Experience the best of Hakone

Hakone lies in the volcanic mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture, within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, south-west of Tokyo. Lake Ashi, a crater lake, is crossed by sightseeing boats, and a red torii gate of Hakone Shrine stands in the water at the shore. On clear days Mount Fuji rises beyond the lake.

Owakudani, a steaming valley of sulphur vents, is the place for black eggs boiled in the hot water, said to add years to a life. The Hakone Open-Air Museum scatters sculptures across a hillside, and the Tozan Railway zigzags uphill through hydrangea-lined cuttings to Gora. Old stretches of the Tokaido road, with an avenue of cedars, and a reconstructed checkpoint recall Edo-period travel, and Odawara Castle stands at the foot of the hills.

Inns serve kaiseki meals with mountain vegetables and fish, and local specialities include onsen manju steamed buns, yosegi marquetry boxes and fish-paste cakes from Odawara. Hot springs are the point of every stay. Autumn leaves in November, hydrangeas in June and clear winter air for Fuji views make the best seasons.