|
|
|
|
Check for Japan hotel deals here!
Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto
Travelling from Tokyo to Hakone, you'll pass through
the historic castle town of ODAWARA, some 75km west of the capital.
The castle (daily 9am-10am; \250) looks pretty impressive, especially
in spring when the cherry trees in the grounds explode in pink blossom,
but it is a recent reconstruction and a visit here is soured by the
appalling conditions of the zoo just next door. Better to press on to
HAKONE-YUMOTO, the small town nestling in the valley at the gateway
to the national park. Despite being marred by scores of concrete-block
hotels and besso (vacation lodges for company workers), not to mention
the usual cacophony of souvenir shops, the town has some good onsen,
ideal for unwinding after a day's sightseeing around the park. You can
also pick up a map of the area at the Hakone Tourist Information Office
(daily 8.30am-5pm), two minutes' walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station along
the main road. Up the hill from the station is the Kappa Tengoku Notemburo
(daily 10am-10pm; ¥700) a small, traditional outdoor onsen, which
can get crowded. More stylish is Tenzan Notemburo (daily 9am-11pm; ¥900)
a luxurious public onsen complex at Oku-Yumoto, 2km southwest of town.
The main building has separate male and female outdoor baths, including
waterfalls and jacuzzi baths, in a series of rocky pools. Men also have
a clay hut sauna, and for ¥200 extra on weekdays (¥900 on weekends)
both men and women can use the wooden baths in the building across the
parking lot. A free shuttle bus runs to the baths from the bridge just
north of Hakone-Yumoto Station.
While you probably won't want to stay in Hakone-Yumoto,
it's a good place to eat; try Kodanaki, along the main road south from
the station, which specializes in udon noodles. There are also three
good-value restaurants at the Tenzan Notemburo, serving rice, shabu-shabu
(sauteed beef) and yakiniku (grilled meat) dishes.
|
