The Hakone Top Ten 箱根のトップ10

At the foot of Mount Fuji, Hakone is the perfect place from which to climb the sacred volcano in summer, and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings the rest of the year.

• Visit Amazake Chaya, a former tea house that already served the samurai of the Edo period. The specialty there is sake...

• Walk the Tokaido Road, the old feudal road that once connected Edo (old Tokyo) to Kyoto, the imperial capital at the time, through Hakone. Take a walk through history!

See also: our tour along the Tokaido Road.

• See Hakone Jinja, a shrine in the heart of the forest, with a view of Lake Ashi.

• Visit Narukawa Art museum, where there's a beautiful view of the lake, the torii of Hakone Shrine and Mount Fuji.

• Visit Okada Museum and its superb collection of works of traditional Japanese art. The little udon restaurant in the garden is worth a try.

• Go to Chokoku no Mori Museum and its exhibitions of outdoor sculptures, for a visual walk amongst nature and contemporary art.

• See the pampas field of Sengokuhara, on the western flank of Mount Hakone: a rare sight in Japan!

• Take a boat ride on Lake Ashi, where in good weather you can enjoy a view of Mount Fuji reflected in the waters...

• Ride one of the cable cars and enjoy another view of the mountain.

• After all these excursions, relax in one of the many onsen in the city, such as Hakone Kamon.

And why not try one of our Hakone activities with our Travel Angel, Daniel?