Hakone: my new favourite onsen town

Hakone is an onsen town in Kanagawa prefecture that I’ve wanted to visit ever since I discovered my love for onsens. Historically, it was used as a checkpoint for travellers along the road which linked Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. 

It was known for being one of the strictest checkpoints used by the Tokugawa government at the time, employing “hitomi-onna” who specialised in spotting feminine features, to prevent wives and children (disguised as men) from escaping their lives as hostages to feudal lords.

Some parts of this old route still exist, and while you can walk it, our trip was focused on being a relaxing retreat in the middle of the school semester. There is a recommended route for travellers visiting Hakone for a short time – aiming to do a loop around the most famous spots - but Haruka and I decided that we’d much rather do things at our own pace.

 

We’d chosen a long weekend in February, meaning it was risky, but we trusted in Japanese people to be working on Saturday and headed up nice and early to miss the wave. We rode the Odakyu Romance car from near Haruka’s family home, and began our first day by heading to Owakudani.

We began our journey on the Tozan railway, the only mountain railway in Japan. As it’s such a steep incline, there are switchbacks starting halfway up the mountain allowing the train to change direction, which is a unique experience in itself. However, during that journey, the light flurry of snow turned into thick fog by the time we’d reached Gora and were about to ride the cable car up to the caldera.

 

Quote: “Owakudani has good views of Mt. Fuji on clear days”. The audio commentary whilst riding the ropeway was amusing to say the least; hearing about the beautiful views of Fuji in the distance, despite only seeing crisp white outside the windows. Thankfully, just as we reached the crater, the fog cleared slightly so we were able to see a glimpse of the sulphur fields we’d came for. 

The famous “kuro-tamago”, or black egg boiled in the nearby hot spring, is said to increase your life by seven years after eating one. However, we decided to try egg flavoured soft cream, despite the fact the wind at this point was blowing the snow sideways. That was a nice surprise, and I don’t know why we both thought it would be savoury, but it tasted exactly like Ambrosia custard in soft cream form.

We could have carried on for the second part of the ropeway towards Lake Ashi, but we decided to head there the next day, in the hopes the weather would get better and I’d bag some Mt Fuji snaps. Instead, we headed to a nearby onsen and done what we’d gone to Hakone to do. 

After the onsen, despite attempting to force our way into a fully reserved yakitori restaurant, we settled on something from the only convenience store in a 10 mile radius. Slight exaggeration, but it felt like it at the time, but all was well when we headed back to the hostel, befriended some Chiba boys during our expensive cup ramen dinner, and spent the evening drinking cheap sake together.

The next morning started with breakfast at the most adorable café near the station, and a horrifically nauseous journey to Hakone Shrine. Before you say it, it wasn’t hangover induced, I get very badly car sick. Granted the sake stomach didn’t help, so fair warning to anyone in the same boat as me… be prepared for the worst bus journey of your life and the prospect of having to almost vomit into Lake Ashi upon arrival. 

Hakone Shrine is famous for having its tori gate sat in the water of Lake Ashi. It’s similar to the more famous Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima, however in Hakone you are able to walk out easily to the gate from land. 

Hundreds of people were lining up to take photos under the gate, and it seemed like a well-rehearsed affair, with the assumption that the person behind would be your photographer. All was going well until it was almost our turn, when some idiots in paddle boats decided to get right the background of the photo op. 

Thank god they moved, because I was most definitely not in the mood to be dealing with a swan boat in my patiently-awaited shrine picture.

Once we ate lunch and experienced round two of the deathly bus journey in a peachier mood, we headed back to get some last minute souvenirs and Hakone pudding. The streets near to the train station are lined with numerous craft stores, selling the local wooden craft of yosegi zaiku and stalls selling my favourite winter snack, onsen manju. 

I’d love to go back again, especially when the Tozan train route is surrounded by blooming hydrangeas. Next time, I’m hoping to visit a different hot spring, visit craft houses, and venture into some traditional tea houses hidden along the old road. The less we talk about Mt. Fuji the better. At this rate I’m never going to see the bloody thing properly until I climb it.