It is a shrine that enshrines the beginning of the history of Hakone Onsen, and is located on the side of the Sakumo River, which flows from Hakone Yumoto to Tonozawa Mukai, and is said to have been entrusted as a shrine guard for the development of Yumoto Onsen.
Around 738 in the Nara period, a hot spring that gushed out naturally was discovered by Shakujo Jobo, and the history of this Hakone hot spring began, and after that, it continued to develop and developed into a tourist destination in Nekuma. Under the shrine hall is Hakone's oldest and most active natural spring source, Soyu, which continues to boil today.
Every time the samurai of Odawara Hojo visited the nearby Hojo clan Bodhi Temple and Saunji Temple, they bathed in the hot springs here, so it has been called "the hot spring for washing the feet of the Hojo clan". It is popular as the god of hot springs that cures illnesses from local inns and people in each household where hot springs are drawn, and is deeply believed.
About 3,000 years ago, a phreatic explosion occurred at the Hakone volcano, causing landslides and covering the surface of the earth. Then, about 2,900 years ago, a small-scale pyroclastic flow occurred, and Mt. Kwangatake was born, and volcanic debris accumulated. Between these two volcanic debris and landslide sediments is the area that is now called Owakudani.
Plumes of smoke and hot air rising from the desolate land. Because of its sight, it was called Jigokudani in the Edo period. Nowadays, the "Owakudani Nature Research Trail" has been maintained so that you can see it up close, and you can feel the breath of the living earth while taking a walk in it.
In addition, in Owakudani, there is a jizo called "Enmei Jizoson" for life extension and child-rearing, which is said to have been created by Kobo Daishi in the Heian period. It is said that eating black eggs (hot spring eggs) that use the hot springs that spring up from this jizo will extend your lifespan, and it has become a specialty.
From the observation deck of Owakudani, you can see a superb view of Fuji, and it is an area where you can feel the dynamic of the sculptures created by nature.
Three shrines that are also popular as power spots around Lake Ashi
The Hakone Shrine and its inner shrine, the Hakone Gensha Shrine. And the Hakone Shrine and the Nine-Headed Dragon Shrine, which are closely related, have a long history, and all three shrines have long been places of worship as places of mountain worship (ancient rituals).
It is said that Hakone Motogu was opened as a place of worship 2,400 years ago, and that the shrine of Hakone Shrine was founded in 757 by Manmaki Johito, who later entered Mt. Hakone.
The Nine-Headed Dragon Shrine is also a shrine that is said to enshrine a dragon that was sunk by Manmaki Jojin during the Nara period.
It is a place rich in nature only as an object of mountain worship, and the beautiful nature of Lake Ashi and the superb view of Fuji overlap, and the mysterious space is gaining popularity.
It is a shrine that is familiar to many people as a place where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and heal deeply.
About 120 modern and contemporary sculptures and objects are exhibited in the vast museum garden, and it is an open-air museum where you can enjoy art outdoors while feeling the nature of Hakone. Against the backdrop of majestic sculptures of nature that change with the seasons, you can enjoy artworks that blend in with it.
Of course, there are not only outdoor but also indoor museums, and the Picasso Museum, which boasts one of the world's largest collections, is worth seeing. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, and museum shops, and various other special exhibitions are held regularly, making it a space where you can enjoy immersing yourself in art.
There is also a footbath space outside, and it is recommended that you can enjoy a footbath while looking at the art in the garden.
The scenery to the sculpture station using the Hakone Tozan Railway is also beautiful, and it is a tourist spot where you can enjoy a full-fledged mountain railway trip that runs through the mountains, which is rare in Japan.
Hakone Onsen is located in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, and is one of Japan's leading Onsen towns in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
It is also famous as a place where you can see the superb view of Fuji, and it is a popular place that is constantly visited due to its easy access.
It has a long history, and in the Edo period, it was called "Hakone Nanayu" and was familiar to many people, and today it continues to attract people as "Hakone Jushichito", including newly developed Onsen resorts.
The name Hakone is derived from the box-like shape of the outer ring mountain in this area, and the box has abundant forests and beautiful clear streams and lakes. The amount of Onsens gushing out from various parts of the mountain is one of the highest in Japan, with 25,000 tons of hot water gushing out every day.
In addition, one of the attractions is that there is a wide variety of 20 types of springs. You can enjoy various things such as going around the Onsens and finding the perfect hot water for you.
