Hakone arrives quickly — ninety minutes from Shinjuku and you’re in a different world entirely. Volcanic terrain, sulfuric air, cedar forest closing in on either side of a slow-climbing rack railway, and on clear mornings, Fuji sitting on the horizon with a scale that borders on theatrical. The rhythm here is built around altitude and onsen rather than temples or commerce, and the eating and drinking has grown — particularly in Gora, the mountain town at the top of the line — into something that holds its own alongside the ryokan offerings. Two nights gives you enough time to do the mountain and the ropeway properly without rushing the slower, more restorative parts of the stay. Whether you’re arriving from Tokyo or threading Hakone into the journey between there and Kyoto or Osaka, the stop earns itself.

Food & Drink

Tea

Chaseki

Single-origin Japanese tea shop in Gora, a four-minute walk from the station. Counter seating, served with senchado-influenced ceremony gestures. Hojicha is roasted to order in front of you. Pair your tea with their wagashi, made by local Hakone confectioners and rotated seasonally.

Known For: Single-origin sencha and gyokuro from producers across Japan; hojicha roasted to order; tea cocktails including a matcha beer made with Gora Brewery.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Reservations are required. Note that photos and videos are not permitted inside.

Coffee

COFFEE CAMP

Espresso pulled on a La Marzocco, hand-drip to order, beans roasted in-house. One of the earliest openings in Gora.

Known For: Specialty espresso and pour-over; breakfast sets and homemade sweets.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Go early — one of the few places in Gora open at 8am, ideal before hitting the ropeway.

Restaurants

Tamura Ginkatsutei 田村銀かつ亭

Gora institution open since 1973 in a traditional wooden building, three minutes from the station. There are two buildings: the old building, with a paper signup sheet out front, serves the Tofu Katsuni exclusively — minced pork sandwiched between tofu from Gora’s own Gintofu shop, deep-fried, simmered in earthenware, and finished with egg and smoked mackerel dashi. The main restaurant, with an iPad ticket system at the entrance, serves the full menu including tonkatsu.

Known For: Tofu Katsuni and tonkatsu.

Closed: Wednesday

Pro Tip: Go early for the full tonkatsu restaurant — waits can run upwards of an hour during peak times.

Bars & Breweries

Gora Brewery & Grill

A craft brewery and grill in Gora — a Nobu collaboration — with a foot bath outside and a striking interior anchored by a 300-year-old fallen cedar.

Known For: Award-winning house craft beers brewed with Hakone natural water, alongside a Nobu-style grill menu.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Happy hour runs 1–4pm — the right time to settle in with a beer before dinner.

PUB STOP Pizza and Bar

The casual sibling to Gora Brewery — craft beer and pizza in a relaxed setting a short walk away.

Known For: Craft beer and pizza.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: A good option for takeaway if you’d rather eat outside near the station.

Sites & Experiences

Hakone Open Air Museum 彫刻の森美術館

Japan’s first open-air art museum, opened in 1969. Major works by Rodin, Moore, Picasso, and Giacometti across a landscaped route, plus a dedicated Picasso Pavilion holding the largest collection of his work in Japan.

Known For: The sculpture garden, the Picasso Pavilion, and a foot onsen built into the walking route.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: Allow two to three hours — the grounds are considerably larger than they read on a map.

Owakudani 大涌谷

Active volcanic valley on the Hakone Ropeway — steaming fumaroles, sulfuric vents, and queues of cheerful visitors there for one thing: kuro-tamago, black eggs boiled in the alkaline hot spring water, sold in bags of five.

Known For: Kuro-tamago and a direct sightline into an active volcanic crater, with Fuji in the frame on clear days.

Open Daily

Pro Tip: The ropeway continues to Togendai on Lake Ashi, where you can board a lake cruise before returning by bus — a natural half-day circuit when weather cooperates.

Getting There: Your Options

Via the Romancecar — from Tokyo The Odakyu Romance Car runs direct from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto: reserved seating, no transfers, and views that improve steadily as the city gives way to mountains. Journey time is around 85 minutes. From Hakone-Yumoto, the Hakone Tozan Railway carries you up to Gora via three switchbacks through the cedar forest — allow around 40 minutes for the climb. Book Romance Car seats in advance, particularly on weekends and holiday periods.

Via Shinkansen to Odawara — from Kyoto, Osaka, or Tokyo If you’re arriving from Kyoto or Osaka, or want the fastest connection from Tokyo, take the shinkansen to Odawara. From Tokyo, the Kodama runs the route in around 35 minutes; from Kyoto, the Hikari takes approximately two hours. From Odawara, take the local Hakone Tozan Railway to Hakone-Yumoto, then transfer to the mountain section of the line — a separate train that climbs via three switchbacks up to Gora. Total journey from Odawara to Gora is around 55 minutes.

The Hakone Free Pass Available from Odakyu, this pass covers the trains between Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto, and Gora, as well as the ropeway, local buses, and lake cruise — almost always worth the cost for a two-night stay. Purchase directly through EMot before you depart.

Ready to plan your Hakone stay? Reach out — I can help you find the right ryokan and build an itinerary worth the detour.