Hakone
Hot springs that frame a view of Mount Fuji define Hakone, a spa town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The town lies on the eastern side of the historic Hakone Pass and falls largely within the volcanically active Fuji‑Hakone‑Izu National Park. With a population of just under 11,000, Hakone combines natural scenery with a legacy of travel and pilgrimage.
Set among mountains, Hakone surrounds the caldera lake known as Lake Ashi, whose surface reflects the iconic peak on clear days. The climate is humid subtropical, delivering warm summers that average 24 °C and cool winters that dip to about 3 °C, while September brings the greatest rainfall. Visitors can stroll along the lake’s shoreline, ride the pirate‑styled sightseeing boats, and pause at the torii‑gate‑framed Hakone Shrine that clings to its northern shore.
The town’s history is traced through the Hakone Gongen shrine, praised in Heian‑era literature and visited by Minamoto no Yoritomo after his defeat at Ishibashiyama. During the Edo period Hakone‑juku served as a post station on the Tōkaidō, and the Hakone Checkpoint inspected travelers’ permits and baggage as they entered the Kantō region. An imperial villa once stood near the lake, marking the area’s evolution into a summer resort for Tokyo’s elite in the Meiji era.
Today, the Hakone Resort Complex offers hot‑spring baths that overlook Mount Fuji, while the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands showcases native flora and the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum displays European glass art. The combination of onsen views, historic shrines, and the lake‑front setting makes Hakone’s Mount Fuji backdrop a uniquely memorable experience.
Where to stay in Hakone
From boutique lodges to luxury resorts, every Hakone accommodation is hand-picked by our local insiders for location, comfort, and character.
Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora by IHG
Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora by IHG connects directly to the area's thermal waters, running its hot spring baths daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. This 100-room hotel sits in the Gora district of Hakone, Japan. Free train station pick-up services mean visiting requires no car, and clothing is optional throughout the grounds.
Insider-led Japan Design & Concierge
Your insider team designs the trip around what you care about, then supports you in-country with private logistics, vetted partners, and concierge help when plans change.
