Hakone, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
in Ashigarashimo District
Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.- Towns and villages :*Hakone*Yugawara*Manazuru-History:...
in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 13,339 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².
Geography
Hakone is located in the mountainous far west of the prefecture, on the eastern side of Hakone Pass. Most of the town is within the borders of the volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National ParkFuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....
, centered around Lake Ashi
Lake Ashi
, or Hakone Lake, Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano. The lake is known for its views of Mt. Fuji and its numerous hot springs...
.
Surrounding municipalities
Kanagawa Prefecture- OdawaraOdawara, Kanagawais a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
- YugawaraYugawara, Kanagawais a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 26,729 and a density of 655 persons per km²...
Shizuoka Prefecture
- Gotemba
- SusonoSusono, Shizuokais a city in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 54,027 and a density of 390 persons per km²...
- MishimaMishima, Shizuokais a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 112,078 and a population density of 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km²...
- OyamaOyama, Shizuokais a town located in Suntō District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2008, the town has an estimated population of 20,968 and a density of 154 persons per km². The total area is 136.13 km².-Geography:...
- KannamiKannami, Shizuokais a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2010, the town has an estimated population of 39,126 and a density of 601 persons per km². The total area is 65.13 km².-Geography:...
History
Hakone is the location of a noted Shinto shrine, the Hakone GongenHakone Shrine
The is a Shinto shrine in the town of Hakone in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as the . It is located on the shores of Lake Ashi.The main festival of the shrine is held annually on August 1.-Enshrined kami:...
, which is mentioned in Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
literature. During the Gempei War, Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
prayed at this shrine for victory over his enemies, after his defeat at the Battle of Ishibashiyama
Battle of Ishibashiyama
The ' was the first in which Minamoto Yoritomo, who was to become shogun less than a decade later, was commander of the Minamoto forces. In this, his first attempt to challenge the Taira, he was assisted by warriors from the Miura clan....
, which was also located with the borders of present-day Hakone. As with the rest of Sagami Province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
, the area came under the control of the late Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
of Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
during the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. After the start of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, Hakone-juku
Hakone-juku
was the tenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the present-day town of Hakone in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan...
was a post station
Shukuba
were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...
on the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway connecting Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
with Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. It was also the site of a major barrier and official checkpoint on the route known as the , which formed the border of the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
. Under the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, all travellers entering and leaving Edo along the Tōkaidō were stopped here by officials, and their travel permits and baggage was examined.
After the start of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, Hakone became a part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture before becoming part of Ashigarashimo District
Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.- Towns and villages :*Hakone*Yugawara*Manazuru-History:...
in Kanagawa prefecture in August 1876. Hakone attained town status in 1889. After merger with five neighboring towns and villages in September 1956, it reached its present boundaries.
Economy
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
resorts, which attract both Japanese and international visitors due to its proximity to the greater Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
metropolis and to Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
. Sights include the volcanically active Owakudani
Great Boiling Valley
is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a popular tourist site for its scenic views, volcanic activity, and especially, — a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs. The boiled eggs turn black and smell slightly...
geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
s and Hakone Shrine on the shore of the lake, as well as the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands
Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands
The is a botanical garden located within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park at 817 Sengokuhara, Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged....
. In April the cherry blossoms (sakura
Sakura
A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese . Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit...
) and in autumn the Miscanthus sinensis
Miscanthus sinensis
Miscanthus sinensis Miscanthus sinensis Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese silver grass, Eulalia grass, maiden grass, zebra grass, Susuki grass, porcupine grass; syn. Eulalia japonica Trin., Miscanthus sinensis f. glaber Honda, Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc., Miscanthus sinensis var....
(susuki) are noted sights.
Hakone has a number of art museums, including the Hakone Open-Air Museum
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Hakone Open-Air Museum is a museum in Hakone in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-External links:*...
.
Major events include the annual Hakone Ekiden
Hakone Ekiden
', which is officially called ', is one of the prominent university ekiden races of the year held between Tokyo and Hakone in Japan on 2 and 3 January. The race is telecast on Nippon Television....
, a long distance foot race, held at the New Year, which runs from Tokyo to Hakone and back over two days, partly in commemoration of the Tōkaidō road.
