Hakone🇯🇵 Enjoy the nature, Hot Springs & Culture Near Mt. Fuji!

Hakone🇯🇵 Enjoy the nature, Hot Springs & Culture Near Mt. Fuji!

Hello, everyone. Today, we would like to introduce Hakone located approximately 85 kilometers from Tokyo by train. Hakone is a popular tourist destination. It is known for its hot springs, nature, and spectacular views of Mount Fuji on clear days. For Japanese people, it is considered an ideal place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We will introduce springtime Hakone, focusing on four main areas, so please stay tuned until the end. Hakone-Yumoto Station is located in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, and is a station on the Odakyu Electric Railway line It is known as the gateway to Hakone tourism. The area around the station offers convenient access to Hakone’s tourist attractions and hot spring areas, making it a convenient base for tourists. Hakone Yumoto Station is used by many people as the starting point for Hakone tourism. On a refreshing morning, the clear air enhances the beauty of the scenery, soothing the hearts of visitors. Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance. It was lucky that it was cloudy earlier. The weather looks good, so I would like to take the ropeway to Mototsumiya at the summit of Komagatake. You can see Lake Ashi. You can also see Mount Fuji. On this day, a strong spring wind was blowing. There was no fog, and we could see the beautiful Mt. Fuji in the clear air It is a sacred place where you can feel the power of nature. Mototsumiya is located at the summit of Mt. Komagatake (1,327 meters above sea level) in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, It enshrines the deities of Hakone Shrine, “Hakone Okami ” and is said to bring good luck, ward off misfortune, ensure traffic safety, and bring good relationships. This stone is called “Umagari-ishi” and is said to be the place where people dismounted their horses to pray for divine protection. Therefore, Umagari-ishi is a symbolic spot where people dismount their horses to pray to the gods, and it has a special meaning for visitors. We were very happy to see Mt.Fuji in front of us. This is a place we had always wanted to visit, so we were delighted to be able to introduce it here. This is a ropeway ticket. Normally, you can get goshuin stamp at the summit, but since the schedule is fixed, if you visit on a day other than the scheduled date, you can bring this ticke to Hakone Shrine and recieve goshuin. We are heading to Owakudani. At the ropeway station, you can enjoy foot baths and sweets. This is a cotton candy smoothie. The Japanese character for “cloud” in “Sounzan” is written with the same Japanesecharacter. The cotton candy looks like clouds!
It was delicious. Now, we’ll take the ropeway to Owakudani. Owakudani is an active volcanic area where sulfur steam rises from the ground. These are the famous black eggs. Their distinctive black shells are created using a method that utilizes geothermal heat and volcanic gases. Please try the black eggs, which are said to extend your life by seven years. It taste like normal egg. For lunch, we ate tempura soba and tempura donburi near the base of the mountain. The tempura was crispy and very delicious This is a historical cedar tree-lined path stretching approximately 2.5 kilometers. These trees were planted along the main road that passed through the post town known as Hakone-juku during the Edo period. This tree is said to be about 3,000 years old, making it older than the cedar trees in the previous grove. It is known as the “Long-Lived Tree, the Great Cedar.” The Narukawa Art Museum overlooks Lake Ashi, with gentle spring sunlight streaming in. Inside the museum, you can admire modern Japanese paintings, while the view of the budding trees and the tranquil lake outside the windows soothe the soul.” You can also enjoy the view at the Cafe in the museum offers light meals and tea. Takumi no Yado Yoshimatsu is a high-quality ryokan where you can relax both mind and body with seasonal cuisine and hot springs while enjoying the view of the Japanese garden. Some rooms have baths where you can enjoy the view of the Japanese garden, so we chose one of those rooms. The room attendant showed us to our room. The garden is also very beautiful and peaceful. There is also a family bath that can be reserved for private use. First, we enjoyed the hot spring bath in the large bathhouse before dinner. Photography is prohibited in the large bathhouse, so there are no images available. Since it was Japanese cuisine, we chose Japanese sake. The sake had a refreshing taste and was delicious. Enjoying sake and kaiseki cuisine after the bath is the essence of a Japanese ryokan.! We were full! We had planned to use the open-air bath in the room, but since we were full, we decided to use it the next morning. The morning started with rain. The morning started with rain. Before breakfast, we enjoyed the bath in our room. Listening to the sound of rain while looking at the garden and taking a bath is such a luxury. The weather cleared up miraculously during breakfast, so we hurried to Lake Ashi. Torii Gate of Peace standing on Lake Ashi is illuminated by the soft spring sunlight, reflecting vividly on the lake surface and conveying peace and hope to visitors. We came early in the morning, so there weren’t many visitors yet. If we had come a little later, there would have been a line of people waiting to take photos. This is a thousand-year-old cedar tree known as the “Safe Childbirth Cedar,” which is considered a sacred tree. The Safe Childbirth Cedar was regarded as a symbol of a healthy womb. Minamoto no Yoritomo, the shogun who founded the Kamakura Shogunate, is said to have prayed here for the safe childbirth of his wife, Hojo Masako. You can get goshuinof Hakone Shrine and Kuzuryu Shrine here. You can also get goshuin of Mototsumiya Shrine, which we mentioned earlier. Please show your ropeway ticket. The Hakone Sekisho, which travelers passed through during the Edo period, feels even more charming in the calm spring air. You can feel the lifestyle and history of that time.” It seems that Lake Ashi was monitored from here. Feel the refreshing spring breeze as you leisurely cruise Lake Ashi on the Sightseein Cruise. If the weather is clear, the fresh greenery and view of Mt. Fuji will further enhance your journey.” The journey is coming to an end. We have returned to Hakone Yumoto Station. Since we are here, we will enjoy the local cuisine around the station. We found some delicious-looking manju. They were filled with white bean paste and were piping hot and very tasty. Next, we tried satsuma age. The ones filled with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) or cheese are popular. They were fluffy and delicious. Very delicious!! Next, we ate senbei (rice crackers) and dango (rice dumplings). They were very tasty. This is another spot where you can see Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi, but there are no buses or trains, so it takes about 15 minutes by taxi from Hakone-Yumoto Station. Swinging on the swing feels like being sucked into the mountain. On a clear day, you should be able to see Mount Fuji more clearly. How was it? We hope this trip will remain in your heart. If you like it, please click the “Like” button and leave a comment. See you in next video！

Welcome to Hakone – a breathtaking getaway just a short trip from Tokyo! 🗻✨
In this video, we take you on a journey through some of Hakone’s most iconic spots:

・Hakone Shrine and the mystical torii gate by Lake Ashi

・Owakudani volcanic valley and its famous black eggs

・Pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashi

・Traditional art at the Narukawa Art Museum

・Panoramic views from the Hakone Ropeway

・Soothing hot springs and local street food in Hakone Yumoto

・Hidden gem: Hakone Mototsumiya Shrine on Mt. Komagatake

Whether you’re a nature lover, history buff, or just looking for a relaxing escape, Hakone has something magical for you.
Subscribe for more Japan travel adventures!

#japantravel #Hakone #hotspring