One-day trip from Tokyo – Hakone

(© Odakyu Railway)

Hakone doesn’t need a big plan. About an hour and a half from Shinjuku, it’s the kind of day where the getting-there is half the point and the rest sort of falls into place once you’re up in the mountains.

Getting there
The Odakyu Romancecar leaves from Shinjuku and drops you in Hakone-Yumoto around 80 minutes later, no transfers needed. If you’re planning to move around a lot once you’re there, the Hakone Freepass covers the round trip plus unlimited rides on the local trains, cable car, ropeway and buses, worth grabbing before you go.

The volcano stop that’s worth the ropeway ride
Owakudani is the first thing that sticks with you, a valley still actively venting steam, with a smell of sulfur that hits you before the view does. It’s not a quiet, pretty kind of scenery, more raw and a little strange, which is exactly what makes it worth the detour up.

(© Get Your Guide)

Lunch: Yubadon Naokichi
Tofu doesn’t sound like the most exciting lunch, until you’ve had yuba here. It’s the skin that forms on top of simmering soy milk, served over rice as yubadon, delicate, a little unexpected, and a good reason on its own to plan lunch around this spot.

Slowing down at Amasake Chaya
An old tea house along the Old Tokaido Road, the kind of place that makes you want to sit for longer than you planned. The amasake — a sweet, barely-alcoholic drink made from fermented rice is the thing to order.

(© Japanese National Toursim Organization)

The torii that looks like it’s floating
By the lake, Hakone Shrine’s torii gate seems to rise straight out of the water. It’s one of those spots that photos don’t quite do justice to better in person, especially with the lake as a backdrop and, on clear days, Fuji somewhere behind it all.

Getting back
The Romancecar again, this time back to Shinjuku an easy way to close out a day that felt much further from Tokyo than it actually was.

If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping away from Tokyo for a day and discovering a quieter side of Japan, now is the time to take the first step. Contact us today to learn more about our programs and take the first step toward your new life in Japan!