Tokaido Walk(9) Odawara-Hakone (off Tokyo): May 3, 2011

Hakone was known as the hardest place to pass in Tokaido. People had to walk steep roads to across the Hakone Mountains. Many tourists lost their lives here.


Japan’s old folk song says – “Mt. Hakone is a nationwide-famous hard place…”



I used the Golden week holidays to across the Hakone Mountains.

I started the walk from Odawara. They had a festival in Odawara Castle to honor the glory days of the Hojo family, the ruler of the region in the 16th century. Many people gathered there.


Hakone is now a National Park. There are modern roads and railways for the tourists. The old Tokaido remains as it was in some parts. Some parts have been converted into new roads. Other parts have returned to bushes and woods.

I walked about 5 kilometers on National Route 1 from Odawara. The road was steep. There were so many cars in the road.
The Hayakawa River runs along the road. I arrived at Hokone Yumito, the most popular hot spring resort in the region.

The old road appeared. It was covered with stones. The construction works were done by the Tokugawa government more than 300 years ago to keep the safety of the travellers.

The old road went through the woods in some parts. The air was fresh and the creeks were beautiful. Various birds sang. It was confortable to walk in the wood, but it was also hectic as the slopes were so steep.


The bushes were deep. It is recorded that rubbers were behind the bushes and some travellers were attacked in the Edo period. It is also recorded that many palanquin carriers worked here. Palanquin is a portable seat carried by 2-4 drivers.

The automobile roads were also steep. There were many u-turn curves.

I arrived at the coast of Lake Ashi after climbing the mountain nearly five hours. The lake was made by the eruption of Mr. Fuji. It was beautiful. It was a pity that I could not see Mt. Fuji as the weather was cloudy.

I walked the famous “cider street” along the lake. More than 400 old cider trees remain there. The trees are about 30 meter high and 3 meters in diameter. There were not so many tourists walking today (but many tourist were walking in the following day = May 4th).

I moved to the old checking station (Sekisho). The Tokugawa Government checked the people coming in and going out from the Edo area. Current buildings were reconstructed in the Showa era. The place was used in many novels and dramas.



The Hakone Shukuba station was around here. It is the 10th station from Nihonbashi in Edo (Tokyo).


Hakone is crowded in the Golden week every year. But it was more crowded than usual this year. It is because people prefer to visit places around Tokyo rather than having long-distance travel affected by the Great Tohoku Earthquake in March. I saw so many people in every viewing point and terminal, but I found not so many people in the old Tokaido trails in the woods.