Since it is a Onsen resort that has been loved by many people since ancient times, there are many accommodations, other leisure facilities, tourist facilities, historical historical sites, etc., and there are many attractions other than Onsens.
In addition, since it is located in "Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park", you can of course enjoy nature walks, hiking, mountain climbing, and outdoor activities. Above all, it can be said that the superb view of Mt. Fuji, the spiritual peak that Japan is proud of, cannot be compared to any other.
Get to know Hakone Onsen
Area guide
Hakone Nanayu
Hakone Onsen can be roughly divided into three areas.
The first is the area that has been called the former "Hakone Nanayu" (omitting Ashinoyu), which has been popular since the opening of the Onsen 1200 years ago. There are 6 Onsen resorts in Yumoto, Tonozawa, Dogashima, Miyanoshita, Sokokura, and Kiga.
In particular, Yumoto and Tonozawa are crowded with many people as post towns as the gateway to Hakone.
Yumoto Onsen, which retains a quaint and nostalgic townscape, is the No. 1 downtown area in Hakone and is lined with many shops.
It is also recommended to take a leisurely stroll through the Onsen town or ride a rickshaw to enjoy gourmet food and find souvenirs of traditional crafts and traditional food.
On the way to Tonozawa, there are many ancient shrines, including Yumoto Kumano Shrine, which enshrines the source of the origin of Hakone Onsen, and you can enjoy not only Onsens but also historical sites and enjoy eternal time.
If you go to Miyanoshita, Sokokura, Kiga, and the back, you can see many long-established inns and shops with a rich history and plenty of atmosphere that have been loved by foreign tourists since the Meiji and early Showa periods. In addition, nature will be richer, so you can enjoy a relaxing time.
Gora, Miyagino
The Gora and Miyagino areas are located further back from the area called "Hakone Nanayu".
Located almost in the center of the Hakone area, it is a place that has flourished since the Meiji era along with the development of a luxury villa area and a summer resort for literati and financial people.
In the 8th year of Taisho (1919), the Hakone Tozan Railway was opened, and more people visited and developed. The building, which was originally a luxury villa, was later renovated and transformed into an inn, so the elegant atmosphere is a characteristic of this area.
Gora Station is also a place where you can connect the Hakone Tozan Railway and the Hakone Tozan Cable Car, so there are many restaurants and souvenir shops in front of the station. Along with the Onsens, you can also enjoy gourmet food and souvenir hunting.
Owakudani, which you visit by connecting to the cable car ropeway, is filled with smoke and you can feel the activity of the living earth. It is said that it was formed by a landslide caused by a phreatic explosion that occurred about 3,000 years ago. Mt. Fuji seen from this Owakudani Observatory is also a superb view.
If you go to Miyagino, there are Yoshino cherry blossom trees along the Hayakawa River and drooping cherry blossom trees along the national highway, so you can enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms in spring.
The Hakone Museum of Art, the Meissen Museum of Art, the Sculpture Forest Museum, and the Yunessun Pola Museum of Art are also nearby, so it is a recommended course to immerse yourself in art.
Lake Ashinoko
The Lake Ashinoko area has been around since the Edo period, when it was called "Hakone Nanayu", and includes Ashi no Yu. There are already records of it in the Kamakura period, and it has been used as a Onsen resort by practitioners of mountain worship who mainly practice. Now it has expanded its area to include the area around Lake Ashinoko.
Among the Hakone Nanayu in Hakone, Ashinoyu had many long-term guests and was loved by literati and ink customers. Its tranquil charm has been inherited. There are many historical sites such as the Tokoan Kumano Gongen Old Site, which was bustling as a salon for cultural figures at the time, and Ishibutsu District, which has been designated as an important cultural property, so you can enjoy cultural sightseeing.
It is also a place rich in nature, so it is an area that can be said to be a secret Onsen in Hakone Onsen.
In addition, there are power spots such as "Hakone Shrine", "Hakone Motogu", and "Nine-headed Dragon Shrine (Hongu)", which are also sacred places of mountain worship, around Lake Ashi, and it is recommended to visit them together with the secret Onsens.
The view of Mt. Fuji from this place is truly a spiritual peak, so I recommend that you enjoy it.
