Places in Hakone
Hakone’s hot springs sit among wooded slopes, art museums and villages linked by mountain railway, cable car and boat. Gora is convenient for bathing and sculpture gardens, while Sengokuhara offers quieter forest stays and museums. Around Lake Ashi, cedar-lined paths lead to shrines and reminders of the old Tokaido road. Stay overnight to enjoy a ryokan dinner and a private soak, and keep plans flexible: Mount Fuji views and ropeway journeys depend on the weather.
The Fujiya
Miyanoshita, Japan
The Fujiya’s main dining room makes an occasion of a meal before the first course arrives. Painted ceiling panels and elaborate carving frame a room that has welcomed diners since 1930. The cooking follows the hotel’s French tradition, with the formality and measured service to match. Book it for a leisurely lunch or dinner when the setting matters as much as the food, and check the current menu before reserving.
A grand French dining room
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Ninotaira, Japan
Sculpture spreads across the lawns and slopes of this outdoor museum, with Hakone’s mountains forming part of the setting. Walk between large modern works, then step inside the Picasso Pavilion or climb the stained-glass Symphonic Sculpture when open. The changing light and seasons make the grounds as interesting as the indoor displays. Allow time for a slow circuit, wear comfortable shoes and check individual installation closures before visiting.
Sculpture in a mountain landscape
Gora Kadan
Gora, Japan
Gora Kadan brings the measured rituals of a ryokan to a particularly polished setting. Its grounds occupy a former imperial retreat, while the accommodation combines Japanese materials with contemporary comfort. Seasonal kaiseki and hot-spring bathing give a stay its rhythm. Room styles vary considerably, from tatami accommodation to suites with private outdoor baths, so choose the layout and bathing arrangements that suit you before reserving.
Traditional hospitality with contemporary comfort
ESPACIO The Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu
Miyanoshita, Japan
A private cable-car descent into the Hayakawa valley makes arriving at ESPACIO feel unusually removed from the road above. Nine villas sit among forest and river scenery, with interiors that draw on lacquer, intricate woodwork and Japanese paper. The appeal is privacy and the opportunity to spend time with those details. Compare individual villas carefully: layouts, bathing spaces and additional facilities differ, and the hotel is best enjoyed at an unhurried pace.
Secluded villas and Japanese craftsmanship
Pola Museum of Art
Sengokuhara, Japan
Much of the Pola Museum sits below ground, allowing its glass entrance and surrounding woodland to remain the first impression. Inside, rotating displays draw on a collection of Japanese and European art, including Impressionist paintings, sculpture and decorative objects. Check the exhibition programme rather than expecting every celebrated work to be on view. It is a rewarding choice for a rainy afternoon, with the architecture and forest setting giving the visit an additional dimension.
European and Japanese art in a forest setting
The Hiramatsu Sengokuhara Restaurant
Sengokuhara, Japan
Italian cooking is the focus of the restaurant at Hiramatsu’s small Sengokuhara hotel. Seasonal ingredients shape the courses, while the two dining rooms offer different settings: one looks towards water and trees, the other displays works of art. Wine and non-alcoholic pairings can accompany the meal. Dinner is also available to visitors staying elsewhere, making this a useful choice for a planned evening out; reserve ahead and arrange the journey back to your accommodation.
Italian tasting menus in a quiet hotel
Owakudani and the Hakone Ropeway
Owakudani, Japan
The ropeway passes above pale volcanic slopes and rising steam, offering one of Hakone’s most dramatic views. At Owakudani, viewpoints reveal the active landscape that supplies the area’s hot springs, and clear weather may bring Mount Fuji into sight. The famous black eggs are a local curiosity, coloured by the spring water in which they are cooked. Check operating conditions and the operator’s volcanic-gas guidance before travelling; access can change with conditions.
Volcanic scenery from above
Kaiseki KADAN
Gora, Japan
Kaiseki KADAN serves seasonal Japanese courses in the former Western-style villa within Gora Kadan’s grounds. The setting gives a meal a different character from dining inside a modern ryokan, with a sequence of carefully arranged dishes that changes through the year. It is open for lunch and dinner to visitors as well as hotel guests. Book a table in advance and discuss dietary needs directly, since the available vegetarian course does not cover every dietary requirement.
Seasonal Japanese dining in a former imperial villa
FUFU Hakone
Gora, Japan
FUFU gives the hot-spring retreat a contemporary look, with warm materials, comfortable furnishings and the intimacy of a small resort. Bathing is central to the stay, with private room baths complemented by communal facilities that draw on a different spring. Seasonal Japanese dining rounds out the experience. It suits travellers who want the pleasures of a ryokan with modern interiors; check the individual room plan and included meals when booking.
