Things to Do in Hakone: Begin Your Journey by Taking the Romance Car from Shinjuku Station

Summary

If you are tired of your hectic daily life, let’s go to Hakone! Immerse yourself in the beauty around you, savor delicious cuisine, and prioritize self-care for your mind and body✨We will introduce a relaxing and enjoyable trip plan to Hakone for you.

• Please not that Information and prices listed are subject to change.

Travel Itinerary

08:31am Odakyu Limited Express “Romancecar”

The trip to Hakone starts with the Romance Car! Meet at Shinjuku station and let’s go to Hakone.

Special train

The atmosphere of the train is different from that of the trains you usually ride, which enhances the feeling of traveling.

Away from the city

The scenery that is becoming more and more Hakone-like makes my heart pound!

Nature

The ‘Odakyu Romance Car’ is the generic name for express trains and cars operated by Odakyu Electric Railway. Equipped with ‘Romance Seats’ designed for two passengers, all seats are reserved, requiring passengers to purchase an express ticket to their destination before boarding.

10:30am Hakone-Yumoto Station

After an hour and 40 minutes on the Romance Car… arrived in Hakone! ✨

Hakone-Yumoto Station is a transportation station located in Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture. Some related facilities offer discounts if you use the Hakone Free Pass. There are also special deals such as free admission to Gora Park with the purchase of a Hakone Tozan Train 1Day Pass.

10:45am Hakone-Yumoto Shopping Street

We quickly strolled through the shopping arcade in Hakone-Yumoto. The arcade was crowded with many stores where one could eat and walk around.

The Hakone-Yumoto Shopping Street is a spot located in Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture. The shopping street is an arcade and is crowded with many tourists as there are many stores where you can enjoy eating and walking around. We recommend that you visit with an empty stomach, as there are many ways to enjoy eating and buying souvenirs.

11:00am Kikukawa Shoten

Kikukawa Shoten is famous for its Hakone Manju (buns filled with sweet bean paste).

I couldn’t resist eating it even though it was before lunch..😂

Making process

Manju is freshly baked here

Freshly baked

The Manju with cute Hakone branding is freshly baked and ready to enjoy. The outside is made of fluffy castella (sponge cake), and the inside is filled with white bean paste. The taste is nostalgic and gently comforting.

Kikukawa Shoten, located in Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a souvenir store offering a wide selection of kamaboko, dried fish, and other Hakone-specific souvenirs. It also sells Japanese sweets, taiyaki, oobanyaki, and other confections, and its specialty, Hakone Manju, is especially popular. It is also conveniently located for tourists as it is only about a 30-second walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station.

12:00pm Hatsuhana Main Store

For lunch, I wanted to eat something typical of Hakone! So we decided to have soba noodles at Hatsuhana. It is about a 10-minute walk from the station!

This is Hakone!

Both the exterior and interior of the building are very Hakone-like! The exterior and interior are both lovely with a tasteful atmosphere.

The exterior looks like this

Teijyo Soba (soba made with grated yam and eggs, served with additional grated yam and eggs for a perfect match)

I ordered the Teijyo Soba (1000 yen). The sticky grated yam and egg are mixed with thin soba noodles. The aromatic soba noodles and sticky yam were so deliciously mixed together that I finished the dish very quickly.

Seiro Soba

Friend ordered Seiro Soba (1,200 yen).

Main and New Building

There is a new building 100 meters away from the main building

Hatsuhana Main Store is soba restaurant located in Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is famous for its yam soba which is super delicious. It is recommended to visit with plenty of time to spare, as the restaurant is crowded during peak hours at lunchtime and at night. Please note that reservations cannot be made in advance. The turnover is fast, so even if there is a long line, you can enter the restaurant relatively smoothly. Yamakake Soba is also a specialty.

1:30pm Hakone Open-Air Museum

After filling your stomach with soba, go to the “Hakone Open-Air Museum” to view art. Hakone is also a town of art, and there are several art museums.

Rich Nature

This open-air art museum combines Hakone’s nature and art, with contemporary artworks scattered throughout the expansive grounds.

