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.

Narukawa Art Museum stands by the Ashinoko in Hakone, surrounded by trees. It was opened to the public in 1988. They have a collection of more than 4,000 works specializing in modern Japanese paintings. They have about 150 pieces of works by Gakuto Yamamoto, who has won an award for culture. About 40 pieces of Ikuo Hirayama. From the museum's garden, enjoy an excellent view of Hakone.Enjoy one of Hakone's best views from the Panorama Lounge — when the sky is clear, admire Mount Fuji, Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine's red torii gate together.

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!

The Odakyu Hotel de Yama, located on the shores of Lake Ashi in Hakone, is an authentic resort hotel in an unbeatable location, with Lake Ashi sparkling before your eyes and a magnificent view of Mount Fuji opposite the garden. Built on the site of the former villa of Baron Koyata Iwasaki, the hotel still retains strong traces of its former days and exudes a romantically classic atmosphere. The large garden boasts a vast area that was inherited from the former Iwasaki Residence, designed to make the most of the natural characteristics of the hillside so that the flowers and trees of the four seasons grow in harmony with the majestic form of Mt. Fuji, as well as the deep blue waters of Lake Ashi. Colorful azaleas and rhododendrons begin to bloom in May in the vast garden, creating a spectacular view against Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi in the background. In 2022, the garden's azaleas were recognized as "National Collection No. 10" by the Japan Association of Botanical Gardens, and in 2023, the rhododendrons were recognized as "National Collection No. 15". 230 hydrangeas of 25 varieties bloom from mid to late June. The Rose Garden is at its best twice a year, in June and October, which fills the garden with a sweet fragrance of rose. We hope you enjoy this garden filled with flowers from season to season to your fullest desire!