Hakone City Guide

Hakone is one of the most important towns in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan which is again a part of the Ashigarashimo district located at the far end on the eastern foothills of the Hakone pass. On its western side the town is in close proximity to Mt. Fuji and Tokyo. The historical Ashigara checkpoint is today's Hakone checkpoint through which the famous Tokaido road travels into the Kanto region. The present developed town of Hakone was once touted to become the new capital of Japan and with this aim the government of Japan proceeded to develop the town and renamed it Tokyo-3. Being the storehouse of numerous hot springs Hakone, today, has become more popular as a tourist center and houses some wonderful resorts.

Hakone's most popular attraction is the annual procession of Hakone Ekiden which commemorates the building of the Tokaido road . The carnival lasts for over 2 days and is a major festival to take place in Japan. Odawara and Mishima lie very close to Hakone and the place can be reached fastest through the Odakyu Odawara line, this route can further take tourists directly into the various resort towns in Hakone.

The town has a pleasant climate year round but the most suitable seasons for tourists are autumn and early summer when beautiful flora and fauna grow in abundance throughout the town.

Hakone, although an important town, is but small in area and hence, the population of the place is not in abundance. The small population is also owing to the fact that the place is originally a tourist destination and local people are not much in number. The census of 2003 recorded the population of the place to be at 14,872 where the average density of persons per square kilometer scaled at 160.22 persons per square km. Hakone has a total area of 92.82 square km.

Some of the more popular tourist destinations of Hakone apart from its hot springs are:

• Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
• Lake Ashi
• Great Boiling Valley
• Hakone Shrine
• Hakone Tozan Cable Car
• Hakone Open-Air Museum