Maple Color Hakone Journey: Unique Experiences with Trains, Cable Cars, and Pirate Ships!

Text by Qi Dou Travel Network | Photos by Shutterstock.com

Located near the Tokyo metropolitan area, Hakone is a picturesque sightseeing destination with beautiful mountains and clear waters. The serene Lake Ashi and emerald-green mountains are dotted with vermilion torii gates. Exploring Hakone allows you to experience four major modes of transportation in one trip—an unforgettable journey that takes you both uphill and across water.

Lake Ashi, covering an area of 6.9 square kilometers and with a depth of 40 meters, is a volcanic lake formed by volcanic activity over 4,000 years ago. It boasts stunning scenery all year round. In autumn, the mountains are covered with vibrant red maple leaves, resembling the most beautiful Japanese landscape painting. From the cedar-lined streets on the southern shore, you can gaze at Mount Fuji, Japan’s sacred mountain—its nearly perfect conical shape and snow-capped peak are truly captivating.

Train enthusiasts will fall in love with the Hakone Tozan Railway upon arriving in Hakone. Since its opening in 1919, this railway has been widely adored. It is not only Japan’s only fully mountainous railway but also a sister railway to Switzerland’s famous Rhaetian Railway. The railway starts at Yunohana Station and ends at Gora Station. Along the undulating mountain route, the train has to change direction three times and make sharp turns with a minimum radius of just 30 meters—an extraordinary feat unmatched anywhere else in the world.

After getting off at Gora Station, you can transfer to the Hakone Tozan Cable Car to reach Sounzan Station. Spanning 1.2 kilometers, it is the oldest cable car in the Kanto region. Inside the car, through the wide curved windshields, you can see the nearby Kamiyama, Myojindake, and other peaks in the Hakone area. The large “dai” kanji character grilled on Myojindake leaves a deep impression.

As an ancient Chinese poem goes: “To see a thousand miles, climb yet another storey.” If you want to take in the full panorama of Hakone, you must ride the Hakone Ropeway.

The Hakone Ropeway connects Sounzan Station to Togendai Station, stretching 4,035 meters. It is the longest ropeway in Japan and the second longest in the world. The ride takes 26 minutes, with departures every minute and a capacity of 18 passengers per car. Riders can enjoy the sensation of soaring into the sky while gazing at the 360-degree views of Hakone through the large glass windows. Overlooking the forest sea between Sounzan by Lake Ashi and Togendai, the scenery is breathtaking.

Surrounded by mountains, Lake Ashi offers a unique perspective on its scenic beauty when explored by pirate ship, modeled after 17th-century European warships. Standing on the deck, you can admire the pristine forests along the lake’s edge and the massive torii gate of Hakone Shrine dotting the shoreline. Especially in autumn, when the red leaves paint nature with vibrant hues and reflect on the lake’s surface, every moment and every corner of the approximately 30-minute cruise from Togendai to Hakone-machi is filled with exquisite charm.

More related information
Recommended itinerary: [Maple Color Hakone. Romantic Tokyo 5-Day Trip]

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