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Travelling from Tokyo to Hakone, you'll pass through the historic castle town of ODAWARA , some 75km west of the capital. The castle (daily 9am-5pm; Y400) looks pretty impressive, especially in spring, when the cherry trees in the grounds explode in pink blossom, but it is a recent reconstruction and a visit here is soured by the appalling conditions of the zoo just next door. Better to press on to HAKONE-YUMOTO , the small town nestling in the valley at the gateway to the national park. Despite being marred by scores of concrete-block hotels and besso (vacation lodges for company workers), not to mention the usual cacophony of souvenir shops, the town has some good onsen , ideal for unwinding after a day's sightseeing around the park. You can also pick up a map of the area at the Hakone Tourist Information Office (daily 9am-5.30pm), two minutes' walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station along the main road. Up the hill from the station is the Kappa Tengoku Notemburo (daily 10am-10pm; Y700), a small, traditional outdoor onsen, which can get crowded. More stylish is Tenzan Notemburo (daily 9am-11pm; Y900), a luxurious public onsen complex at Oku-Yumoto, 2km southwest of town. The main building has separate male and female outdoor baths, including waterfalls and Jacuzzi baths, in a series of rocky pools. Men also have a clay-hut sauna, and for Y200 extra on weekdays (Y900 on weekends) both men and women can use the wooden baths in the building across the car park. A free shuttle bus runs to the baths from the bridge just north of Hakone-Yumoto Station. While you probably won't want to stay in Hakone-Yumoto, it's a good place to eat ; try Kodanaki , along the main road south from the station, which specializes in udon noodles. There are also three good-value restaurants at the Tenzan Notemburo, serving rice, shabu-shabu (sauteed beef) and yakiniku (grilled meat) dishes.
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