Hakone travel guide in English | Area Information: OHSGG

Area Information	Hakone (2015) 85km from Tokyo 30km from Mt.Fuji Population: 14,000 Tourists: 20,000,000/y Accommodations: 420
Odawara The city of Odawara, 200,000 population, the gate city of Hakone tour, is located approximately 80km southwest of Tokyo. Travelers can enter Hakone through Odawara using Odakyu Romance Car from Shinjyuku station (Tokyo). If you use Tokaido Shinkansen, then you can come to Odawara by only a little more 30 minutes train ride from Tokyo or Shinagawa station. Also, it is few hours from Kyoto and Osaka via Tokaido Shinkansen. Odawara castle is located approximately 800m from Odawara station and beautifully restored as it was in few hundreds years ago. Visiting Odawara castle gives you unforgettable memory of the life of Samurai period in Japan	Odawara Castle and Hakone
Hakone Hakone, only 85km from Tokyo, is located next to Odawara and one of the top resort areas with hot springs. Hakone Tozan Line (mountain railway), built in 1919, is the major route to climb up the Hakone mountains. The Hakone Circle Route is the most popular tour course in Hakone with other various optional spots. Although Hakone is a day trip distance from Tokyo, staying overnight in Hakone will give you a precious experience of a hot spring and beautifully prepared dinner at your Japanese style ryokan or hotel.	Lake Ashi-no-ko and Mt.Fuji
History of Odawara and Hakone From the 8th century, Hakone has been known as the sacred place of mountain worships. In the Kamakura period (the first Samurai period (1185~1333)), Odawara and Hakone appear on the main stream of Japanese history. Old Tokaido road, passing through Hakone and Odawara, has been used as the main route to connect Kamakura, the capital city during the Kamakura period, and Kyoto where Emperor lived. During one hundred years before the Edo period (1603~1867), Hojyo family stationed in Odawara and ruled entire Kanto region from south of Hakone to far north of Tokyo. The initial Odawara castle was built by Hojyo family as their main residence and fort. Throughout the Edo period (the last Samurai governed period), Odawara castle was expanded and the town of Odawara had been developed as the key castle town located just next to Hakone. Since Hakone was the steepest mountain path along the old Tokaido road which connects Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto, Odawara and Hakone had played the important role to protect the capital city Edo (Tokyo). After the Meiji period (1868~), Odawara and Hakone have been developed as the mountain resort area with hot springs and magnificent views of Owaku-dani Valley, Lake Ashi-no-ko, and Mt. Fuji.