Hakone, Kanagawa

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Mount Fuji from Mt. Kami in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Hakone (箱根町, Hakone-machi^?) is a town in Japan, in Kanagawa Prefecture, in Ashigarashimo District. Located on the eastern foot of Hakone Pass.

As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 14,872 and a density of 160.22 persons per km². The total area is 92.82 km².

1 Outline
2 Sightseeing
3 Transportation
4 In Fiction
5 External links

[edit] Outline

The western more mountainous part adjacent to Mt. Fuji and relatively close to Tokyo.

The Ashigara Checkpoint on the historical Tōkaidō road marks the beginning of Japan's Kantō region. Since Edo period, Ashigara Checkpoint is renamed into Hakone Checkpoint.

The annual Hakone Ekiden at the New Year runs from Tokyo to Hakone and back over two days, partly in commemoration of the Tōkaidō road. Like its close neighbor Odawara and Mishima, Hakone has many onsen (hot spring) resort areas.

[edit] Sightseeing

Hakone hosts substantial tourist activity, and many, both Japanese and international visitors come to Hakone to be relaxed, for treatment at the health resorts, or to visit the parks and mountains.

Lake Ashi from ropeway, a major tourist attraction in Hakone

The volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, centered around Lake Ashi, is a popular tourist attraction well known for its onsen hot springs and its views of Mt. Fuji.

Sights include the volcanically active Great Boiling Valley and Hakone Shrine nestled on the shore of the lake. In April the cherry blossoms (sakura) and in autumn the Chinese silvergrass (susuki, Miscanthus sinensis) are reportedly a very beautiful view in the parks.

[edit] Transportation

Hakone is best accessed from Odawara and Mishima, the terminus of the Odakyu Odawara Line, 70 minutes from Shinjuku, Tokyo. From Odawara, the Hakone Tozan Line continues into various resort towns in Hakone. Odakyu also runs the Romancecar limited express between Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto. Owakudani can be reached by cable car from Sounzan and the lake, while the lake is crisscrossed by cartoonishly decorated "pirate" ships for tourists..

A popular "Hakone Free Pass", allowing unlimited use of most forms of transport for several days, is available. You can buy this free pass in Shinjuku, Odawara, and any other chief stations along Odakyu Odawara Line.

Hakone has a number of museums, including the Hakone Open-Air Museum.

[edit] In Fiction

A section of its mountain road became the only mountain stage for Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune 2, and is prominently featured in the Kaidō Battle series.

In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, the city of Tokyo-3 is actually the town of Hakone, after a great deal of development. Hakone was renamed Tokyo-3 as it was originally intended to become the new capital of Japan.