Hakone travel blog — The Hakone travel guide & how to spend 2 days in Hakone for the first-timers

Coming to Owakudani you can experience the appeal of the active volcano Hakone. This was called the Valley of Hell from the Edo period, with its distinctive scenery covered by golden sand and white smoke. You can reach here with the Rope Way cable car.

Especially when you come here you can buy the famous black eggs boiled called Kuro tamago, which is boiled for about 60 minutes in hot water and then steamed again in 50 minutes. The iron element in hot water clings to the eggshell, then reacts with hydrogen sulphide to produce this special black color for the eggshell. According to legend, eating this egg will last 7 years of age.

The specialty dish here is Kurotamago black boiled egg from hot springs and you can only enjoy this egg when visiting Owakudani. This type of black egg is thought to help you extend your life when you eat it. Eat each egg, life expectancy will add 7 years and each person only should eat up to 2 eggs.

A special feature of this egg is that compared to eggs boiled in ordinary water, its sweetness is 20% higher. You can peel the eggs shell and eat at the right spot when visiting Owakudani.

Address: Sengokuhara, 箱根町 Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0631, Japan
Hours: Thursday 9AM–5PM
Phone: +81 460-85-7410

Hakone Open-Air Museum

As the first open-air museum in Japan, opened in 1969. The campus is spread out with green eyes-catching, covering an area of 70.000m2. Here exhibits some of famous sculptures of early modern and modern period sculptors like Rodin, Henry Spencer Moore.

What is more interesting while leisurely strolling between the green space, finding and admiring the art works that you love. There is also the Picasso Museum, which showcases a collection of more than 300 works, you maybe spend a whole day to fully admire the artworks.

In addition, Hakone has many other major art museums such as POLA Museum of Art with Japanese and European painting works, Okada Museum of Art (Hakone-machi) with a huge collection of Japanese artworks and paintings.

Address: 1121 Ninotaira, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0407, Japan
Opened: 1969
Hours: 9AM–5PM
Phone: +81 460-82-1161

Hakone Glass Nomori Museum

The museum located in the north of Lake Ashi, the area of Sengokuhara, Hakone glass museum exhibits and sells sophisticated glass works. This is the first Japanese art museum dedicated to the Venetian glass with an open interior space, decorated with glass material in Northern Italian style.

The surrounding area also has other museums such as the Venetian Glass Museum and the modern glass museum where you can enjoy glass artworks.

The coffee shops here offer outdoor seating to help visitor both listen to canzone – Italian songs and enjoy pasta cooked from seasonal ingredients.

Address: 940-48 Sengokuhara, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0631, Japan
Hours: 10AM–5:30PM
Phone: +81 460-86-3111

Hakone Tozan Railway

If you have a chance to travel to Hakone you should visit the Tozan Railway. This is a tram line that uses a relatively rare operation method called a switchback, which tram will “climb” steeply along the zigzag line.

Places of interest are located near key stations such as Chokokunomori Station or Hakone Yumoto Station, which have an open-air museum and Gora Station which easy access to Owakudani.

Sōun-ji Temple

This temple was built in the Edo period, named follow of the Lord Hōjō Soun who ruled the Kanto region. There are many objects evoking the culture features of that period preserved in the main hall of the temple. What makes visitors unable to leave their eyes here is the old trees and ancient architectures. Once you step here, visitors can feel the time, the years have passed in all landscapes that appear in sight. Sounji Temple is one with nature. Standing in this scene, you feel like being in the time flow of the past. Please leave the noisy scene in front of the station and experience the ancient atmosphere of Japan here.

Address: 405 Yumoto, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0311, Japan
Phone: +81 460-85-5133
Admission: Fee
Website: http://www.souunji.jp/

Hakone blog: What to eat?

There are many restaurants and eateries around Lake Ashi. You can find yourself an affordable lunch, from 500 to 800 yen. Lunch here also has furikake, a spice fales mixed from seaweed, eggs, fish … used to sprinkle on rice is delicious, nutritious and palatable. Don’t forget to buy it as a gift for about 1.000 yen for 3 boxes of 150 mg.

