[Conquer Hakone Gora from Odawara!] Excellent access and great value! A leisurely trip with stops along the way for great savings🚃
This time, I took a leisurely solo trip aboard the Hakone Tozan Railway, so I'd like to share the places I visited!
The fastest ride on the Odakyu Romancecar from Odakyu Shinjuku Station to Odawara Station takes about 75 minutes.
The fastest ride from JR Tokaido Line Yokohama Station takes about 46 minutes.
Odawara is easily accessible from central Tokyo, and is a great place to enjoy a leisurely balance of nature and sightseeing.
It's only 15 minutes from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto Station on the Hakone Tozan Line!
Alternatively, from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora, you can transfer to the Hakone Tozan Line and enjoy the approximately 40-minute ride up the mountain road, with several switchbacks along the way, making for an extraordinary experience.
The Hakone Tozan Railway offers several discount tickets, but this time I used the "Hakone Tozan Railway One-Day Relaxing Ticket" to get the best deal.
This ticket allows unlimited travel between Odawara Station, Hakone-Yumoto Station, and Gora Station throughout the day, so I was able to freely explore all the places introduced here♪
It was great that I could easily get off at any stop along the way and easily visit the shops I wanted to visit✨
[Odawara Castle]
🏯 6-1 Jounai, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
🚶 Approximately a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station
🕔 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (last entrance 4:30 PM), closed the second Wednesday of December and December 31st - January 1st
🎫 Castle Tower: Adults ¥510 / Elementary and Junior High School Students ¥200. Other admissions include Tokiwagi Gate ¥200 and Ninja Hall ¥310. ◎Combined tickets available
👆 The view from the reconstructed castle tower is spectacular! Enjoy a historical stroll through the grounds, experiencing the armor experience and the Ninja Museum, a must-see for both children and adults. 🧭
[Star of Life Earth Museum]
🏛️ 499 Iryuda, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0031
🚶 Approximately a 3-minute walk from Iryuda Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway
🕘 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Closed Mondays)
🎫 Ages 20-65: ¥520 / Ages 15-20: ¥300 / High School Students and Over 65: ¥100 / Junior High School Students and Younger: Free
👆 Discover a wealth of exhibits, including dinosaur fossils, insect specimens, animal taxidermy, and even volcanic activity and geology. A museum that's fun for both solo and family visits!
[Suzuhiro Kamaboko Village]
🏬 245 Kazematsuri, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0032
🚶 Short walk from Kazematsuri Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway
🕘 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
🎫 Free
👆 At this time of year, you'll be greeted by a multitude of wind chimes as you pass through the ticket gates at Kazematsuri Station. The water basin at the main entrance along National Route 1 is also cool, refreshing both your eyes and ears during this hot summer. 🎐
It's also refreshing to be able to casually observe how kamaboko is made.
[Hakone Gora Park]
⛲️1300 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0408
🚶Approximately a 5-minute walk from Gora Station on the mountain climbing line, approximately a 1-minute walk from Koen-shita cable car station, and approximately a 1-minute walk from Koen-kami cable car station
🕘9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
🎫Adults ¥650 / Free for elementary school students and younger
👆Free admission with a "Nonbiri Ticket." In addition to various craft experiences at the park's workshops, there's also a cafe with panoramic views of the Hakone mountains. Relax on the benches around the fountain and rose garden. It's a steep climb from Gora Station, so we recommend wearing comfortable walking clothes.
[Hakone Picnic]
📍 457-6 Kowakudani, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0406
🚶 2-minute walk from Kowakudani Station
🕘 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM (Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays)
👆 I had lunch at this Taiwanese restaurant. This time I had the chicken rice. You can choose the medium or large size for the main dish, and it came with side dishes like kimchi and a mini dessert.
From the second floor, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Hakone mountains. It was a wonderful restaurant where you could easily lose track of time.
[Watanabe Bakery]
📍 343-3 Miyanoshita, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0404
🚶 Approximately 8 minutes walk from Miyanoshita Station
🕘 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed Wednesdays)
👆 This bakery is famous for its specialty "Umeboshi Anpan" (pickled plum bean bun) and "Hot Spring Stew Bread." Established in 1891, it's the oldest bakery in Hakone. Dine-in is also available, and the Hot Spring Stew Bread is served piping hot.
The plum and anpan (bean bun) was delicious, with its exquisite combination of saltiness and sweet bean paste.
[Manjuya Nanohana]
📍 705-705 Yumoto, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0311
🚶 1-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station
🕘 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
👆 The chewy "Hakone no Otsukisama" and "Gokuro-san" sweets can be steamed and enjoyed on the spot. They also come in boxed sets for souvenirs, and their bite-sized treats make them perfect for snacking on and on. My personal recommendations are the crispy pie-like "Baked Mont Blanc" and "Baked Apple" baked goods. They're fragrant and have a wonderful texture, making them sure to make a wonderful souvenir. The "Hanaboro" sweets I chose as a souvenir were also delicious, with a hint of chocolate.
[Iseya Main Store]
📍 3-6-22 Honmachi, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0012
🚶 Approximately 15 minutes walk from Odawara Station
🕘 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed Thursdays)
🌟 There's also a store at Lasca Odawara, directly connected to Odawara Station, which is open daily and accepts credit cards.
👆 Founded in 1935, this long-established Japanese confectionery shop in Odawara offers a wide selection of sweets, from the classic, mildly sweet Mame Daifuku (bean daifuku) and Yasuamakara (sweet bean daifuku) to treats made with Odawara's famous plums and citrus fruits, as well as seasonal treats. Currently offering sweetfish and doyo mochi (doyo mochi). The chewy texture of each mochi is exquisite, making this a favorite Japanese confectionery shop.
#JapanTravel #DomesticTravel #Sightseeing #Odawara #Hakone #Gora #HakoneTozanRailway