Welcome to Hakone!
POINTS OF INTEREST:
Ashino-ko, Cryptomeria Avenue, Onsen, Owakudani, Flora and Fauna, and Hakone in Print

FESTIVALS IN KAMAJURA:
Kosui Matsuri (July 31) is a summer festival centered around Hakone’s Lake Ashino-ko.

Attracting more than 19 million tourists each year, Hakone is located about 50 miles west of Tokyo and is part of the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. Set against a backdrop of Mt.Fuji, Hakone is famous for its scenery, hot springs, and hiking and boating opportunities. The Hakone Mountains are a composite volcano which includes Mt. Kamiyama, Mt. Komagadake and Mt. Hakone with the crater lake of Ashino-ko at its center. The lake was formed about 3000 years ago when the last volcanic eruption of Mt. Hakone created a landslide which blocked the Hayakawa River and formed the lake.

Hakone occupies a very important part of Japanese history since it is located along the nation’s first major road, the Tokkaido, connecting Kyoto in the west with Tokyo in the east. In 1590, Muromachi period shogun Hideyoshi Toyotomi based his troops in Hakone in order to conquer Odawara – the center of power of the Kanto region. It was here that he orchestrated one of the nation’s most renowned tea ceremonies. With the tea ceremony master Sennorikyu presiding, such historical luminaries as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Date Masamune attended the event. In 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun and moved the nation’s capital from Kyoto to Tokyo. While feudal lords were allowed to remain in their respective domains nationwide, their wives and families were forced to live in Tokyo in order to discourage potential insurgencies. The lords made annual trips to the capital and most did so along the Tokkaido passing through Hakone where the journey’s steepest pass was to be found. In 1619, the Hakone Checkpoint was established along the Tokkaido, where travelers passing between eastern and western Japan were routinely screened by the military before being allowed to pass. The Hakone Checkpoint remained in place until 1819 and was restored as an historical site in 1965.



ASHINO-KO
Ashino-ko Lake is a slender lake located within the Hakone caldera. It is 12.5 miles in circumference and offers spectacular views of Mt.Fuji through the pine forest along the southern shore of the lake. Visitors enjoy boating and cruising as well as fishing in the lake, which is abundant in smelt, trout and black bass.




CRYPTOMERIA AVENUE
One of Hakone’s popular attractions is a 1.2 mile stroll along a cedar tree (sugi) lined trail connecting Moto-Hakone and Hakone-Machi. Originally planted in 1618 to provide shade to travelers along the Tokkaido, the trees have grown to heights greater than 75 feet. Although no one knows for sure how many trees were originally planted, today more than 400 remain.



ONSEN – Hot Springs
Located in the volcanic region of Fuji Hakone Izu National Park, Hakone is home to numerous hot springs (onsen) both of the indoor and the open-air variety. One of Hakone’s oldest establishments is the guest house and hot spring resort of Fukuzumi-ro Ryokan. Established in 1890, it was frequented by numerous 20th century Japanese luminaries and is still a popular destination. In addition to the traditional Japanese-style onsen, Hakone also offers a number of water theme parks designed for the whole family to enjoy.


OWAKUDANI
Owakudani, or ‘valley of greater boiling’ is the area surrounding the crater which was formed when Mt. Hakone erupted some 3000 years ago. Walkways guide the visitor past volcanic hot springs, rivers and sulfurous fumaroles.

FLORA AND FAUNA
As part of the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park, Hakone offers numerous opportunities for appreciating spectacular scenery and wildlife. Hakone’s town bird is the woodpecker and since the area is home to a wide variety of birds, it is a popular destination for birdwatchers. The town flower is the Hakone Rose which grows in abundance at the foot of the mountains. The town tree, the Mountain Cherry Blossom, creates a classic Japanese scene with Mt. Fuji in the background

HAKONE IN PRINT
Two Edo period artists, Katsushika Hokusai (1790-1849) and Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) immortalized Hakone in their woodblock prints
Ukiyo-e. Hokusai’s series, ‘Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji’ (circa 1826-33) included perspectives of Mt. Fuji from both Ashino-ko and the Hakone Mountains. Hiroshige’s series ‘Fifty-three Stations of the Tokkaido’ (1833) captured daily life along the Tokkaido, including travel scenes from the Hakone stretch of this great ancient road.

JapanCorner 2005