Best Nature around Hakone / Odawara Spot List

This is the first formal French garden in Japan. It harnesses a majestic space, filled with seasonal flowers and surrounded by the vast nature of Hakone.

Located on the former site of Hakone-Rikyu Palace. You can enjoy splendid views of Lake Ashinoko and Mt. Fuji.

Lake Ashinoko is surrounded by the mountains of Hakone. You can go for a drive or take a stroll, and you can also take the Pleasure Cruise to enjoy the splendid view from the lake.

It is an aquarium that is located on the shore of Ashinoko Lake. The shows, performed by charming Baikal seals, are popular.

This is a unique botanical garden that mainly displays wetland plants and is located in Sengokuhara in the town of Hakone. You can observe pretty and wild plants in spring, summer, and fall.

Owakudani is filled with clouds of volcanic smoke and a sulfurous smell. Tasting the famous black eggs is a must.

Seasonal blossoms can be enjoyed along the paths running past the park’s streams and ponds, providing a chance to take a relaxed stroll while savoring the season. We also offer casual nature experiences, such as observing the ecosystems living in streams, viewing seasonal plants and flowers, and bird-watching. There is also an obstacle course located near the park entrance and we are the starting point for various hiking trails. From early February to mid-March, the entire mountain side erupts in plum blossom, filling the park with its sweet fragrance. BBQ can be enjoyed from April to October. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Makuyama Koen for about 20 minutes We are located right next to the Makuyama Koen bus stop

The Yugawara bathing beach is shallow and very popular with children. Size: 500m x 150m Family huts: about 20 Entry fee: Adults - 1,000 JPY, children - 600 JPY *Does not include parking fees Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Manazuru Station for about 5 minutes We are next to the Yoshihama Koban-Mae bus stop

Manyo Park has been selected as one of the 100 Best Historical Parks in Japan, as it is the only hot spring mentioned in ancient Manyoshu collection of poetry, and has been visited by many notable writers and artists. Inside the park you can see many of the flowers and plants mentioned in the Manyoshu, and take a leisurely stroll while listening to the murmur of the waterfalls and streams. You can rest your feet in any of the nine different foot baths at Doppo-no-yu, or enjoy matcha green tea and sweets at Manyotei. Each year, a ”firefly party” is held in the ”Hanakien” section of the park from early to mid-June, enabling you to enjoy the sight of Luciola fireflies flitting around the park, as well as enjoy stalls set up in the evenings in front of the nearby Tourist Hall. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 12 minutes We are located right next to the Koen Iriguchi bus stop

The mountain streams passing through the town are a paradise for fishing. Enjoy fishing for Japanese salmon, as well as ayu once the season begins in early summer. Japanese salmon: Season opened on Sunday March 4, 2018 Ayu: ・Season opened on Sunday June 3, 2018 (Chitose river: river mouth - Kawaseki bridge) from one hour before sunrise ・Season opened on Sunday June 17, 2018 (Chitose river: Kawaseki bridge - Ochiai bridge) from one hour before sunrise The season for both Japanese salmon and ayu closes on October 15, 2018 (however, ayu can be fished from December 1-31)

From the Fudo Waterfall, if you continue walking along the stream toward Okuyugawara, you will come across the Godan Waterfall. Godan means ”five steps” in Japanese and the 100-meter-tall waterfall appears to flow down five steps. Steam from hot spring water gathers around the falls, creating a real hot spring atmosphere. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 20 minutes The falls are a two-minute walk from the Fudo-Taki bus stop

Two waterfalls located close to Tenshozan Shrine. Hakuun Waterfall is a beautiful 30-meter-high waterfall with water resembling silk threads falling. Kyorai waterfall is located right beside the shrine. The waterfall is used for Yamabushi training, which involves participants reflecting on their past and future life under the waterfall. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Motohakone for about 45 minutes The falls are a 20-minute walk from the Tenshozan bus stop

This waterfall is only 15 meters high, but a large volume of water flows through it. A Migawari Fudoson (a guardian who acts as a substitute to take on people's illnesses and other bad health) has been enshrined on the left side of the waterfall, and the right side has a Shusse Daikokuson which supports wealth and success. There is also a teahouse near the waterfall. Yugawara zeolite was discovered at the Fudo Waterfall by Dr. Kinichi Sakurai in 1931. The Yugawara zeolite discovered was found to belong to the oldest Neogene Yugashima Group on the Izu Peninsula. Zeolite has also been discovered in Okuyugawara, near the Yugawara water purification plant and Jatai Bridge near the upper part of the Fujiki River where the Yugashima Group is exposed, but Fudo Waterfall has also produced zeolites such as laumontite, mordenite, epistilbite and chabazite. Yugawara’s zeolite is thought to have a close relationship to the Yugawara hot springs as the areas in which it is found share the same water source as the hot springs. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 20 minutes The falls are next to the Fudo-Taki bus stop