Old Tokaido and Hakone Checkpoint

What to know

During the feudal Edo Period, Hakone served as a vital checkpoint on the Tokaido (東海道, Tōkaidō), the main highway connecting Tokyo and Kyoto. Because of the mountainous terrain and lack of alternative routes, it was especially important for controlling the movement of people and goods into and out of Tokyo.

Today, a short, cedar-lined stretch of the old Tokaido and a reconstruction of the Hakone Checkpoint (箱根関所, Hakone Sekisho) lie between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi along the shore of Lake Ashinoko.

Completed in 2007 after three years of construction, the Hakone Checkpoint has been faithfully rebuilt to its original appearance, complete with gates, fences, officers' quarters, barracks, a prison chamber, and a lookout tower. Nearby, the Hakone Sekisho Shiryokan museum displays various related artifacts.

For a longer walk, you can follow the old Tokaido (also called Kyu-kaido, 旧街道) from Moto-Hakone to Hakone-Yumoto. Some original stone pavement remains, and the best-preserved section runs from Moto-Hakone to Hatajuku (75–100 minutes), passing the Amasake Chaya, a teahouse serving amazake (a warm, sweet, low-alcohol rice drink) and Japanese snacks.

Just past the Amasake Chaya, a small free museum features life-size reconstructions explaining the purpose of the road and life along the journey to Tokyo. From Hatajuku to Hakone-Yumoto (90–120 minutes), the trail follows a road that is less scenic and less pleasant due to traffic and lack of sidewalks.

The Hakone Checkpoint is a short walk from the Hakone-machi boat pier and bus stop. Hakone Tozan Bus runs line H between Hakone-Yumoto Station and Hakone-machi (40 minutes, 1210 yen, 4–5 buses per hour, covered by the Hakone Free Pass).