Two Days in Hakone, a Resort Town in the Mountains of Japan

About Hakone

Hakone is a beautiful resort town west of Tokyo known for its natural onsen (hot springs) and misty mountains. The pace is much slower than daily life in the big cities of Japan, making it the perfect place to relax. It is a popular day trip destination from Tokyo, but I decided to stay for two nights in a ryokan overlooking the mountains to soak in as much as I could of this beautiful place.

Day 1: Checking into Ryokan, Local Specialties, & Onsen

Checking into the Ryokan

We arrived to Hakone-Yumoto Station from Kyoto via shinkansen (bullet train) and local train and checked into the Aura Tachibana ryokan, a Japanese-style inn. Our ryokan package included breakfasts and dinners served with the other inn guests in a big dining room, which is common for ryokan in Hakone. The room we were assigned had a private outdoor onsen with a great mountain view in addition to a communal onsen shared with other guests on another floor.

For more info on what it’s like to eat, sleep, and bathe in a Japanese-style inn, feel free to read my guide to ryokan in Japan.

The ryokan staff gave us some tips for what to explore in the few hours we had before group dinner time. They told us about local Hakone specialties: tofu waffles, coffee ice cream, rusk toast, and mosaic wood art. So we decided to check out ALL of those things.

Hakone Specialties

Food

I was very curious about the tofu waffles, so we walked over to Isamiya, a café that served them in a space that had lovely Hakone wooden crafts on display. The tofu waffles came with vanilla ice cream and sweet red beans. They tasted great!

There are lots of Hakone specialty stores on the main street leading up to Hakone-Yumoto Station, so we checked out a bunch of places there. Our first stop was Grande Rivière to check out rusk, twice-baked rounds of bread that are very crunchy and come in a variety of flavors, running the gamut from sweet to savory. I bought Earl Grey flavored rusk, which was buttery and delicious.

Next door was Sugi Bee Garden, a store specializing in different honey varieties. Mango, yuzu, blueberry, and grape flavored honey were all on display. The staff kindly let us taste samples as they explained the different store offerings. They even had beauty products like honey face masks. I bought some yuzu honey, which was perfectly tangy and sweet.

Next, we walked to Café Andante to test the coffee ice cream the ryokan staff told us about. I can see why it’s so popular – it was the best coffee ice cream I have ever had, combining bitterness and sweetness all in one large swirl.

After the refreshing ice cream, I noticed another store that had a giant purple and green swirled ice cream sculpture out front. Wondering what flavor it could possibly be, I looked at the sign above it that had “エヴァ” (Eva) printed on it. Once I heard the famous theme song playing in the background, I realized it was a store entirely dedicated to the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hakone was the setting of the fictional Tokyo-3 in the story. The store has lots of merchandise, so if you’re a fan of the series, check it out!

Arts and Crafts

The arts and crafts stores along the main street are so impressive. Hakone is famous for its wood mosaic art called yosegi, which mixes different patterns and colors of wood together to form intricate geometric shapes that are visually stunning. It is not an easy technique and can take years to master. The artists use yosegi techniques to create jewelry, chopsticks, vases, photo frames, fridge magnets, key chains, and other items that make for nice souvenirs.

One such yosegi product Hakone is known for is the himitsu bako, or puzzle box. Parts of the box slide open to reveal hidden compartments. You must slide them in the correct order to open the box successfully. Depending on the box, you may need to slide pieces two times or 70 times to open it – they can get really elaborate!

Dinner and Onsen at Ryokan

After exploring Hakone’s main street, we walked back to the ryokan for their scheduled multi-course dinner served in the communal dining room. We donned the provided purple flower-patterned yukata with cherry-colored obi belt, two-toed socks, and sandals, which we were encouraged to wear around the ryokan. Some ryokan in Japan serve meals privately in each guest’s rooms, whereas others serve everyone in a shared dining room. I liked the shared dining experience because we could all eat together in the lovely yukata!

The meal was kaiseki ryori style, individual plates fixed by the chef served in a particular order, so there were no menus to order off of. I was very grateful the ryokan made a vegetarian set for me after I had told them in advance about my dietary restrictions. I was served a plate of four individual appetizers, clear soup, garden salad, egg custard, grilled eggplant with miso paste, yuba tofu hot pot, fiddlehead fern tempura, boiled bamboo shoots, locally-grown rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, and a plate of small sweets for desserts. One of the best meals I’ve had!

After dinner, we tried out the communal onsen, which were separated by gender and had indoor and outdoor baths. Indoors, there were several different sized baths – one that could fit several people, one that was meant for one or two people, one that had a nice waterfall to massage your shoulders, and one that had cold water in case you needed to cool down. The shower stalls were also in this room, and you must first shower and completely clean yourself before entering the shared baths. Outside, the large, round bath (called a rotenburo) was surrounded by nature. Being enveloped in the naturally hot, mineral-rich water felt so good, and my body felt so relaxed. It was easy to fall asleep after that!

Day 2: Hakone Loop, Art Museum, & More Hot Springs

I woke up to a rainy day with thick fog surrounding the mountains. We had planned on taking the entire Hakone transportation loop, going to the Hakone Open-Air Art Museum, doing the pirate ship cruise on Lake Ashinoko, and visiting Hakone Shrine. However, the weather changed our plans a bit. Nevertheless, we still had a great day.