Access
From Tokyo
< train > Tokyo Station→ Odawara Station→ Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 1 hour 50 minutes)
< Shinkansen and Bus > Tokyo Station (Tokaido / Sanyo Shinkansen) → Odawara Station (bus) → Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 1 hour)
From Osaka
< Shinkansen and Bus > Shin-Osaka Station (Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen), Nagoya Station→→ Odawara Station (bus), → Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 2 hours and 30 minutes)
<Airplanes and trains> Shin-Osaka Station→ Kansai Airport Station→ Kansai International Airport→ Haneda Airport→ Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station→ Yokohama Station→ Odawara Station→ Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 4 hours and 30 minutes)
From Nagoya
< Shinkansen and Bus > Nagoya Station (Tokaido / Sanyo Shinkansen) → Odawara Station (bus) → Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 1 hour 40 minutes)
<Airplanes and trains> Nagoya Station→ Meitetsu Nagoya Station→ Chubu Centrair International Airport Station→ Chubu Centrair International Airport→ Haneda Airport→ Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station→ Yokohama Station→ Odawara Station→ Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 3 hours 40 minutes)
Water quality
There are 20 types of chloride springs, sodium chloride springs, sodium chloride springs, sodium chloride sulfate springs, sodium chloride sulfate springs, sodium chloride sulfate springs, sodium chloride sulfate bicarbonate springs, sodium chloride bicarbonate springs, sodium chloride hydrogen carbonate springs, sodium chloride hydrogen carbonate springs, sodium chloride hydrogen carbonate springs.
Sulfate springs of sodium sulfate springs, calcium sulfate springs, sulfur-calcium sulfur springs, sulfur-aluminum sulfate springs, sulfur-aluminum iron(II) sulfate springs.
There are simple sulfur springs (hydrogen sulfide type), simple hot springs, and alkaline simple hot springs.
In general, it is said to be effective for dermatitis, skin-beautifying effect, bronchitis, arteriosclerosis, neuralgia, low back pain, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, motor paralysis, joint stiffness, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive diseases, hemorrhoids, sensitivity to cold, recovery from illness, recovery from fatigue, health promotion, cuts, burns, chronic skin diseases, frail children, chronic gynecological diseases, high blood pressure, anemia, rheumatism, etc.
Chloride springs
It is a colorless and transparent hot spring with a salty taste.
The salt prevents sweat from evaporating on the skin, so it is warm forever, and because it has a high heat retention effect, it is difficult to cool down and is also called "hot water".
It is said to be effective for neuralgia, back pain, cold sensitivity, etc., so it is said to be effective for women's diseases.
Sulfate springs (nitrate)
It is colorless, transparent, and odorless, but it has a slightly salty taste due to its high sodium content.
It is said to have a sedative effect that lowers blood pressure and relieves pain. Therefore, it can be expected to be effective for hypertension, arteriosclerosis symptoms, trauma, etc., and constipation, obesity, diabetes, gout, etc. because it actively motilizes the intestines.
Sulfur spring type (hydrogen sulfide type)
It is characterized by a peculiar smell like a milky white and boiled egg. Since it has the function of dilating capillaries and coronary arteries, it can be expected to be effective against chronic bronchitis and arteriosclerosis.
Since it also has a detoxifying effect, it is said to be effective for chronic skin diseases. It is also said to be effective against women's diseases.
Simple hot spring species
It is colorless and transparent, tasteless and odorless, and has general efficacy. In the case of alkaline, it is sometimes highly sedative, effective against high blood pressure and skin diseases, and is expected to have a high skin-beautifying effect.
History
Hakone Onsen has a long history, dating back to about 1200 years ago. It is said that the Onsens, which are said to have been created over 300,000 years by volcanic activity in this area, were discovered by Shakujojobo around 738 in the Nara period.
The oldest source of this in Hakone is enshrined in the Yumoto Kumano Shrine and continues to spring up to this day. This source has become the source of "Hakone Nanayu" and continues to provide healing and peace to many people.
From the opening of the Onsens in the Nara period to Heian and Kamakura, the anecdote of Hojo Sakumo, who continued to heal Bandō warriors and monks in particular, and who captured this area during the Sengoku period, is also transmitted to Hakone Yumoto.
It is said that the name of Hakone spread throughout Japan was triggered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who visited Odawara for the expedition.
It seems that he visited frequently during his long stay to heal his fatigue.
Later, when Tokugawa Ieyasu unified the world and the Five Highways were developed, the Tokaido was developed in this area and it became a bustling post town.
It was a Onsen resort that was also useful for the Tokugawa family, and it seems that all "Hakone Nanayu" was ranked in the Edo period Onsen banzuke.
In the Meiji era, Yukichi Fukuzawa noticed the charm of Hakone and developed it from a Onsen resort to an international tourist destination.
