HOME Tokyo and Surroundings Kanagawa Hakone / Odawara Hakone Sightseeing: 10 Most Popular Spots Around Hakone / Odawara (October 2019 Ranking)
Hakone Sightseeing: 10 Most Popular Spots Around Hakone / Odawara (October 2019 Ranking)

Hakone Sightseeing: 10 Most Popular Spots Around Hakone / Odawara (October 2019 Ranking)

Date published: 12 November 2019

These are the top recommendations for Hakone / Odawara, with travel tips and more, according to LIVE JAPAN, a top-class travel website for visitors to Japan. Our ranking is based on the most popular pages viewed by foreign visitors in a given category.

For instance, Hakone Ropeway, Venetian Glass Museum, Hakone Gora Park and other related spots will be listed. Be sure to check them out during your visit to Hakone / Odawara!

1.Hakone Ropeway

1.Hakone Ropeway

The Hakone Ropeway operates for about 4km from Tougendai station, facing Lake Ashi via Ubako and Owakudani stations, to Sounzan station. Opened in 1959, currently over 2 million people ride it each year. On the route going through Hakone mountains, you can view the nature which changes by seasons, such as cherry blossoms, azaleas, hydrangeas, and red and yellow leaves, as well as allowing you to view Mount Fuji in the distance on a sunny day. From Sounzan Station, the terminal station, you can change trains to Hakone Tozan cable cars and go to Gora Onsen (hot springs) and further down to the Hakone Open-Air Museum by Hakone Tozan Railway.

2.Venetian Glass Museum

2.Venetian Glass Museum

Hakone Garasunomori Museum, or the Venetian Glass Museum in Hakone, is the first museum to specialize in Venetian glass in Japan. On the premises, there are the Venetian Glass Museum, which exhibits 100 excellent works of Venetian glass objects from the 15th century to 19th century, and the Modern Glass Museum, which exhibits glass sculptures of contemporary artists. In the garden, from which the entire Owakudani Valley can be viewed, “Hikari-no-Kairo,” a crystal glass arch sparkles in seven colors reflecting the sunlight. Also, the seasonal exhibits such as cherry blossoms, Japanese silver grass, and Christmas trees made of crystal glass are must-see. There is a workshop where you can experience glass making, and you can create your original work there. A restaurant where you can enjoy live canzone sung by an Italian singer (six performances a day) and a museum shop that handles 100,000 items of Venetian glassworks and accessories are also on the premises. The museum is a 25-minute bus ride from the Hakone-yumoto Station by the Hakone Tozan (mountain) bus.

3.Hakone Gora Park

3.Hakone Gora Park

Opened in 1914, this was the first formal French garden in Japan. The total area was approximately 36,400 square meters when the park first opened. About 26,500 square meters remains and is used as the park grounds. There are many slopes and stairs throughout the park, and there is a difference of approximately 40 meters in elevation between the main gate and the west gate. You can feel the difference in temperature within the park, and during the wintertime, you can observe a rare phenomenon where snow falls only in some areas of the park. You can also enjoy such seasonal flowers as cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring, hydrangeas in summer, maples in autumn, and poinsettias in winter. There are many other attractions, such as the Tropical Flora House, Tea Garden, and Hands-on Workshop Craft House where you can experience pottery making. Take the Hakone Tozan cable car to the Koen-Shimo Station and walk approximately one minute to the main gate, or to the Koen-Kami Station and walk one minute to the west gate.

4.Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

4.Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

This resort hotel, accessible from Lake Ashi by the Hakone Ropeway, is representative of Hakone. From an open-air bath with water sourced from Sengokubara Onsen (one of 17 Hakone hot springs), to a magnificent view of the Mount Fuji spread. The hot spring contains rich metasilicic acid, a natural moisturizer that is famous for its mildly alkaline nature of spring which is gentle for skins. It has a reputation that skins get soft and plump after taking bath there and also known as ”hot spring for beautiful skin”.

5.Hakone Open-Air Museum

5.Hakone Open-Air Museum

The Hakone Open-air Museum is the first open-air museum in Japan, where one can enjoy viewing sculptures and other works of art surrounded by magnificent nature. Exhibited in the extensive 70,000-square-meter grounds are close to 120 works produced by sculptors representing the modern and contemporary eras. One can admire these works while enjoying the nature of each season. In addition to the Picasso Pavillion, where close to 300 of the world-famous artist's works are exhibited sequentially, and the five indoor galleries, various events and exhibitions are held at this museum. Also inside the premises are all-you-can-eat restaurants, cafés, shopping malls, and a foot-bath with water flowing right from the natural hot spring. A two-minute walk from Chokokunomori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway. If you need English guidance, rent an audio guide at the gallery on the first floor of the main building.

6.Odawara Castle

6.Odawara Castle

Odawara Castle is best known as the seat of the Odawara Hojo clan, which captured it in the late 15th century and enjoyed the glory for 100 years — until the castle fell to Hideyoshi, ending the warring states period. After that, the castle was ruled by many feudal lords, until 1870 when it was banned by the Meiji Government and many of the castle buildings were dismantled. The Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 crushed the remaining buildings, leaving the area without reminders of its past. Post-earthquake reconstruction efforts brought back not only the main castle tower but the corner tower (Sumi-yagura), Tokiwagi-mon, Akagane-mon and Umadashi-mon gates. The exterior design of the reconstructed main tower was based on a reduced-scale prototype and plans created during the Edo Period (1603–1868). Inside the tower is a historical museum exhibiting helmets, armor, swords, drawings, paintings and historical records telling the story of Odawara and Odawara Hojo Clan. A ten-minute walk from the East Exit of Odawara Station on the Tokaido Main Line.