A contemporary hot-spring retreat
Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise
Lake Ashi, Japan
A cruise puts Hakone’s wooded slopes, lakeside settlements and red shrine gate into a single view. The sightseeing boats connect Togendai, Motohakone and Hakonemachi, so the journey can also link different parts of your day. Mount Fuji appears only when the weather cooperates, but the lake remains attractive under cloud. Check the sailing timetable and return connection before boarding, and bring a layer if you plan to stay on an outside deck.
Mountain and lakeshore views
Mori-meshi Miyanoshita
Miyanoshita, Japan
Mori-meshi offers a relaxed alternative to the formal dining rooms of Hakone’s hotels. Its Miyanoshita branch sits near the station, with a warm wooden interior and Japanese cooking built around local ingredients. Fish, vegetables and a sake list give a meal plenty of scope without requiring a long tasting menu. Choose it for an informal lunch or evening with friends, and make sure you reserve the Miyanoshita branch rather than another restaurant with the same name.
Local ingredients and an informal sake dinner
The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara
Sengokuhara, Japan
Dinner is a central reason to stay at this small Sengokuhara hotel. The kitchen now follows an Italian direction, while the dining rooms offer either garden views or works of art to enjoy between courses. Every room has its own hot-spring bath, making it easy to alternate bathing with reading and leisurely meals. Choose it for a food-focused retreat, and compare the main building and residence accommodation before booking.
Italian dining and private spring baths
Takeyabu Hakone
Motohakone, Japan
Takeyabu takes soba seriously, from grinding the buckwheat to making the noodles by hand. Simple preparations let their texture and flavour stand out, while buckwheat dumplings and grilled miso offer reasons to order beyond a single bowl. The owner’s unusual decorative touches give the setting a character of its own. Go for a considered lunch, check opening arrangements before travelling, and do not assume that buckwheat noodles are suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Handmade soba and distinctive surroundings
Hakone Gora Karaku
Gora, Japan
Every guest room at Karaku has an outdoor hot-spring bath, giving even a short stay room for a private soak. Beyond the accommodation are larger bathing facilities, terraces and lounges that make the property feel more like a resort than a small inn. Rooms combine contemporary comfort with Japanese touches. Compare the east and west wings for their outlooks, and leave time to enjoy the hotel rather than filling every hour with sightseeing.
Private baths with resort facilities
Hakone Shrine
Motohakone, Japan
The red torii at the edge of Lake Ashi is the familiar image, but Hakone Shrine rewards a walk beyond the waterfront. Paths and steps lead through tall cedars to the main buildings, where dragon motifs recall the lake’s guardian legend. Allow time to explore the wooded precincts rather than making a single photograph the whole visit. This remains an active place of worship, so follow signs and keep entrances clear.
Cedar-lined paths and lakeside history
Hakone Honbako
Gora, Japan
Books fill the shelves and shared spaces at Honbako, a small hotel whose name means bookcase. The collection ranges from new titles to older volumes, and books can be bought to take home. Individually designed rooms each have a private outdoor hot-spring bath. Local ingredients shape the Italian cooking, with a kitchen tour adding interest to dinner. It is a particularly good choice for readers who want to spend an afternoon indoors without feeling they have missed anything.
Books, design and quiet afternoons
Restaurant Cascade
Miyanoshita, Japan
Cascade serves the Western-influenced Japanese cooking that has become part of Fujiya Hotel’s identity. Curry is a particular draw, with the hotel’s carefully prepared stock bringing depth to a familiar dish. The room recreates a historic banquet space, retaining stained glass and carved details that make lunch feel special without the full ceremony of the main French dining room. Choose it for classic hotel cooking and book ahead during busy travel periods.
Classic hotel curry and yoshoku
Old Tokaido Road and Hakone Checkpoint
Hakonemachi and Hatajuku, Japan
The restored Hakone Checkpoint helps explain why this mountain passage mattered to travellers moving between Edo and Kyoto. Combine its buildings and displays with a walk along the cedar-lined road beside the lake, or plan a longer outing on the old stone-paved route towards Hatajuku. These are different walks, so choose your section before setting out. Uneven paving can be slippery after rain; comfortable footwear and a checked return route are worthwhile.
Walking Hakone’s historic route
Tamura Ginkatsutei Main Restaurant
Gora, Japan
The dish to come for is tofu katsu-ni: tofu filled with minced pork, fried and then simmered with egg. The combination is softer and lighter in texture than a conventional pork cutlet, with a savoury broth bringing it together. Despite the name, it is not a vegetarian dish. The main restaurant is close to Gora station, making it a practical lunch stop; check the reservation or queue arrangements before arriving.
Gora’s distinctive tofu cutlet
Hakone Museum of Art and Shinsenkyo Garden
Gora, Japan
Ceramics and carefully composed gardens make this museum a quieter counterpoint to Hakone’s larger art attractions. The collection spans early earthenware and later Japanese ceramics, while Shinsenkyo brings together moss, stone, bamboo and maples. Autumn colour is a particular draw, though the garden changes throughout the year. Leave time for matcha and sweets at Shinwatei if available, and check the opening calendar before making the journey to Gora.
