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Ashino-ko and Surroundings

Emerging from the cable car at Togendai you'll find yourself at the northern end of the bone-shaped lake, Ashino-ko, from where, weather permitting, you'll get fantastic views of Mount Fuji. If it's cloudy though, you'll have to make do with the less impressive 1357-metre Komaga-take on the eastern shore. A walk around the shoreline trails along the western side of the lake to the small resort of Hakone-machi, some 8km south, takes around three hours. It's more fun to board one of the colourful, cartoon-like "pirate ships" (¥1000) that regularly sail the length of the lake in around thirty minutes. This area of Hakone, part of the Prince empire of hotels and resorts, is not covered by the Hakone Free Pass and so is somewhat marginalized from the rest of the national park's attractions - and all the more peaceful for it. Boats run from Togendai to the Prince hotel resort at Hakone-en, midway down the east side of the lake, where there's also a large outdoor skating rink and a cable car up to Komaga-take's summit, from where there's a fabulous view. The summit can also be reached by bus from the tourist village of Moto-Hakane.

There's a cluster of upmarket hotels and ryokan at HAKONE-MACHI, where the "pirate ships" dock. This is also the location of the Hakone Barrier (daily 8.30am-4.30pm; ¥200) through which all traffic on the Tokaido, the ancient road linking Kyoto and Edo, once had to pass. What stands here today is a reproduction, enlivened by wax-work displays which provide the historical background. There's nothing much to keep you here though; instead, stroll north of the barrier around the wooded promontory, past the bland reconstruction of the Emperor Meiji's Hakone Detached Palace, and take in the views of the lake.

Running for around 1km beside the road leading from the Hakone Barrier to the lakeside village of MOTO-HAKONE is part of the Tokaido road, shaded by 420 lofty cryptomeria trees, planted in 1618 and now designated "Natural Treasures". Across the lake, you'll spot a vermilion torii gate, standing in the water just north of Moto-Hakone - a scene celebrated in many a ukiyo-e print and modern postcard. The gate belongs to the Hakone Gongen and is the best thing about this small Shinto shrine, set back in the trees, where samurai once came to pray.

Though it's fairly touristy, you'll find some decent accommodation at Moto-Hakone. At the bottom of the price range is the Hakone Lake Villa Youth Hostel (0460/3-1610; ¥3000-5000), in a secluded spot above Ashino-ko lake. The hostel has tatami and bunk-bed dorms, a lounge with a large outdoor deck surrounded by woods, a bath filled with onsen water and good-value meals. A lot more upmarket is the Hakone Prince Hotel (0460/3-1111, fax 3-7616; ¥20,000-30,000), with a prime location on the Komaga-take side of Ashino-ko and a multitude of facilities - the nicest rooms are in the Japanese-style annexes. A short bus ride or stiff ten-minute walk uphill from the village lies the Moto-Hakone Guest House, (0460/3-7880, fax 0460/4-6578; ¥7000-10,000), offering spotless, Japanese-style rooms, with singles at ¥5000, and serving breakfast only.

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