Hakone



Hakone (箱根) is a mountainous area west of Tokyo in Japan. The Hakone checkpoint on the historical Tokaido road marks the beginning of the Kanto region.

Tourist information site
Hakone is also the name of a Town (箱根町). The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Its download section has some guide maps in English - seek for 英語 ("English").

By plane
The nearest airports to Hakone are quite a distance away in the Tokyo area. If you are interested in booking a stay at a traditional ryokan in Hakone, it is strongly recommended that you plan to arrive in Hakone at least one day after you land in Tokyo. If you go to Hakone on the same day that you arrive, there is a good chance you might miss out on (and be charged for) dinner at the ryokan, or worse, you may be locked out of (and be charged for) your room at the ryokan's curfew time, if there is one.

If you land at Haneda Airport early enough, there are two direct buses to Hakone-Yumoto train station, stopping in Yokohama along the way. Buses leave starting from the International Terminal/Terminal 3 at 08:25 and 12:35, with return trips leaving Hakone-Yumoto at 13:00 and 16:30. The one-way fare is ¥2000 and the trip takes about 2 hr.

Otherwise, from Haneda, take the Keikyu Line to Yokohama, the JR Tokaido Line to Odawara, and finally the Hakone-Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto (2 hr, ¥1650). Alternatively, take the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa and transfer to the shinkansen (see below).

There are no direct transport links to Hakone from Narita Airport. Plan on allotting between 2½ and 4 hr if heading to Hakone, depending on the route taken. The easiest route with luggage may be to take the JR Narita Express or a highway bus to Shinjuku and change to the Odakyu Romancecar (see below).

By train
The fastest and most expensive method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take a Tokaido Shinkansen all-stop Kodama (こだま) train from Tokyo to Odawara which leave 1-2 times per hour, then transfer to the Hakone-Tozan Line for the run to Hakone-Yumoto (trains operated by Odakyu Railway). The one-way fare starts from ¥3600 for unreserved seating, but with a Japan Rail Pass you need only to pay ¥320 for the Hakone-Tozan line - easily done with a Suica or PASMO card (Limited Express trains require an extra ¥200 surcharge). With a good connection, the trip takes one hour.

Be aware that any  JR East Rail Pass will not provide access to the Tokaido Shinkansen and to make use of this pass you will need to ride the regular Tokaido Main Line to Odawara. From Tokyo, a convenient choice is the Odoriko limited express train, which operates a few times every day. Advance seat reservations are possible.

Rail Pass holders can also use regular JR commuter trains to Odawara, which otherwise cost ¥1840 and take 75-90 min from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku. Unreserved Green Car (First Class) seats are available on a first-come first-serve basis. The surcharge for Green Car seats between Tokyo and Odawara is ¥1000 on weekdays and ¥800 on weekends and holidays, purchased in advance using an IC card (e.g. Suica) or a ticket. You can also purchase a Green Car seat on the train for an additional fee.

The affordable and more direct method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take the Odakyu Odawara Line from Shinjuku. The fastest trains on the Odakyu Line are the Hakone (はこね) and Super Hakone (スーパーはこね) Romancecar services, which run twice an hour for most of the day. The 85-90 min journey costs ¥2330. Slower commuter trains reach Hakone in about 2 hr at a cost of ¥1220 (change trains in Odawara).

Odakyu Super Hakone services also offer saloon seating - private compartments with a table that can seat up to 4 people. The saloon fare from Shinjuku to Hakone is ¥4440 for the compartment in addition to the basic fare for each passenger.

Rail connections can be made at Odawara from Nagoya (2 1/2 hrs), Kyoto (3 hrs) and other locations throughout Japan. An alternate route from central and western Japan is to exit the Tokaido Shinkansen at Mishima and take the hourly Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle to Hakone-machi (42 min, ¥990) or Moto-Hakone (53 min, ¥1050).

By bus
Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus operates several buses from the Tokyo area to Hakone-Togendai via Gotemba Station. Most buses leave from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku) every 30 minutes between 06:35 and 14:05, then hourly until 19:05. Return buses leave Togendai at 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, then every 30 minutes until 18:00 (2 hr 30 min, ¥2040 each way). Odakyu Bus also operates four daily round-trips between Haneda Airport, Yokohama and Togendai (¥1300/¥1990 respectively) and two express round-trips between Haneda, Yokohama and Hakone-Yumoto train station (¥2000/¥1550 respectively).

Both Odakyu and JR Bus operate hourly trips between Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and Togendai (¥2040; ¥1940 if purchased in advance).

Get around


Modes of transport in the Hakone region are many and varied. Your options include:
 * The scenic Hakone-Tozan Line mountain railway from Odawara to Gora via Hakone-Yumoto
 * The Hakone-Tozan Cablecar up the mountainside from Gora to Sounzan
 * The Hakone Ropeway from Sounzan down to Togendai on Lake Ashinoko via the boiling sulphur pits of Owakudani
 * The Hakone Sightseeing Ships, decked out like Disneyland versions of pirate ships, sailing across the lake from Togendai to Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
 * And positively dull in comparison, the Hakone-Tozan Bus back to Hakone-Yumoto or Odawara. The last bus from town to some of the faraway places leaves around 20:00.

Information on these are gathered on Odakyu's Hakone Navi website with a journey planner, info on how to pay the fare and route maps.

Some modes of transportation - in particular the ropeway - close from time to time for regular inspections, or in windy conditions. Buses will run replacement services in these cases.

Most people opt for the Odakyu Hakone Free Pass, which includes a return trip from Shinjuku and allows unlimited use of all of the above forms of transport for several days. In addition, pass holders can receive discounts at many hot springs, museums, restaurants, and other locations by showing their pass.

The 2-day Free Pass costs ¥6100 from Shinjuku and ¥5000 from Odawara. A 3-day pass can be purchased for an extra ¥400. Additionally, if you have a Free Pass from Shinjuku you can use the Hakone Limited Express train by paying a surcharge of ¥1110 each way. You can also travel in a saloon compartment, if offered, at a cost of ¥4440 for the compartment. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass and JR East Rail Pass should travel to Odawara station by JR using the methods described earlier, and pay for the Free Pass from Odawara.

Accessibility
Despite the mountainous location and numerous transfers, travelers with disabilities can enjoy the entire Hakone Round Course. Unfortunately, getting to the many hot springs and art galleries is a different matter altogether as many mid-route stations are inaccessible or are on very steep hills.

See


The volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, centered on Lake Ashinoko, is a popular tourist attraction well known for its onsen (hot springs) and its views of Mount Fuji.



Do
No trip to Hakone would be complete without a dip at a Japanese hot spring (onsen). If you're staying overnight, your lodgings may include bathing facilities, but if not many hotels open up their baths to visitors for around ¥500 or so.



Eat


If you stay at a ryokan, dinner and breakfast might be included; make sure in advance.

Hakone’s delicious natural spring water is also used to make soba, or thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba is served in so many restaurants in the onsen town that it may replace rice to become the main course for your meals in Hakone. Soba can be served cold or hot, accompanied by delicious sides such as tofu, tempura or vegetables.



Sleep
Hakone has many onsen ryokan, traditional Japanese inns featuring hot springs. Facilities vary widely, although prices are generally somewhat elevated (especially on weekends) due to the proximity of Tokyo.

Go next

 * Gotemba
 * Odawara
 * Yugawara
 * Minamiashigara
 * Atami
 * Susono
 * Oyama
 * Fujiyoshida
 * Mount Fuji