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There's little reason to stop at GORA except to have lunch or to transfer from the Hakone Tozan railway to a funicular tram (Y410), which takes only ten minutes to cover the short but steep distance to Sounzan , the start of the cable car across Mount Soun. On the way, you might want to stop at KOEN-UE , a couple of stops from Gora, where the Hakone Museum of Art (daily except Thurs 9am-4pm; Y900) and its collection of ancient ceramics is likely to appeal to experts only, but the delicate moss gardens and the view from the traditional teahouse across the verdant hills is captivating. From Sounzan, the cable car (Y1330 one way) floats like a balloon on its thirty-minute journey high above the mountain to the Togendai terminal, beside the lake, Ashino-ko, stopping at a couple of points along the way. The first stop, OWAKUDANI , is the site of a constantly bubbling and steaming valley formed by a volcanic eruption three thousand years ago. You can learn more about this at the informative Owakudani Natural History Museum (daily 9am-4pm; Y400), downhill from the cable-car station, with an entertaining diorama model of a volcano that flashes, rumbles and glows red at the point of eruption. To see the real thing, hike up the valley through the lava formations to the bubbling pools, where eggs are boiled until they are black, and scoffed religiously by every Japanese tourist, for no better reason than it's the done thing to do when visiting Owakudani. There are a couple of good places to stay on this side of Hakone. The quiet Fuji Hakone Guesthouse (tel 0460/4-6577, fax 4-6578; Y7000-15,000), in Sengokuhara (best reached by bus #4 from the east exit of Odawara Station), is run by the friendly, English-speaking Takahashi-san, and has tatami rooms, and onsen water piped into a communal bath - only breakfast is available. Directly behind, in a lovely wooden building, is the Hakone Sengokuhara Youth Hostel (tel 0460/4-8966, fax 4-6578; Y3000-5000), run by the same family and offering Japanese-style rooms, with private rooms available for Y5000 per person. You shouldn't miss out on the Gyoza Centre (daily 11.30am-3pm & 5-8pm), on the main road between Gora and the Hakone Open-Air Museum. This two-floor restaurant usually has a long line of customers waiting to sample the thirteen types of delicious home-made dumplings ( gyoza ), including ones stuffed with prawns ( ebi ) and fermented beans ( natto ). A set meal with rice and soup costs Y1155. At Owakudani the best eating choice is one of the noodle bars beside the entrance to the volcanic area. Also good for lunch is the cafe downstairs at the Togendai cable-car terminal, which is reasonably priced and has pleasant views across the lake.
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