Hakone is a town located in the spectacular Fuji Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan. It encompasses about 92 square miles and is home to about 14,000 residents. It is also a very popular place for people to visit when they are traveling in Japan.
The area offers natural beauty and incredible scenery for visitors to take in in Asia while backpacking.
These are some of the best places to visit when traveling to Hakone.
1. Lake Ashinoka
A trip on this lake with Mount Fuji in the background is difficult to describe. The wonder of nature is displayed at its best in this picturesque setting. There are two boat companies that offer tours on the lake from the northern side or from the southern side. The torus last around 30 minutes and there is a charge for the tour. This lake that works with Mount Fuji is an iconic picture of the natural beauty that can be found in Japan.
2. Hakone Hot Springs
The Owakudani, Sengokuhara is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs in Hakone. These hot springs were created over 3,000 years ago due a volcano eruption and are one of the top attractions to see in Hakone. The public bath houses allow visitors to enjoy the relaxing comfort and healing qualities of the natural hot springs. There are many different baths and hot springs to choose from and a map of the area can help you choose which ones to use. The baths do charge for admission and all of them offer a variety of amenities including hot springs that have hotel accommodations as well.
3. Open Air Museum
When most people think about spending a day in a museum they imagine walking around inside a building as they look at the works of art. This museum will change that way of thinking. The works of art are spread around the spacious grounds. Visitors can enjoy the amazing works of art with the beautiful natural scenery in the background. It is a unique experience that helps people appreciate art in a new way. Although the outdoor artwork is amazing, visitors can also see other works of art in more traditional buildings.
4. Botanical Garden
The area is well known for its natural beauty and the Botanical Garden offers its visitors a great way to see what the area has to offer. The park was opened in 1976. It is designed to preserve the marsh and alpine plants that are native to japan while allowing visitors to see what they look like. Paths allow visitors to leisurely walk around the gardens and to explore at their own pace. The park can be reached by buses that run regularly and leave people off about a 5 minute walk away from the gardens.
5. Pola Museum
This museum was built in 2002 to show off eat collection of the owner of the POLA group, Suzuki Tsuneshi. It features many examples of modern art and was built in the middle of a 300 acre forest. Much of the building is underground so that the environment above ground is not disturbed. The museum rotates the exhibits on a regular basis for its visitors. A short bus ride will allow visitors to get to the museum.
If you plan to travel in the Far East, and will likely be staying in Tokyo, I really recommend Hake. as a place to add to your Japan travel itinerary. Hakone is located only an hour and a half away from Tokyo and lots of companies offer day trips. View more recommendations on my Japan travel guide.
