Owakudani

What to know

Owakudani (大涌谷, Ōwakudani) is the area around a crater created during the last eruption of Mount Hakone some 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced. Additionally, Owakudani has good views of Mount Fuji on clear days.

Eggs cooked in Owakudani's hot spring pools with their shells blackened by the sulfur are on sale at shops in the area, and eating one is said to prolong one's life by seven years.

A short walking trail leads from the ropeway station into the volcanic zone to a number of steam vents and bubbling pools. The walk takes around 30 minutes in total. Admission to the trail requires advance reservations and costs 800 yen.

For the more adventurous, a hiking trail leads from the ropeway station to the peak of Mount Kamiyama and continues on to Mount Komagatake (these hiking trails are currently closed due to potential volcanic activity) from where you can catch the Komagatake Ropeway down to Lake Ashinoko. The hike takes about 2 hours one way and can be rocky or slippery as well as quite windy. Proper hiking shoes and rain gear are recommended.

Alternatively, about 30 minutes past the peak of Mount Kamiyama a trail splits off down towards Lake Ashinoko. It leads down the mountain and along the lake shore, ending at Kojiri not far from Togendai, from where the Hakone Ropeway connects back to Owakudani. The round trip takes about 4.5 hours.

Owakudani is a station along the Hakone Ropeway between Sounzan and Togendai. Sounzan is accessible from Hakone-Yumoto by Hakone Tozan Railway and cablecar with a transfer at Gora Station. Togendai is on the shores of Lake Ashinoko and is connected by boat with Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.