Soba Noodles

Visitors to Hakone often walk along shopping streets from the station and reach Hatsuhana Soba Honten for about 5 minutes. There will be a long line of locals and foreign tourists waiting outside because this restaurant is very famous.

The famous noodles here are Hatsuhana Soba Honten, eaten with tororo (sliced radish). The soba flavor here is very different from the buckwheat noodles you buy at a supermarket or fast food stores in Japan.

Hatsuhana Soba Honten
Address: 635 Yumoto, 箱根町 Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0311, Japan
Hours: 10AM–7PM / Wednesday: Closed
Phone: +81 460-85-8287

Sashimi

Along with that, sashimi in Hakone is also very popular. You can choose a portion of sashimi, the price will depend on your need as well as the ingredients of the dish. The most popular are the wooden boats with salmon, mackerel, octopus, shrimp, scallops, … extreme fresh with the price from USD50 – USD200 USD/part, a variety of prices to choose from.

Black boiled eggs

As mentioned above, you cannot ignore the Owakudani black boiled egg for 100 yen/each.

Black ice cream

You should also try black ice cream – sold near the parking lot.

The number 1 store in Hakone is Himono (ひもの). You can buy lots of fresh seafood at very reasonable prices at this store. The shop is located very close to Hakone Station and only a few minutes walk away.

Hakone blog: Shopping in Hakone

HaKone Yumoto Shopping Street

Just in front of HaKone Yumoto Station is a row of shops that line the road. In this 200m-long shopping street there are many shops selling souvenirs and food.

There are also shops selling food and cakes such as fish cake and dumplings so that visitors can both walk and enjoy. In Hakone whether it is a rainy day, visitors can still feel secure because of the roof system so please feel free to walk slowly.

In HaKone Yumoto Station also has a souvenir shop called “Hakone City”. At this store, selling many souvenir items, you can buy souvenirs here as gifts for your friends and relatives.

Gotemba Premium Outlets

Gotemba Premium Outlets is one of the most famous outlets in Japan with more than 200 stores with many different brands. If you have come to Hakone, you can go shopping here, maybe you will choose some of favorite items at reasonable prices.

Address: 1312 Fukasawa, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0023, Japan
Opened: July 13, 2000
Hours: 10AM–8PM
Parking: 5.000
No. of stores and services: 205

Hakone Gora Park Craft House

In addition to the above locations, you can also go to Gora Park and drop by Hakone Gora Park Craft House to buy handicrafts, or visit the Hakone Museum of Art, or Open Air Museum …

Address: 1300 Gora, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0408, Japan
Hours: 9AM–5PM
Phone: +81 460-82-9210

Hakone travel blog: So the question is should I visit Hakone in a day?

According to our Hakone travel guide, if the time is ample, you should make plan for 2 days to visit Hakone, spend a night here and take a hot springs bath and not be too hurry when traveling.

However, if you do not have enough time and want to set aside a schedule to go to another place, you can absolutely visit Hakone in one day from Tokyo, but you need to go early and know how to getting around Hakone, avoid waste too much time for traveling. Because in Hakone, you have to use many different means of transport such as bus, cable car, boat … so sometimes you have to wait a long time.

Hakone itinerary: How to spend 2 days in Hakone perfectly?

Below is a suggested Hakone 2 day itinerary on how to spend 2 days in Hakone perfectly that you can refer to.

Day 1

Make an interesting trip through the countryside of Japan

Let’s start your trip at Shinjuku station and board the Odakyu Romance Car train to get to Hakone-Yumoto station. Although traveling by Romance Car will cost an extra fee for booking in advance but it more comfortable and faster than regular trains, it only takes 75 minutes.

When the train going on its journey, you can enjoy the open view of the countryside and the mountains and even see Mount Fuji if you go on a clear day.

