Hakone is a historical onsen (hotspring) town in Kanagawa prefecture. It is about 1hr 30min by car or train from Tokyo making it a popular place to visit for both locals as well as tourists from overseas.

The town stretches back far in history and has been a popular resort for a long time.

It was an important post town along the historical Tokaido road and here the government controlled the movement of people in and out of Tokyo.

There is a small population of just 10,000 and many work in the tourism industry, there are many ryokans here and is a popular destination to try out a ryokan and hot spring stay.

The main places to visit are around Lake Ashinoko which offers boat cruises across the lake, and the Gora area with many high-end ryokans and a lovely park.

Surrounded by mountains, there are some popular hiking trails and also ropeways to explore the area.