As efforts are made to improve the infrastructure and cooperate in attracting hotels loved by foreigners, such as the Fujiya Hotel, the number of accommodation facilities and shops will increase, and the number of visitors will increase.
With the opening of the Hakone Tozan Railway, further development will progress, and the area of Onsens will expand further to "Hakone Jushichito".
Hakone, which is easily accessible from the city center, such as Natsume Soseki, Mori Ogai, Kawabata Yasunari, Shimazaki Fujimura, Miyazawa Kenji, and Masaoka Shiki, was visited and loved by many literary figures. When they released a work set in Hakone, it attracted even more attention and developed into a Onsen tourist destination, Hakone.
In recent years, Hakone Ekiden and Hakone Shrine, which has attracted attention as a power spot, have become popular, and it is also bustling as a Onsen tourist destination where you can enjoy a wide variety
It is a shrine that enshrines the beginning of the history of Hakone Onsen, and is located on the side of the Sakumo River, which flows from Hakone Yumoto to Tonozawa Mukai, and is said to have been entrusted as a shrine guard for the development of Yumoto Onsen.
Around 738 in the Nara period, a hot spring that gushed out naturally was discovered by Shakujo Jobo, and the history of this Hakone hot spring began, and after that, it continued to develop and developed into a tourist destination in Nekuma. Under the shrine hall is Hakone's oldest and most active natural spring source, Soyu, which continues to boil today.
Every time the samurai of Odawara Hojo visited the nearby Hojo clan Bodhi Temple and Saunji Temple, they bathed in the hot springs here, so it has been called "the hot spring for washing the feet of the Hojo clan". It is popular as the god of hot springs that cures illnesses from local inns and people in each household where hot springs are drawn, and is deeply believed.
Owakudani
About 3,000 years ago, a phreatic explosion occurred at the Hakone volcano, causing landslides and covering the surface of the earth. Then, about 2,900 years ago, a small-scale pyroclastic flow occurred, and Mt. Kwangatake was born, and volcanic debris accumulated. Between these two volcanic debris and landslide sediments is the area that is now called Owakudani.
Plumes of smoke and hot air rising from the desolate land. Because of its sight, it was called Jigokudani in the Edo period. Nowadays, the "Owakudani Nature Research Trail" has been maintained so that you can see it up close, and you can feel the breath of the living earth while taking a walk in it.
In addition, in Owakudani, there is a jizo called "Enmei Jizoson" for life extension and child-rearing, which is said to have been created by Kobo Daishi in the Heian period. It is said that eating black eggs (hot spring eggs) that use the hot springs that spring up from this jizo will extend your lifespan, and it has become a specialty.
From the observation deck of Owakudani, you can see a superb view of Fuji, and it is an area where you can feel the dynamic of the sculptures created by nature.
Three shrines in Hakone
Three shrines that are also popular as power spots around Lake Ashi
The Hakone Shrine and its inner shrine, the Hakone Gensha Shrine. And the Hakone Shrine and the Nine-Headed Dragon Shrine, which are closely related, have a long history, and all three shrines have long been places of worship as places of mountain worship (ancient rituals).
It is said that Hakone Motogu was opened as a place of worship 2,400 years ago, and that the shrine of Hakone Shrine was founded in 757 by Manmaki Johito, who later entered Mt. Hakone.
The Nine-Headed Dragon Shrine is also a shrine that is said to enshrine a dragon that was sunk by Manmaki Jojin during the Nara period.
It is a place rich in nature only as an object of mountain worship, and the beautiful nature of Lake Ashi and the superb view of Fuji overlap, and the mysterious space is gaining popularity.
It is a shrine that is familiar to many people as a place where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and heal deeply.
The Hakone Open-air Museum
About 120 modern and contemporary sculptures and objects are exhibited in the vast museum garden, and it is an open-air museum where you can enjoy art outdoors while feeling the nature of Hakone. Against the backdrop of majestic sculptures of nature that change with the seasons, you can enjoy artworks that blend in with it.
Of course, there are not only outdoor but also indoor museums, and the Picasso Museum, which boasts one of the world's largest collections, is worth seeing. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, and museum shops, and various other special exhibitions are held regularly, making it a space where you can enjoy immersing yourself in art.
There is also a footbath space outside, and it is recommended that you can enjoy a footbath while looking at the art in the garden.
The scenery to the sculpture station using the Hakone Tozan Railway is also beautiful, and it is a tourist spot where you can enjoy a full-fledged mountain railway trip that runs through the mountains, which is rare in Japan.
