Hakone Town

Hakone is usually more synonymous with skiing or being a jumping off point for tours to Mt. Fuji but it’s actually a great place to check out almost anytime of the year since it’s easily accessible by way of the Odakyu Line or many direct express buses. Of the many things to get into, we’re going to set our sights on the history and natural beauty of this area for this particular day trip. Touring the Old Tokaido Road There’s a bullet train, regular train, and two expressways named “Tokaido” but the original was just a foot and horse trail. Only 11km of the original path actually remains and you can find it here. Using this map, we’re going to walk along the same trail many a samurai, merchant and laborer walked in the old days of Edo and check out a little history along the way. Hakone-Yumoto Station We’ll start here since this also means we will be walking downhill the entire time. The station area itself is lively with tourists and shops selling sundries and souvenirs from the area. There are also plenty of restaurants and even convenience stores in case you arrived on an empty stomach. Here’s…