Moss gardens, ceramics and autumn colour
Matsuzakaya Honten
Ashinoyu, Japan
Matsuzakaya Honten offers the pleasure of an old inn rather than a uniformly modern resort. Timber, tatami, gardens and period details give its buildings character, while hot-spring bathing remains at the centre of the stay. The rooms vary in size and style, so choosing carefully matters here. It suits travellers drawn to traditional interiors and a quieter Ashinoyu setting, with time set aside for dinner, bathing and lingering over breakfast.
Historic ryokan atmosphere
Hakone Retreat Villa1/f
Sengokuhara, Japan
These detached villas make the most of Sengokuhara’s wooded setting, with natural materials, generous windows and private hot-spring bathing. They belong to a wider retreat with dining, a café and shared facilities, so seclusion need not mean staying entirely in your room. Choose the villa accommodation specifically when reserving, since the property also has a separate hotel called före. This is a good base for a quiet stay punctuated by visits to nearby museums.
Private woodland accommodation
Restaurant Emoa
Sengokuhara, Japan
Emoa brings a cheerful, informal French lunch to the grounds of the Lalique Museum. Large windows look towards the garden, while seasonal main courses can be paired with a deli and dessert buffet. Breakfast is another reason to visit, with egg dishes, croissants and local vegetables. The restaurant can be used without entering the museum. Individual tables are allocated on arrival, so allow some flexibility, especially at weekends. Arrive early for a quieter start.
A garden lunch and elaborate desserts
Okada Museum of Art
Kowakudani, Japan
Okada Museum offers a substantial indoor visit, with Japanese painting, East Asian ceramics and other decorative arts displayed across several floors. The exhibition programme changes, so check what is showing before you go. Outside, a wooded garden and a hot-spring footbath café provide a slower finish to the visit. Choose it when you want time with individual objects and room to explore, rather than trying to fit several museums into one afternoon.
Japanese and East Asian art
Gen Hakone Gora
Gora, Japan
Gen keeps much of the ryokan experience within your own accommodation. Each room has an outdoor hot-spring bath, and both dinner and breakfast are served privately, making it easy to settle in after a day around Hakone. Japanese meals draw on regional produce and seafood. Larger communal bathing facilities provide another option. Choose it when privacy matters more than a busy social scene, and discuss dietary requirements with the inn before arrival.
Private bathing and meals in your room
Caffè Terrazza Ukai
Sengokuhara, Japan
The café restaurant at Hakone’s Venetian Glass Museum offers a comfortable pause between the galleries and gardens. Seasonal pasta and other Western dishes make it suitable for lunch, while desserts work well with a later visit. Large windows and terrace seating draw the surrounding landscape into the experience, and scheduled live music adds to the atmosphere. Check museum admission and performance arrangements before visiting, and order food rather than drinks alone during the lunch period.
A relaxed museum lunch with live music
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field
Sengokuhara, Japan
A broad path climbs through the pampas grass on this Sengokuhara hillside, opening up views as you walk. Autumn brings the best-known display, when the grasses turn pale gold and silver; summer offers a greener landscape. The path returns the way it came, making this an easy stop to combine with nearby museums. Stay on the marked route, and check access around the seasonal controlled burn rather than expecting the same scene year-round.
A seasonal landscape walk
Amasake Chaya
Hatajuku, Japan
This thatched teahouse is a memorable stop along the old Tokaido road. Come for charcoal-grilled mochi and a cup of amazake, the naturally sweet, non-alcoholic drink made here from rice and rice koji. The low-lit interior, earthen floor and hearth give the building much of its appeal. It is a place for a snack and a rest rather than a full dinner, particularly rewarding before or after a walk on the historic route.
A historic tea and mochi stop
Hakone Yuryo
Tonosawa, Japan
Hakone Yuryo makes a hot-spring visit possible without booking a ryokan overnight. Choose between the larger public bathing facilities and a reservable private outdoor bath, with places to eat and rest extending the visit. A shuttle links the property with Hakone-Yumoto station. Private baths are particularly useful when you want your own space; check the room’s capacity, bathing rules and reservation window before booking, since public and private access are charged separately.
A private onsen without an overnight stay
Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa
Gora, Japan
Hyatt’s Gora resort is a comfortable choice for travellers who prefer a familiar hotel format. Spacious rooms, a spa and communal hot-spring baths make it easy to relax, while the accommodation includes both Western and Japanese-style options. The larger scale brings a different atmosphere from Hakone’s intimate inns. Compare room layouts before booking, particularly if travelling as a family, and allow time to enjoy the bathing facilities between museum visits.
Spacious rooms and international resort comfort