I accidentally deleted all of my photos from my trip to Hakone thinking that I had already saved them on my computer, but I didn’t. Oops. So all I have are screenshots from video clips and iPhone photos of my time there. I’m hoping these pictures can still convey the beauty of this little town to you.
Hakone is a small town halfway between Tokyo and Shizuoka that is famous for its hot springs. Many travelers come here to soak in the mineral-rich onsens while gazing at the beauty of Mt. Fuji. Between the dozen museums and countless ryokans, Hakone is perhaps the quaintest and loveliest place I’ve ever visited, and I wish I had more time to explore the town.
During my year in Japan, Hakone is the only destination that I have ever driven to. I’ve always taken trains or buses to other cities, but it was actually easier for me to drive from Yoshida to Hakone and it took around 3 hours.
By the time I had arrived in Hakone, it was already mid-afternoon and my touring options were limited. I narrowed down my top museum choices and decided to visit The Little Prince Museum first.
The Little Prince is one of my all-time favorite stories and I love how it transcends all barriers so that readers around the world can relate to its universal themes despite being a children’s story. This story holds a special place in my heart so I just had to visit the museum in Hakone.
You guys. This museum is the cutest, quaintest, loveliest tribute to The Little Prince and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Rather than a traditional museum, it feels more like a full immersion theme park. When you enter the grounds, it’s like being transported to a small French square full of little snippets of Saint-Exupéry’s life.
The main courtyard is quite small and you’ll finish exploring the outdoor grounds pretty quickly since most of the storefronts are facades. I came during the winter so there wasn’t much greenery to see, but the garden is supposed to be beautiful in the summer with hydrangeas.
One of the main buildings you can explore is a small chapel, which was so incredibly pretty that even my devoutly Catholic mother thought I was visiting a real church instead of a replica.
The actual museum part of the park is through the Theatre du Petit Prince storefront. The museum itself is well-curated with information about Saint-Exupéry’s life and the history of The Little Prince. A lot of the plaques were written in Japanese, but it was still very informative and moving.
And of course there’s a themed restaurant.
You can’t visit Hakone without stopping by Owakudani, aka “the Great Boiling Valley,” where sulfuric smoke billows from the mountains.
Visitors used to be able to hike the trails here in the past to visit the springs where locals boil their famous black eggs, but increased seismic activity put a halt to that. Nowadays, you can take the funitel across the valley to see the smokey sulfur vents from above.
Owakudani is not recommended for people with health issues. Some people with more sensitive noses claim to be able to smell the sulfur the moment they arrive in the parking lot, but I didn’t notice anything at all.
Even though you can’t visit the springs where they boil these black eggs, you can still purchase them at the visitor’s center. The calcium reacts with the sulfur in the hot springs which results in the shell turning black. You can buy six eggs for 500 yen and consuming one egg is supposed to add seven years to your life. However, eating more than two and a half eggs can bring bad luck. I was traveling alone and had no one to share the eggs with so I guess I’m full of bad luck now that I’ve eaten all of them.
My second visit for the day was the Pola Museum of Art, which I loved. For a town with such an old-timey feel, all the museums I visited felt very contemporary. You’ll find a lot of recognizable art here like pieces by Monet, Renoir, and Picasso. I discovered the eerie works of Léonard Fujita and Ryusei Kishida and I’m in love.
I’m so sad I didn’t get to document the most amazing part of my trip — visiting an onsen — since everyone was, you know, naked.
I didn’t have the budget to stay in a ryokan overnight, but I did visit an onsen to try it out for an evening. I chose Tenzan Onsen for its ridiculously high ratings and I was not disappointed. However, Hakone is a busy tourist town and the onsens are always highly occupied. I had to wait in line in my car on the side of the road for about an hour to get a parking spot. A lot of visitors were turned away when they drove up since it was so full.
But once I was in, it was amazing. A lot of western tourists might not be down with the whole get-naked-and-bathe-communally thing, but it was honestly one of the greatest experiences during my time in Japan. I particularly recommend Tenzan Onsen for its beautiful outdoor hot springs of varying temperatures. Tenzan Onsen also has a restaurant on location that I had dinner at. It was super satisfying to have a nice Japanese meal after a long soak.
My last partial day in Hakone before driving back to Yoshida was spent at the Hakone Open-Air Museum. I also really enjoyed this one for its contemporary art and immersive experience. This museum is exactly how it sounds — an outdoor museum full of sculptures and interactive buildings.
This nest-like structure houses a children’s playground inside.
One of my favorite structures was this tower made of stained glass. From the outside, the building looks like a drab, grey building, but it’s breathtaking the moment you enter.
It was dizzyingly beautiful to climb up the stairs and view the stained glass from all angles.
Another cool feature at the Hakone Open-Air Museum was this hot spring foot bath. If you’re too shy to get naked with strangers at an onsen, the museum’s foot bath is a great way to experience the area’s natural volcanic wonder.
Another playground structure
The views on the drive back to Yoshida were extraordinary, and I stopped by a local restaurant on the highway that had gorgeous views of Mt. Fuji and Hakone for endless photos and delicious food.
I have a lot of favorites about Japan, but maybe Hakone is my most favorite favorite. Hakone’s sleepy town feel mixed with its modern art and historic traditions reminded me how blessed I was to have the opportunity to live in Japan and experience its beauty.
Originally published at www.lesliegoesplaces.com