropeway [箱根登山ロープウェイ]
Sounzan station - Owakudani station [大涌谷駅] (about 8min.) :
one-way fare 820yen,  round trip fare 1470yen

Sounzan station - Togendai station [桃源台駅] (about 25min.):
one-way fare 1330yen round trip fare 2340yen

Owakudani station - Togendai station (about 16min.)
one-way fare 1020yen round trip fare 1830yen  (2013.March)

cf1) To go to Owakudani by car is very crowded. Ropeway is recommended.
cf2) Togendai is close to Lake Ashi (Ashinoko).
Togendai is accessible to Hakone sightseeing cruise (=Hakone Kaizoku sen).

Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (=Hakone Kaizoku Sen; 箱根海賊船)
Togendai port [桃源台港]- Moto-Hakone port [元箱根港] (30min.):
one way fare 970yen round trip 1780yen
Togendai port - Hakone-machi port [箱根町港] (30min.):
one way fare 970yen round trip 1780yen..... (2013.March)
time table: every 40 or 50 min.

Hakone Freepass
2 days pass (from Shinjyuku station): adult 5000yen child 1500yen
3 days pass (from Shinjyuku station): adult 5500yen child 1750yen..(2013.March)

Hakone Freepass is very convenient and profitable to go around Hakone.

Round trip of Odakyu Line + free ride of 8 transportation + discount
With Hakone Freepass, you can freely get on and off as often as you want as follows;
* Hakone Tozan Railway  * Hakone Tozan Cable Car  
* Hakone Ropeway  * Hakone Sightseeing Cruise etc...
You will also get discounts with Hakone Freepass at over 50 facilities
such as hot springs, restaurants, shopping, museums and so on.

Purchase Hakone Freepass at each station of Odakyu Line,
some station of hakone tozan railway or big travel agencies such as
JTB, KNT, Nippon Travel Agency.

＊In 2019, Mt.Hakone was very active. In 2020, Hakone was damaged by typhoon. In 2020, Owakudani area was damaged by heavy rain. So please check the latest condition before going to Hakone.