  • Odawara Castle
    • Address 6-1, Jonai, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa, 250-0014
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Odawara Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Odakyu Odawara Line / Hakone Tozan Railway / Izuhakone Railway Daiyuzan Line)
      10 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 0465-23-1373

7.Hakone-en Aquarium

7.Hakone-en Aquarium

The aquarium consists of the Baikal Seal Plaza, the Seawater Pavilion, and the Freshwater Pavilion, and it breeds and exhibits a total of 32,000 creatures of 450 species. At the Baikal Seal Plaza, you can see, from a short distance of the observation deck, the freshwater Baikal seals, which are rare in the world, that came from Lake Baikal in Russia. Unique shows, which are also popular, are performed by the seals. You can see the difference in character of each seal. At the center of the Sea Pavilion, there is a large, open-air water tank that is 7 meters in height, and you can see various, lively saltwater fish swimming inside. During the water show in the large tank, the divers demonstrate how they feed the fish. You may observe rare, colorful fishes, such as the mysterious fishes from the Amazon River. Take an Izu-Hakone bus from the JR Odawara Station, and, after one and a half hours, get off at the Hakone-en Stop. A highway bus that takes two hours and 25 minutes from the Shinjuku area is also available.

  • Hakone-en Aquarium
    • Address 139, Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, 250-0522
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Odawara Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Odakyu Odawara Line / Hakone Tozan Railway / Izuhakone Railway Daiyuzan Line)
    • Phone Number 0460-83-1151

8.Lake Ashi

8.Lake Ashi

The lake was formed by the steam explosion of Kamiyama around 3,100 years ago. It is a caldera lake with an altitude of 724 meters, circumference of 19 kilometers, size of 6.9 square kilometers, and a depth of 43.5 meters at its deepest point. A caldera lake is a lake that is made by rainwater accumulating in a depression or a part of a depression made by volcanic activity. The lake is surrounded by the mountains of Hakone, and there are popular sightseeing spots nearby such as the Hakone Sekisho (checkpoint) and Hakone Shrine, as well as hot springs. You can go for a drive or a stroll by the lakeside, or enjoy the view from the lake on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise or Pleasure Cruise that connects Togendai Port, Hakone-machi Port, and Moto-hakone Port. The colorful Hakone mountains and Mount Fuji that can be seen from the lake is an excellent view. To get to Togendai Port for the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, take the Hakone Tozan bus for 35 minutes to Togendai bus stop from Odakyu or Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station.

  • Lake Ashi
    • Address Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Lake Ashi, 250-0500
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Hakone-Yumoto Station (Hakone Tozan Railway)
      35 minutes by bus
    • Phone Number 0460-85-8911

9.Narukawa Art Museum

9.Narukawa Art Museum

Located near Lake Ashino-ko in Hakone, the Narukawa Art Forum opened for the purpose of creating a future genre of Japanese painting. The majority of the collection is contemporary Japanese paintings, over 4,000 works. It also contains 150 works by Kyujin Yamamoto, a recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit; and 40 works by Ikuo Hirayama, notable for his scenes of the Silk Road. Works by these two painters form the core of the collection. The permanent exhibition displays Chinese hidden treasures (works of jade and ivory, giant balls, and sculptures). Special exhibitions are held four times a year, with each exhibition displaying works that fit the theme, regardless of a painter's status. The museum also commands magnificent views; its panorama of Lake Ashino-ko through a 50-meter-wide window is the best in Hakone. In the cafe, you can enjoy powdered green tea in fine porcelain. The museum is right near Moto-hakone Harbor bus stop.

  • Narukawa Art Museum
    • Address 570, Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, 250-0522
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Odawara Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Odakyu Odawara Line / Hakone Tozan Railway / Izuhakone Railway Daiyuzan Line)
    • Phone Number 0460-83-6828

10.Owakudani

10.Owakudani

Owakudani was created by the eruption of Mt. Kamiyama about 3,000 years ago. It is an active volcano that still emits 100°C sulphurous gas and vapour. You can feel the force of nature from the rough rocks that give off white smoke and a sulfurous smell. Here, 1,040 meters above sea level, you have a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji and Japan's North Alps, and on a clear day, of Yokohama's Landmark Tower and Rainbow Bridge. Taking the Hakone Ropeway gives you a view of Owakudani itself. A specialty of Owakudani is eggs with a deep black shell, made by the chemical reaction of geothermal heat and volcanic gas. Access Owakudani by Izu Hakone Bus from Odawara Station on the JR and Odakyu Lines, or from Hakone Yumoto Station. From Gora Station, take the Hakone Tozan Cablecar or Hakone Ropeway.

  • Owakudani
    • Address 1251, Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, 250-0631
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Gora Station (Hakone Tozan Railway / Hakone Tozan Cable Car)
    • Phone Number 0460-84-5201
*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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