The Lake Ashi Leisure Cruise opened as the first catamaran cruise ship in Japan in 1920, and currently operates a liner service between the 4 ports of Hakone Sekisho-ato, Moto-Hakone, Hakone-en, and the terminal Kojiri. A circular route starting from one of the 4 ports and coming back to the same port through the other 3 ports is also available. As a catamaran features two parallel hulls of equal size, the spacious ship enjoys great stability and offers a 360-degree view from the viewing deck. Passengers can also look into the cockpit through a window in the cabin on the first floor to experience the feeling of being the ship’s captain.Another company also offers Hakone sightseeing cruises on Ashinoko Lake, on a model pirate ship, and discount sightseeing combination tickets for the ropeway and sightseeing cruise are available for both leisure cruise services. Please see the official websites for both companies to learn more about special offers and details for your trip to Hakone!Most worth visiting on clear days, when you have gorgeous close-up views of Mt. Fuji. Included in the Hakone Free Pass ticket.

Pizzeria in harmony with Ashinoko's rich nature. You can savor 30 types of Napolitan pizza cooked using a stove from Italy, Italian cuisine using fresh fish provisioned from Odawara and Numazu port as well as vegetables from Hakone Nishifumoto, with local wine and cheese!

The Hakone Old Highway was once part of the Tokaido Highway, established by the Edo Shogunate at the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1867), and was known as the most difficult part of the Tokaido Highway to cross, stretching roughly 32km from Odawara-juku to Mishima-juku via Hakone-juku by Lake Ashi. Even today, some of the roadways from those days remain on the east (Hakone Town and Odawara City) and west (Mishima City and Kannami Town) sides of Mt. Hakone, where stone-paved paths, rows of pine and cedar trees, distance milestones, and even a reconstructed Hakone Sekisho (barrier) can still be seen. The cedar trees, which are found only along Lake Ashi, are believed to have been planted because they were suited to the climate of Mt. Hakone, whereas most of the trees along the highway are pine trees. Walking among the rows of cedar trees, some of which are more than 350 years old and some of which have grown up to 30 to 40 meters high, you are sure to experience the ancient highway as if an Edo-era traveler.This hiking path, as well as Hakone Shrine, are the two best places to see magnificent cedar trees. Descending is easier than the climb, but is tough on the knees.

Hakone Shrine is an ancient shrine celebrating its 1266th anniversary. Founded in 757, the first year of the Tenpyo-Hoji Era, at the beginning of the Nara Period (710-794), when Mamaki Shonin, who was in ascetic training on Mount Hakone, was entrusted by the Great God of Hakone to the shrine at its current location by Lake Ashi. During the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo deeply worshipped Hakone Shrine, giving birth to the custom of nishomode (pilgrimage to two shrines). Since then, the shrine has flourished as a place of reverence for warriors such as the regent Hojo and the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, as well as a sacred place for Shugen (Japanese mountain asceticism). In modern times, with the construction of the Hakone Road, Hakone became a sacred place of worship for the common people, and belief in Mount Hakone as a deity highly virtuous for protecting against bad luck, fulfilling one's desire, and ensuring traffic safety became even more popular. The approach from the Heiwa-no-torii (peaceful gateway) by Lake Ashinoko to the main shrine is flanked by rows of cedar trees more than 600 years old, giving the shrine a majestic appearance, behind the vermilion-lacquered Gongen-zukuri main shrine building is a pure forest of himeshara, a natural treasure of Kanagawa Prefecture, and the Gongen Mitarashi pond and Lake Ashi below reflect the vermilion Peace Gate and the sacred Mount Fuji, surrounding the shrine with beautiful nature. Many visitors from around the world come to pay their respects at the Kuzuryu Shrine (Shingu and Hongu), which is a shrine revered not only for its good fortune and prosperity, but also for its protection of money, prosperity in business, and match-making, particularly during the Tsukinamisai held at the main shrine on the 13th of each month. [Divine virtues] Good luck repelling of bad luck, fulfillment of one’s desires (protection against bad luck), traffic safety, match-making, family safety, and business prosperity On July 31st, the shrine organizes the Ashinoko Kosui Matsuri Festival to celebrate a legendary dragon. Monks sail the lake on pirate ships offering red rice to the depths below. Floating lanterns illuminate the lake waters while fireworks light the skies above.Lake Ashinoko Summer Festival Week: Hakone Summer Festival offers a variety of events such as the biggest annual festival of Hakone Shrine with Shinto celebrations and rituals, fireworks, and more. Many fireworks will be launched at a total of six fireworks festivals, adding color to the summer Hakone sky.

Salon de Thé Rosage, located on the shores of Lake Ashi in Hakone, is a dessert restaurant serving delicious tea, sweets, and light meals. When the weather is good, you can enjoy an elegant tea time on terrace seating savoring tea and desserts alongside the breeze of Lake Ashi. Certified as a cafe with delicious tea by the Japan Tea Association, this restaurant offers over 15 varieties of tea leaves selected meticulously by the tea instructors. Pair your tea with traditional apple pie, seasonal limited-edition sweets, and light lunch plates during lunchtime. Come indulge yourself with a luxurious moment aside Lake Ashi!