Hakone / Yugawara / Odawara

Top Things to do

• Hakone-jinja Shrine

  Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Motohakone 80-1

  Since ancient times, this shrine has been patronized by generations of military commanders who came to pray for the earnest realization of their wishes during battle. This shrine is said to be one of the best power spots in the Kanto region where one can “conquer a state when Hakone has your back”. The deity of love, Kuzuryu’s newly constructed shrine is also next to Hakone Shrine. Get off the Izu Hakone bus at “Moto-Hakone” or otherwise get off the Hakone Tosan bus at “Moto-Hakone Port” and the temple is a 10- minute walk away.

• Odawara Castle Park

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  228 Reviews

  Kanagawa Odawara-shi Jonai Chinai

  Odawara Castle is believed to have first been built in the mid-15th century when the Omori clan advanced into the Odawara region. The present site of Odawara Castle is designated as a National Historic Site, including most of honmaru main compound and ninomaru secondary compound and part of the outer castle enclosure. It's now administered as a castle park centered on the honmaru for the enjoyment of history and castle lovers.

• Lake Ashi

  Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture Hakone-machi

  This is a dammed lake of Mt. Hakone, and the largest lake in Kanagawa Prefecture, which has a view of Mt. Fuji. It is a mysteriously beautiful lake which has blue water to the extent that Ryotaro Shiba extolled it by writing “The colour of the clothing of the God that created Hakone”. Again, it is also famous as a fishing spot where you can enjoy rainbow trout and bass fishing such as black bass fishing and Japanese pond smelt fishing.

• Suzuhiro Kamaboko Museum

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  154 Reviews

  Kanagawa Pref. Odawarashi Kazamatsuri 245 Suzumiya inside Kamaboko

  This hands-on workshop facility is in Kazamatsuri, Odawara City. Each floor is divided into themes such as tradition and technique and food and chemistry. Guests can observe the manufacturing process and try their hands at making kamaboko and chikuwa fish cakes. On the second floor there is also a permanent gallery of work from their International Small Art Exhibition, Suzuhiro Kamaboko Board Painting Contest Besides kamaboko, original souvenirs are also for sale.

• The Hakone Open-Air Museum

  Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Ninotaira 1121

  This was Japan’s first open-air Museum which was founded in 1969. Located on the grounds of a 70,000 meters squared premises with Hakone’s nature as a backdrop, the museum has a permanent display of approximately 120 masterpieces by modern and contemporary sculptors. Such large scale works of art couldn’t be displayed but for the outdoor space; there are also works of art which children can enter and play in, and you can touch the pieces of art as much as you want. At the Picasso Pavilion, there is the world’s top collection of 300 plus works which are open to the public. The hot spring foot bath which flows from the source is also popular. Alight at the Hakone Tozan Railway at Chokoku-no-Mori Station, from which it is a two-minute walk to the museum.

• Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Inn

  Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Ninotaira 1297

  It is an all-weather hot spring theme park located in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture. In the amusement zone where you can have fun with your bathing suits on, there is a collection of unique baths which can be enjoyed by both adults and children such as the “Gods’ Aegean Sea” and the “Authentic Coffee bath”. In the open-air bath “Mori no Yu” which brims with Japanese style, you can melt into the magnificent nature of Hakone in the open-air baths and you can relax comfortably in the bath where the walls, floor and ceiling are clad in Hinoki cypress. Coming for a day trip is of course possible, but as there are also four official hotels it is also feasible to stay.

• Anest Iwata Turnpike Hakone

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  55 Reviews

  Kanagawa Pref. Odawarashi Hayakawa 2-22-1

  This toll road extends from Odawara City to Yugawara Town via Hakone City. It runs along mountain ridges and there are great views of Mt. Fuji on clear days. The Anest Iwata Sky Lounge is at the end of the Hakone Odawara Main Line on the summit of Mt. Daikan; relax there in comfort while taking in the scenery spreading 360 degrees around you.

• Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato

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  51 Reviews

  Kanagawa Pref. Odawarashi Kazamatsuri 245

  A theme park dedicated to kamaboko steamed fish paste operated by Suzuhiro, a kamaboko shop of long-standing located in Odawara. The park is filled with things to see and do. There’s a museum which introduces the history of kamaboko; classes which teach how to make kamaboko by hand (advance reservation required); a market where souvenirs such as kamaboko, dried foods, and fried delicacies are sold; and a bar where visitors can eat and compare kamaboko made according to different methods. The restaurant and all-you-can-eat buffet, serving the unique delights of Odawara, are also popular.

• Himono Yamayasu (Hakone turnpike Branch)

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  58 Reviews

  Kanagawa Pref. Odawarashi Hayakawa 3-7-1

  A factory direct shop selling dried fish products located in Hayakawa, Odawara City. The tasty dried fish sold here are made in the shop's parent factory using fresh, local fish caught in the waters off of Odawara and Shizuoka. Located next to the entrance/exit of the Anest Iwata Turnpike Hakone driving course, the shop serves as a souvenir stand and rest stop for drivers and tourists. Visitors can sample the shop's dried fish at the front of the shop as well as in the rest area.