Hakone Tozan Train

After yummy breakfast in the ryokan, we grabbed some umbrellas and boarded the Hakone Tozan Train. It was spectacular ride. It kept going higher and higher into the mountains, and all of the beautiful nature and tall trees were covered in fog around us. Everything was shrouded in mist, lending it an air of mystery, but one that was very beautiful. It was about a 35-minute drive to Chokoku-no-mori Station, where we got off and walked to the museum.

Hakone Open-Air Museum

The Hakone Open-Air Museum houses a fantastic collection of art by international artists in outdoor and a few indoor exhibitions. The expansive grounds have more than 100 sculptures on view and contain some very cool outdoor spaces like a suspension bridge surrounded by lush plants with art installations floating in the pond below and a sunken-in Garden of the Stars labyrinth where you can find your own way out or have a friend aboveground navigate you to the exit. There is also a large pavilion dedicated to the works of Picasso.

Since it was drizzling when we visited, there were not many other visitors. Even though the majority of the museum’s exhibits are outdoors, the light rain lent a unique beauty to them. One of the most breathtaking structures was a tall, round tower called Symphonic Sculpture that looked modern and simplistic on the outside, but inside, the walls were entirely made up of incredibly beautiful stained glass that extended from the floor to the tall ceiling. A coiling staircase led to the roof of the tower, which offered a panoramic view of Hakone.

One of the indoor galleries hosts rotating exhibitions. When I went, they were hosting a photo exhibition highlighting photographers in their studios or on site for work. Art featuring the artists themselves!

As a side note, this seemed like a great museum for children. There are special installations designed with them in mind, like a zigzag obstacle course and a cool playground that looked like a giant transparent structure of diamond shapes fused together. Many great educational opportunities are presented throughout the museum so kids can learn more about sculptures.

After working up an appetite walking through the grounds, I had French toast and jasmine tea at the onsite café Chokoku-no-mori. Next door was a great gift shop selling art-themed gifts and Hakone-made goods in beautiful packaging. This was a great place for souvenirs.

I would suggest dedicating a few hours to the museum. There is so much to see, and it is so well arranged. If you are a fan of art – especially sculpture – this is a great stop to add to your Hakone itinerary!

Hakone Tozan Cable Car

Next, we continued the transportation loop and took the Hakone Tozan Cable Car from Gora Station to Sounzan Station. The cable car goes up a steep incline of more than 200 meters through lush surroundings. Some of the seats face one another, so we ended up facing a really nice mother-daughter pair from Chiba and had a lovely conversation with them. It’s always nice to encounter kind people while traveling!

At Sounzan Station, we discovered that our next round of the loop, the Hakone Ropeway, was partly closed due to inclement weather. That was also our way of getting closer to the Lake Ashinoko cruise and Hakone Shrine. We decided that after all the rain we were getting, we needed a nice soak in the onsen, so we looked for a bus stop that would take us back to the ryokan.

Wild Boar Sighting!

The path to the bus stop was totally empty save for a lone car here or there driving by. On the way, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye and froze – an entire family of wild boars was hanging out right near us! The mother boar made eye contact with me and grunted a bit, so I immediately averted my gaze and “calmly” continued on my merry way. I love animals, but I’ve seen Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, so I know that wild boars can be dangerous if provoked. I had never seen wild boars in person, so that was a pretty neat (albeit somewhat intimidating) experience!

Onsen Time and Dinner

After a day in the rain, it was nice to go back to the ryokan and enjoy the hot springs while watching the clouds roll past the mountains. Soon enough, it was dinner time, so I slipped on my yukata, obi, and sandals and made my way to the communal dining room for another delicious Hakone kaiseki ryori dinner.

Day 3: Departure to Tokyo on the Romancecar & Mt. Fuji Sighting

The day we left was a gorgeous, sunny day. We had breakfast at the ryokan, which consisted of yams, tofu hot pot, veggies, miso soup, rice mixed with egg, konjac jelly, and houjicha tea. A filling and nutritious start to the day!

Romancecar

After checking out, we made our way to Hakone-Yumoto Station and bought tickets for the Romancecar, a train that takes a scenic ride through Hakone into Shinjuku Station. On a clear day, passengers may be lucky enough to see Mt. Fuji from the windows.

Since it was perfectly clear and sunny, we were lucky enough to see Mt. Fuji! It looks as majestic as it is said to be, and it is amazing to see it towering over towns in the distance.

There are a few different ways to get to Tokyo from Hakone, but I’m glad we chose the Romancecar because of how beautiful the ride was. We may have left Hakone behind as we pulled into Shinjuku Station, but the good memories remain.

Final Thoughts

My time in Hakone felt like a mini vacation within a vacation. It was a welcome change of pace after doing lots of walking and sightseeing in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. I hope on my next visit I am able to do more, like see Hakone Shrine, cruise Lake Ashinoko, and complete the Hakone transportation loop.

A Few Tips

• Get ready to exercise your calves! Hakone has some steep hills, so comfy shoes are recommended.
• Read up on onsen etiquette. There are some unspoken rules on what to do and what not to do.
• Check out the local specialties of Hakone, such as the food and crafts.
• Be prepared for certain transportation closures due to weather or other factors.
• Relax and enjoy the natural beauty and slower pace Hakone has to offer!

 

(All photos taken by Clara Juliette)

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