Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Period, mirrors, Noh masks, lacquerware, and samurai armor and weapons. The tower
affords a panoramic view of the surrounding park (which contains a free, small zoo). You
can see it all in less than 30 minutes. Admission is ¥400 for adults and ¥150 for children.
It's open daily from 9am to 5pm.
SCENIC RAILWAY TO GORA
At Hakone Yumoto Station, the end stop on the Odakyu train, transfer to the
Hakone
Tozan Railway,
in operation since 1919. This delightful, mountain-climbing, three-car
electric tram winds its way through forests and over streams and ravines as it travels
upward to Gora, making several switchbacks along the way. The entire trip from Hakone
Yumoto Station to Gora takes only 40 minutes, but the ride through the mountains is
beautiful, and this is my favorite part of the whole journey. The railway, which runs every
10 to 15 minutes, makes about a half-dozen stops before reaching Gora, including
Tono-
sawa
and
Miyanoshita,
two hot-spring spa resorts with a number of old ryokan and
hotels. Some of the ryokan date back several centuries, to the days when they were on
the main thoroughfare to Edo, called the old Tokaido Highway. Miyanoshita is the best
place for lunch. See “Where to Dine,” and “Where to Stay,” below.
For relaxing hot-spring bathing en route, pay a visit to the thoroughly modern, sophis-
ticated public bath called
Hakone Kowakien
Yunessun
(
&
0460/82-4126;
www.
yunessun.com/english). To reach it, disembark from the Hakone Tozan Railway at
Kowakudani and then take a 15-minute taxi or bus ride (bus stop: Kowaki-en). This self-
described “Hot Springs Amusement Park & Spa Resort” offers a variety of both indoor and
outdoor family baths, which means you wear your bathing suit. In addition to indoor Turk-
ish, Roman, and salt baths, there's also a children's play area with slides and a large outdoor
area with a variety of small baths, including those mixed with healthy minerals and—I am
not making this up—coffee, green tea, sake, and wine. For those who desire more tradi-
tional bathing, there's the Mori No Yu, with both indoor and outdoor baths separated for
men and women (you don't wear your suit here). Most people who come stay 2 to 3 hours.
Admission is ¥3,500 to Yunessun, ¥1,800 to Mori No Yu, or ¥4,000 to both; if you have
a Hakone Free Pass, you'll pay ¥2,800, ¥1,400, or ¥3,200, respectively. Children pay half-
fare. Upon admission, you'll be given a towel, robe, and wristband to pay for drinks and
extras (rental suits are available), so you can leave all valuables in your assigned locker.
Yunessun is open daily 9am to 7pm March to October, 9am to 6pm in November to
February; Mori No Yu is open 9am to 9pm year-round.
The most important stop on the Hakone Tozan Railway is the next-to-the-last stop,
Chokoku-no-Mori, where you'll find the famous
Hakone Open-Air Museum (Chokoku-
no-Mori Bijutsukan)
(
&
0460/82-1161;
www.hakone-oam.or.jp), a minute's
walk from the station. With the possible exception of views of Mount Fuji, this museum
is, in my opinion, Hakone's number-one attraction. Using nature as a dramatic backdrop,
it showcases sculpture primarily of the 20th century in a spectacular setting of glens, formal
gardens, ponds, and meadows. There are 400 sculptures on display, both outdoors and in
several buildings, with works by Carl Milles, Manzu Giacomo, Jean Dubuffet, Willem de
Kooning, Barbara Hepworth, and Joan Miró, as well as more than 25 pieces by Henry
Moore, shown on a rotating basis. The Picasso Pavilion contains works by Picasso from
pastels to ceramics (it's one of the world's largest collections) and photographs of the artist's
last 17 years of life taken by David Douglas Duncan. The Picture Gallery is devoted to
changing exhibitions. Several installations geared toward children allow them to climb and
play. I could spend all day here; barring that, count on staying at least 2 hours. Be sure to
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