Hakone - Japan

Hakone - a mountain and lake area close by Mt Fuji - makes a good weekend trip from Tokyo. One day is really not enough to see the main attractions and I would recommend planning an overnight stay. It's best to avoid public holidays as it gets very busy (as I found out).

Gora Funicular Train

I stopped in Gora long enough to buy some souvenirs so can't say much about the town - although there are a number of things to see. A well known restaurant serves up "Gyoza" dumplings. Judging by the queue outside it's very popular.

The funicular train at Gora is well organized. Even with this holiday queue it only took about 30 minutes to get up to the next stop up the mountain - Sounzan.

It was something like the Yamanote Line of the mountains! However going on a normal weekend or weekday should not be a problem.

View from the ropeway station at Sounzan

Hiking up to Owakudani

You can take the ropeway up otherwise it's a 60-70 minute climb up through forest. (Sometimes the trail is closed at the Owakudani turnoff so you might need to walk down and get the ropeway anyway.)

It's only at the top that Fuji comes into view.

Owakudani Volcanic Valley

The ropeway travels 30 minutes up the mountain to Owakudani then down to Lake Ashi. At the top of the mountain the ropeway passes over a volcanic area with steam venting.

Sunset at Fuji

I ran out of time to visit all the other attractions - boat on Lake Ashi, hike of the hundreds-of-years-old Tokaido highway - so can't comment on these.

Transport Information

The Lonely Planet guide and Rough Guide give limited instructions on getting to Hakone, and good information on what to do when you get there.

Buying a Ticket

You can travel to Hakone either by Japan Rail, or by the Odakyu railway company. Both leave from Shinjuku station. The Odakyu company seems to have the best setup and I recommend buying their "Hakone Free Pass" which covers trains, cable cars, boats and buses in the area (costs Yen 5500 - cheaper on weekdays).

The ticket office and lines for the Odakyu railway company are located on the West side of Shinjuku station. Find the Odakyu department store; the entrance to the Odakyu lines are next door on the ground and B1 levels.

The limited express trains from Shinjuku to Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto require you to make a seat reservation. You can either reserve when buying your pass (~Yen 900 extra) or you can use the machines on the platform to make an instant reservation up until seconds before your train leaves.

Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto

At Shinjuku station insert your Hakone Free Pass in the Odakyu line turnstiles to get to the platforms. After that just show your pass to the station staff at each station. Don't try to put it back through any automatic turnstiles until you get back to Shinjuku station. I saw some people do this at Hakone-Yumoto station; the turnstile swallowed the pass and the station staff had to open the machines to retrieve the tickets.

Your limited express train may terminate at Odawara - in which case you transfer to a local line to get to Hakone-Yumoto - or it may go direct to Hakone-Yumoto. It's all very straightforward.

Hakone-Yumoto to Gora

At Hakone-Yumoto there is another change onto the Hakone-Tozan line for Gora. This is a great train journey with the train climbing up the switch-back tracks up the mountain.

Gora to Sounzan to Owakudani to Lake Ashino

You will probably want to stop in Gora for a few hours. Then catch the funicular train from Gora train station up to Sounzan. Also very straightforward. There is not much to see at Sounzan, so you can transfer directly to the ropeway (cable-car.)

Plan time to get out at Owakudani for the volcanic park and views of Fuji, then catch the ropeway on to Lake Ashino.

Time of Year to Visit

It's best to visit on a clear day as viewing Mt Fuji is one of the main attractions. I was told that autumn / winter is a good viewing time, but as I've only visited once can't confirm this.

If it's bad weather - raining or poor visibility - then I would recommend postponing for a better day and doing something else in Tokyo instead.

I would also suggest not going on a public holiday because it limits what it's possible to see in one day. However if you are planning on hiking rather than using the public transport - then it would not matter much.

It's best to plan on two days in Hakone, but if only a day-trip is possible, then an early start from Shinjuku is essential (no later than 8:00am.)

Hakone November 2001