One famous hotel in Hakone is the historic Fujiya Hotel
Fujiya Hotel
The is a historic hotel in Miyanoshita in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan.It was constructed in 1891, and consists of many different parts constructed in a mixture of traditional Japanese and western architecture which was popular during the Meiji period...
in Miyanoshita, which was patronized by noted literii, politicians and foreign dignitaries in the Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
and Taishō
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
and early Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
s.
A noted local handicraft is parquetry
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
.
In the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
, Hakone is renamed "Tokyo-3" and becomes the setting of the series, alongside Mount Hakone. For a brief period in 2010, the town tried to leverage this as a publicity stunt for the Rebuild of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated film series and a remake of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. It is being produced by Studio Khara and KlockWorx in partnership with Gainax...
series, but canceled plans when the show's fanbase
Otaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
literally overran the town and began disrupting school and work.
Railway
- Hakone Tozan RailwayHakone Tozan RailwayThe is a private railway company in Japan, part of the Odakyū Group. It is best known for its operation of the Hakone Tozan Line, the first mountain railway in Japan, but like most Japanese railway companies, also operates bus service, namely Hakone Tozan Bus...
- Hakone Tozan Cable CarHakone Tozan Cable CarThe , officially the is a funicular railway, in the town of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by . This company belongs to the Odakyū Group, and also owns Hakone Tozan mountain railway line. The funicular links Gōra, the upper terminus of the railway line, with Sōunzan 214 metres...
- Hakone RopewayHakone RopewayThe is the name of an aerial lift, as well as its operator. The funitel line links between Sōunzan and Tōgendai via Ōwakudani, all within Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. The line became funitel in 2002, the second of its kind in the nation, after Hashikurasan Ropeway. It makes a part of the sightseeing...
- Izuhakone RailwayIzuhakone RailwayThe is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...
Hakone is best accessed from Odawara and Mishima
Mishima, Shizuoka
is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 112,078 and a population density of 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km²...
, the terminus of the Odakyu Odawara Line, 70 minutes from Shinjuku, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. From Odawara, the Hakone Tozan Line continues into various resort towns in Hakone. Odakyu also runs the Romancecar
Romancecar
The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Gotenba and Hakone, and beaches such as Numazu and Enoshima. Service started in 1957 with the 3000 series SE trainset, it broke the world speed record for a...
limited express between Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto. From Gora, the terminus of Hakone Tozan Line, the Hakone Tozan Cable Car
Hakone Tozan Cable Car
The , officially the is a funicular railway, in the town of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by . This company belongs to the Odakyū Group, and also owns Hakone Tozan mountain railway line. The funicular links Gōra, the upper terminus of the railway line, with Sōunzan 214 metres...
funicular goes to Sounzan. Owakudani can be reached by Hakone Ropeway
Hakone Ropeway
The is the name of an aerial lift, as well as its operator. The funitel line links between Sōunzan and Tōgendai via Ōwakudani, all within Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. The line became funitel in 2002, the second of its kind in the nation, after Hashikurasan Ropeway. It makes a part of the sightseeing...
from Sounzan and the lake, while the lake is crisscrossed by cartoonishly decorated "pirate" ships for tourists. There is also Hakone Komagatake Ropeway
Hakone Komagatake Ropeway
The , officially the , is Japanese aerial lift line in Hakone, Kanagawa, operated by Izu Hakone Railway. The line, opened in 1963, climbs from the Lake Ashi lakeside....
, which goes to the top of Mount Komagatake.
A popular "Hakone Free Pass", allowing unlimited use of most forms of transport for several days, is available. Hakone Free Pass can be bought in Shinjuku, Odawara and any other chief station along Odakyu Odawara Line.
Sister city relations
- Tōyako, HokkaidōToyako, Hokkaido
is a town in Abuta District, Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. This town was formed on 23 March 2006 through the merger of the town Abuta and the village of Tōya...
, since July 4, 1964 - Jasper, Alberta
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from July 4, 1972 - Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, from October 7, 1987
External links
- Hakone Area Highlights from Kanagawa Prefectural Tourist Association
- Hakone Free Pass from Odakyu Electric RailwayOdakyu Electric Railway, or OER, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan best known for its Romancecar series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone....
- Hakone Open-Air Museum
- Hakone Theme Park