Hakone Holidays

Just outside Hakone-Yumoto, the forest suddenly becomes a playground of rope bridges, suspended obstacles and high platforms. Those still feeling energetic afterwards can tackle the seven-metre Cliff Challenger climbing wall.

From Sengokuhara, mountain-bike tours head away from Hakone’s busier roads and into woodland, river paths and quieter corners around Lake Ashi. Some routes last several hours, but the easier courses are forgiving enough for beginners who would rather watch the scenery than worry about technique.

Mount Kintoki is the trail many walkers remember, partly for the teahouses at the top and partly for the Mount Fuji view when the clouds behave. Nearby Mount Myojingatake is usually calmer, with a more peaceful walk and equally rewarding mountain scenery.

At Miyagino, the fishing pond is fed entirely by fresh spring water and stocked with rainbow trout. It is pleasantly straightforward: rod, bait, patience. Any fish caught must be kept, and staff can clean it or grill it with salt on site.

The Dogashima Canyon Trail runs between Miyanoshita and Kiga, following the Hayakawa River through thick greenery. Water is rarely far away. Along the 1.5-kilometre path, a suspension bridge, rushing channels and changing autumn leaves make the gorge feel surprisingly removed from central Hakone.

Hakone’s waterfalls each have a different mood. Chisuji Falls slips quietly over moss-covered rock near Gora, while Hiryu feels larger and wilder after a forest walk. Hien is the softer stop, particularly pleasant after rain when the surrounding greenery looks freshly washed.

Beside Lake Ashi, Hakone Sekisho brings the old Tokaido checkpoint back into view with reconstructed gates, guard rooms and figures showing how travellers were inspected. The watchtower is worth the climb too, with the lake stretching out beyond the site.

Parts of the old Tokaido still feel wonderfully removed from modern Hakone. Stone paving runs beneath tall cedar trees along the route that once connected Edo and Kyoto, giving walkers a sense of how demanding this mountain crossing must once have been.

Hakone Shrine has stood here since 757, tucked into dense cedar forest above Lake Ashi. The approach is all stone steps, lanterns and towering trees, before the route drops towards the water and the bright red Heiwa no Torii appears below.

Choan-ji is easy to miss in Sengokuhara, which is part of its appeal. Hundreds of rakan figures sit among the trees, all with different faces and gestures. In autumn, fallen leaves gather around the statues and make the grounds feel even quieter.

Amazake Chaya still sits beside the old Tokaido route, much as a roadside rest stop should. Travellers have stopped here since the Edo period, and warm amazake, mochi and simple sweets remain the sort of food that makes sense after walking the historic road.

Onshi-Hakone Park feels more spacious than many of the busy lakeside stops nearby. The grounds occupy the former site of an imperial villa, with woodland paths and open viewpoints looking across Lake Ashi. Mount Fuji sometimes appears beyond the water on clear days.

In Hakone, an onsen is rarely treated as just another thing to tick off. Guests wash before entering, leave swimsuits outside and settle into mineral-rich water, sometimes indoors, sometimes beneath trees or open sky. Private baths are common at ryokan too.

Not far from Hakone-Yumoto Station, the area’s geisha tradition is still very much present. Performances bring together dance, shamisen music and conversation, while venues such as Hana Geisha Cafe Bar allow travellers to see this side of Hakone without booking an elaborate private banquet.

Those patterned wooden boxes in Hakone shops are not simply decorative souvenirs. Yosegi-zaiku relies on the natural colours of different woods, fitted together into geometric designs. Some puzzle boxes look deceptively simple until opening one involves dozens of separate movements.

Fukuju-In sits away from the main flow of Hakone-Yumoto, reaching through a quieter part of the hillside. Calligraphy lessons are unhurried: a teacher helps visitors practise individual brushstrokes, settle on a character and eventually produce a finished, stamped piece to take away.

There is more going on inside Gora Park than roses and fountains. At Hakone Crafthouse, visitors might spend half an hour making jewellery or stay longer for pottery and glassblowing. Tables, tools, beads and half-finished pieces give the place a busy workshop feel.

By evening, a ryokan stay often feels very different from a day spent moving around Hakone. Yukata replace outdoor clothes, tatami rooms are prepared for the night, and dinner may arrive course by course as seasonal kaiseki. Gora Kadan is among the more refined examples.

Every 2 and 3 January, Hakone becomes part of one of Japan’s best-known sporting traditions. University runners race from Tokyo to Lake Ashi before returning the following day, while spectators gather along the steep mountain roads to cheer them through.

Cherry blossoms usually reach Hakone from late March into late April, although the timing shifts with altitude and weather. Riverside trees around Miyagino are particularly lovely for a spring walk, while wild sakura adds scattered colour across the surrounding mountain slopes.

Geisha performances take place at different points throughout the year, particularly around Hakone-Yumoto. Traditional dance, music, conversation and parlour games bring this long-standing culture closer to visitors, with some regular performances scheduled on selected Saturdays each month.

Summer celebrations around Lake Ashi begin with the Kosui Festival on 31 July and continue through 5 August. The week brings traditional ceremonies, lively food stalls and evening fireworks, with several communities around the lake holding their own celebrations.

On 16 August, a huge Japanese character was lit across the mountainside above Gora as part of Hakone’s Obon traditions. The fire is connected with sending ancestral spirits onward, while fireworks and evening celebrations gather crowds below as darkness settles over the valley.

Every 3 November, Hakone-Yumoto steps back into the Edo period for its Feudal Lord Procession. Samurai armour, traditional costumes, geisha and marching performers fill the streets, recalling the grand daimyo processions that once travelled along the historic Tokaido road.

The sightseeing ships crossing Lake Ashi are hard to miss, and the ride is more enjoyable than it first sounds. From the deck, passengers pass wooded shores and Hakone Shrine’s red torii, with Mount Fuji sometimes appearing beyond the lake on clear days.

Lake Ashi has a newer way to spend an hour on the water, with matcha worked into both the menu and the interior. Drinks and sweets arrive as the scenery drifts past, giving the cruise a quieter, almost café-like feel.

Yunessun is where Hakone’s onsen culture gets decidedly less serious. Swimsuit-friendly baths come with unusual themes such as coffee, wine and green tea, while Mori no Yu next door returns to more traditional indoor and open-air hot-spring bathing.

Gora Brewery & Grill works well at the end of a long sightseeing day, especially after hours spent on trains and ropeways. Local beer and hearty food keep things informal, and the little hot-spring foot bath outside is an unexpected extra.

The journey between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora is one of those train rides where nobody minds the slow pace. The line climbs through forest using sharp switchbacks, with hydrangeas close to the tracks in summer and rich autumn colour later in the year.

Cha no Chimoto is an easy place to stop while wandering around Hakone-Yumoto. Its best-known sweet, Yumochi, is soft mochi wrapped around sweet bean jelly. Served with green tea, it is simple, light and exactly suited to a short afternoon break.