Excursion and Short Trip

The excursion is scheduled in the afternoon of Dec. 4. We will visit Hakone Lake to enjoy the scenery, Hakone Sekisho (checkpoint) to experience the history and Hakone Shrine to come in contact with the local culture and religion.

 

Lake Ashi, lying in front of the hotel, was formed 3000 years ago by the volcano’s eruption. There is an ancient folklore saying that a nine-headed dragon (Kuzuryu) used to live in the lake, demanding sacrifice from villagers. The dragon was calmed by a priest called Mangan (named for his reading of a 1000 Buddhist sutras, not from the element Mn) and swore to protect Hakone area and people. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, you can enjoy great scenery of the lake. The most beautiful sight, only seen on a calm day, is the inverted image of Mt. Fuji projected on the surface of the lake.

The boat cruise will take us from the port in front of the hotel to the round trip in the southern part of the lake. On the boat, you can take photographs with Mt. Fuji in the background. You can also see the Hakone Checkpoint and the Hakone Shrine Torii (Gate) of Peace from the boat. We plan to get off at two ports for visiting the historical and religious sites listed below. The whole tour will take about 2.5 hours. If you prefer a short course just on boat, you do not have to get off. The boat will take you back to the original port in about 40 minutes.

 

 

From ancient times, Japanese people have believed that gods exist in everything. They worshiped mountains, trees, rocks and stones. Origin of the religion around Hakone area dates back to 2400 years ago. A priest called Shosen started to pray to the highest peak of Mt. Hakone, Kamiyama peak (God’s mountain), from Komagatake peak (can easily be accessed from the hotel by Hakone Komagatake Ropeway). The original shrine was founded in 757 by Priest Mangan, who tried to “fuse” Japanese ancient religions and Buddhism by the order of the Imperial Court.

Hakone Shrine is famous as a place to pray for victory. In the 12th century, a military commander, Minamoto no Yoritomo, sought guidance and shelter from the head of shrine during his escape with only six retainers after losing in his first battle. Yoritomo finally won the war, became the first Shogun (military dictator) of Kamakura shogunate and protected the shrine as a patron. The shrine has been greatly worshipped from many military commanders and samurai since then. It also attracted people travelling between Edo and western part of Japan to pray for a safe trip.

The current buildings of the shrine were constructed in 1667 along the shores of Lake Ashi. They are nestled in the deep forest, filled with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Even today, a lot of people visit the shrine to pray for a success, a safe trip, a good match, and for an easy delivery of a baby.

 

 

Founded in 1619 (exactly 400 years ago and a bit older than the periodic table), Hakone Sekisho used to play an important role as one of the largest checkpoints placed at 53 points surrounding Edo (former name of Tokyo). The main purpose of them is to control “incoming guns and outgoing women”.

From the 17th to 19th centuries, Japan was governed by Tokugawa Shogunate (samurai government), which tried to prevent rebellion by feudal lords by keeping their wives and children in Edo and also by keeping weapons away. Hakone was the ideal location to place the checkpoint because it is at the gateway of Edo to the western part of Japan including the imperial capital Kyoto. Hakone also had an advantage of having the most precipitous mountains in the country which made it difficult to find a bypass route. Due to such a solid control system, the Edo period continued stably for an unprecedentedly long term of more than 250 years without any serious civil war until Japan opened its door to the world again.

 

You can enjoy short trips after the lunches on Dec. 2 and 3. Several sightseeing spots near the hotel are shown as below. Further information will be provided at the registration desk.

The history of Komagatake peak dates back to 2400 years ago, when the mountain worship was started by Priest Shosen (see the section of “Hakone Shrine” above). The peak can be easily accessed by a ropeway which departs from the station right next to the hotel. It will take you close to the summit of the peak in 7 minutes (round-trip fee: 800 yen, interval: 20 minutes). There is an observation deck near the peak station, which offers panoramic views of Suruga Bay, South Alps, Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi, Hakone Town, etc. If you happen across a December’s clear sky, please do not miss the spectacular scenery from the peak. You can also visit Hakone Mototsumiya Shrine (origin of Hakone Shrine) by a few minutes’ walk from the peak station. Please dress warmly since it will be windy there.

 

 

As mentioned in “Lake Ashi”, a nine-headed dragon used to live in the lake. It was calmed by Priest Mangan and tied to a tree rooted on the bottom of the lake. The dragon made an oath not to bother the villagers but to protect them instead. Since then, the dragon has been enshrined as a god in Hakone Kuzuryu Shrine. The place should be safe and quiet now since the dragon god does not request human sacrifice anymore (only the rice boiled with red beans, he needs). The shrine is in a park called “Kuzuryu no Mori Park”. It is located along the shore of Lake Ashi, 25 minutes’ walk from the hotel. The admission fee is 500 yen.

 

You can enjoy Japanese-style nice hot springs and spa in the hotel. If you prefer a more relaxing place away from the hotel, we recommend you to visit a newly established daytrip spot “Ryuguden Honkan” just next to the hotel. There is a bath overlooking both Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji. The building has an history as a part of a Japanese traditional inn for more than 70 years, and is listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It was renovated in 2017 keeping the original atmosphere.

Hakone is surrounded by deep forests and is famous for various types of woodworks. The best-known item is Hakone marquetry (mosaic), “yosegi zaiku” in Japanese, which is made by assembling a lot of small wooden pieces with different colors. Among these products, the “puzzle box” might attract your interest. It looks like an ordinary box, but cannot be opened easily. You need to slide some parts on the surface of the box, one by one in a predetermined order. It would be a good souvenir for your children. Another product recommended is a “Hakone nested wooden doll”. It is interesting to find Japanese dolls similar to Matryoshka in Russia. There would be some chances to purchase those products in the hotel and also in the souvenir shops. If you are particularly interested in them, please contact LOC beforehand.

 

Information on traffic restrictions is provided below. It will be updated as needed [latest update: Oct. 16].
1. Due to the recent situation of volcano activity, access to areas around the crater “Owakudani” is currently restricted. You cannot come close to the crater neither by car nor by ropeway. The Hakone Ropeway service is not available for the section from Sounzan Station to Ubako Station.
2. Due to the attack of a huge typhoon, Hakone Tozan Train service is not available for the section from Hakone-Yumoto Station to Gora Station.