Enjoy a traditional Japanese lunch

As mentioned above, go to Tenzaru Soba restaurant for lunch to enjoy Hakone’s excellent Soba noodles here.

Cross the mountain with 3 different types of vehicles.

After filling your stomach with delicious soba noodles, get ready for your Hakone journey by returning to Hakone-Yumoto station and boarding the Hakone Tozan train, the only mountain railway in Japan to reach the Gora station after 40 minutes. If you come here during the rainy season, you can see hydrangeas along the route of the train, which will bring you beautiful pictures.

After arriving at Gora Station, change to the Hakone Tozan cable car, which runs on a steep slope to reach Sounzan Station in 10 minutes. When you arrive at Sounzan station, you can take the Hakone cable car route in about 8 minutes to reach Owakudani station. The view of the valley from above really makes people choke. When sitting on the cable car you will be able to see Mount Fuji on clear days – a good opportunity to have beautiful photos.

Experience “Hell Valley”

As mentioned above you can experience Owakudani valley and eat famous black boiled eggs.

Sightseeing lake Ashi

After discovering Owakudani, let’s take the cable car again, but this time it’s going to Togendai station and get on a pirate boat and sightseeing on Lake Ashi for 30 minutes.

Inside the pirate boat also has a few places decorated in the art of visual trick, quite interesting.

From the deck, you can see the majestic scenery of the mountains and Fuji mountain. When the boat docked, you can also see the Torii gate of Hakone shrine seems to be floating on the lake surface.

Pray at the Shinto shrine

After getting off the boat, you can go to Hakone Shrine, just a few minutes walk from the pier. The Shinto shrine located on the shore of Lake Ashi is a famous spiritual place to pray for peace and luck.

Day 2

Immerse yourself in the art and culture of Hakone

After a good night’s sleep, start the second day of the trip by exploring the museums in Hakone.

You can take the Tozan bus to Hyoseki/Hakone Garasu-no-Mori-Mae station, visit the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum and the Little Prince Museum. It takes about 10 minutes to walk between these two places.

Visit one of Kanagawa’s most beautiful landscapes

Acknowledged as “Top 50 Kanagawa best scenic spots” and “Top 100 best places to see flowers in Kanagawa”, I knew I had to stop at the Sengokuhara Meadow so I took the Tozan bus Sengoku-kogen station.

This pasture is a very popular place in autumn in Hakone, because the entire field is covered with grass from September to November. The contrast of green leaf and light yellow color of grass turns this pasture into an ideal place for your perfect photos.

Buy souvenirs and enjoy local food around the station

And the last part of the 2 days in Hakone is shopping, take the Tozan bus to get back to Hakone-Yumoto station and explore the shopping district. Along the way are local shops selling a lot of souvenirs and food such as dried fish (himono), onsen dumplings, fresh cream, etc.

Even, there is an Evangelion store (Evaya) so if you are an anime lover, be sure to drop by here.

After buying souvenirs for friends and family, you can take the Romance car again to return to Shinjuku, which means that the two-day journey in Hakone has ended.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets from Tokyo and in Hakone you can refer to

• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo: 5th Station, Hakone Pirate Ship & Ropeway, and Gotemba Premium Outlets

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Tokyo you can refer to

• Private Narita International Airport Transfers (NRT) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Private Haneda International Airport Transfers (HND) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Airport Limousine Bus Transfers from/to Narita and Haneda International Airport (Free Wifi Onboard)
• Tokyo Amazing Sightseeing Bus Day Tour
• Tokyo Highlights Private Day Tour
• Nikko Day Tour from Tokyo
• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Nikko Cultural Day Tour from Tokyo
• Tokyo Subway Ticket (24, 48, or 72 Hours)
• Tokyo Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Shuttle Bus Transfers (One Way/Round Trip) from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
• Sky Hop-on and Hop-off Bus Pass
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (Japan Pick Up) for Japan
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Are you finding more top things to do in Japan: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And here.