Hakone
The Hakone Round
The Hakone circuit in one day — the torii standing in the lake, a steaming volcanic valley, a sculpture park in the open air, and a hot spring at the end of it.
4 stops · one day
The route
- 01
Daderot / CC0Kanagawa · Moto-Hakone, Hakone · From Shinjuku Stn · ~90 min
Hakone Shrine and the Peace Torii
Hakone's iconic lake torii, standing since 1952 — free entry, clear Fuji view on calm autumn mornings.
What to look for
- Heiwa no Torii (Peace Torii) — a red torii gate at the lake's edge, built in 1952 to mark the San Francisco Peace Treaty; the plaque reading 'Heiwa' (peace) was written by Prime Minister Yoshida
- Cedar approach (sandō) — a long stairway lined with tall cedar trees leading up from the lakeside to the main hall — the classic entrance to the shrine
- Main hall (Honden) — the central sanctuary in its current form dating to 1667, enshrining the Hakone Gongen deities
- Next stop · 4.6 km in a straight line
- 02
663highland / CC BY 2.5Kanagawa · Ōwakudani, Hakone · From Shinjuku Stn · ~100-110 min
Ōwakudani
Japan's most accessible active volcanic valley — steam vents, black eggs, and a ropeway ride over the crater.
What to look for
- Active sulphur vents — the columns of white steam rising from the yellow-stained valley floor — the visual centre of Ōwakudani
- Ōwakudani Station observation area — an open platform at the ropeway station with direct views over the steam fields and the crater landscape
- Kuro-tamago (black eggs) — eggs hard-boiled in the sulphurous hot spring water, their shells turned black by a chemical reaction; sold at the visitor facilities and eaten on site
- Next stop · 2.6 km in a straight line
- 03
663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0Kanagawa · Hakone / Ninotaira · From Shinjuku Stn · ~90 min
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Japan's first open-air sculpture park — the Picasso Pavilion and stained-glass tower are the highlights; arrive at 9:00 and walk the garden before the day-trippers arrive.
What to look for
- Main sculpture garden (entrance → Symphonic Sculpture) — bronzes and stone works along hillside paths, opening towards the mountain panorama
- Symphonic Sculpture — a tall stained-glass tower by Gabriel Loire; climb the internal staircase to a platform with open views over the garden
- Picasso Pavilion — 319 works — paintings, prints, ceramics, sculpture — with rotating displays from across his career
- Next stop · 5.1 km in a straight line
- 04
Quercus acuta / CC BY-SA 4.0Kanagawa · Hakone · From Shinjuku Stn · ~73 min
Hakone-Yumoto
Hakone's oldest hot spring, 73 minutes direct from Shinjuku — worth stopping, not just changing trains.
What to look for
- The river confluence — the Hayakawa and Sukumogawa meet at the town, and the inns are built along both banks
- Day-use bathhouses — around thirty-five inns and bathing facilities in the area, many open to visitors without an overnight stay
- The station shopping street — sweet shops, snack stalls and free or low-cost foot baths, starting at the station exit