Is this… a fried egg?

Even if you don’t know anything about art, these unique works of art are fun just to look at and walk around!

Big hands!

Lots of Artworks

There are also many indoor exhibitions such as the Picasso Pavilion. There is also a café/restaurant and a footbath, so you can stay as long as you like.

The exterior looks like this

Fantastic space

The stained glass pavilion is stunningly beautiful! Climb the spiral staircase for a panoramic view of the entire museum.

Fusion of nature and art 🎨

Hakone Open-Air Museum in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, is an art museum that focuses on outdoor sculptures. It has a parking lot and is close to the station for convenient access. Nursing rooms are available, and there is also a restaurant and a store. The main attraction of the Picasso Pavilion, where 319 pieces of the Picasso collection are sequentially exhibited to the public, and art works spread over a vast space are the most attractive features of the outdoor museum, where visitors can encounter scenery and play only possible at an outdoor museum. Discount tickets are available with the Hakone Free Pass, which is also recommended for sightseeing.

3:30pm NARAYA CAFE

Located 15-minute train ride away from the Hakone Open-Air Museum. This cafe offers the perfect way to heal your body after a day of exploration. Here, you can soak in a footbath and enjoy a relaxing cup of tea.

More than 300 years of history!

The building was renovated from a 300-year-old inn called Naraya Ryokan, and the footbath is also made from the source of spring water from Naraya Ryokan’s days.

Cold matcha green tea

The sweetness rejuvenates my tired body!

The specialty is Hyotan Monaka (730 yen) – a set featuring green tea and Monaka. You can craft it yourself by selecting from four types of bean paste. I chose the sweet bean paste, while my friend chose the seasonal edition of green tea bean paste. The combination of crispy homemade wafers and sweet bean paste was not only delicious but also so much fun of crafting it ourselves!

Very cozy placee

The historic building is lovely. It’s also good to change your seats during your stay to enjoy every different mood.

The exterior looks like this

NARAYA CAFE is located in Miyanoshita, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, and offers a menu of coffee, drinks, light meals, and sweets. One of the most attractive features of the cafe is its nature-inspired atmosphere, which can be enjoyed outside on the terrace while soaking in the footbath. The gourd-shaped Narayan monaka, which you can fill yourself with red bean paste that changes with the seasons, is also an exquisite treat.

5:00pm Hakone Yuryo

At the end of my visit to Hakone, I wanted to take a hot spring bath! So we took the train back to Hakone-Yumoto Station! “Hakone Yuryo” is a day spa facility where you can enjoy hot springs, meals, and relaxation. It is tucked away in the woods on high ground up a mountain road from Hakone-Yumoto Station, offering an extraordinary experience.

To an extraordinary space

The building has a very nice atmosphere at sunset.

The countryside old house-style building is amazing

Finally, a hot spring!

Private baths are a bit extravagant, but they allow you to spend time flowing leisurely while feeling close to the great nature of Hakone. The sound of swaying forest trees and the breeze will warm and refresh your body and soul.

Luxurious atmosphere in a bath of jars

The jar bath in the large bathroom is compact but luxurious enough to be used alone.

Dining

Change into a cute yukata and have an early meal at Irori Saryo Hachiri.

Cheers to beer

After the bath, we toasted with beer. It’s a luxurious trip for adults!

Grill over hearth

Meals are full of local ingredients. River fish grilled over an open hearth and fresh vegetables are both excellent.

Great atmosphere at night!

Hakone Yuryo is a large day spa located in Hakone-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture. Free shuttle bus service is available from the station for easy access. The baths are in the style of old private homes and allow visitors to enjoy the rich nature of Hakone. There are also open-air baths and saunas. The bathhouse is also well equipped with a rest area after the bath, making it ideal for taking a break after forest adventure.

7:30pm Odakyu Romance Car

The last thing of the trip is a dinner on the Romance Car. It only takes a little over an hour and a half to get to Shinjuku, but I’m going home while having a good time drinking 🍻

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