Hotels in Hakone

Hakone: Volcanic Hot Springs and Fuji Views in Kanagawa

Hakone sits in Kanagawa Prefecture, roughly 80 km southwest of Tokyo, within the caldera of an ancient volcanic system. The town anchors the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, established in 1936, and draws visitors primarily for its open-air hot spring baths — onsen fed by geothermal vents across the Owakudani sulfuric valley. On clear days, Mount Fuji (3,776 m) fills the northwestern horizon from the shores of Lake Ashi, a crater lake formed around 3,000 years ago.

Where to Stay

Accommodation clusters in three zones: Yumoto at the valley entrance, the mid-mountain Miyanoshita strip (home to the 1878-founded Fujiya Hotel, Japan's oldest Western-style resort), and lakeside Hakone-en near Moto-Hakone. Traditional ryokan with private outdoor baths dominate the upper elevations. Hotels-world.net lists 30–50 properties across these zones, from budget guesthouses to full kaiseki-dinner inns.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: The Romancecar express from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in 85 minutes.
• Getting around: The Hakone Freepass covers the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, and Lake Ashi ferry for two or three days.
• Best visibility: Mount Fuji views are clearest October through February in morning hours before cloud cover builds.
• Packing: Pack a light layer for evenings — temperatures drop sharply above 700 m elevation year-round.