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Guide · The gateway town
Hakone-Yumoto: the hot-spring town at the foot of Hakone
Hakone-Yumoto is where almost every visit to Hakone begins. It is also worth a day of its own: baths, a Zen temple, an old highway and a quiet river valley.
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Editorial team, hakone-tour.comUpdated October 22, 2026about 6 min to read51 sources
In brief
The gateway to Hakone
Hakone-Yumoto is the most popular entry point to Hakone and the last stop of the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and Odawara.7 Odakyu Hakone describes it as a town with a long history as a hot-spring district, where you can bathe, stay in hotels and shop along rows of stores, and where the limited express from Shinjuku arrives directly.1
The town sits at the bottom of the Hakone valley, where the river leaves the mountains. Everything higher up, from Gora to the lake, is reached from here by mountain railway or bus. That makes Yumoto both a doorway and a base: staying here means the trains to Tokyo leave from your doorstep and the rest of Hakone is a ride uphill. The town follows the river, so most of what you need lies within a few minutes' walk of the station, with inns spreading up the side valleys.
It is also one of the oldest bathing places in the valley. A guide from 1811, the oldest known record of the Hakone springs, already lists Yumoto among the seven hot springs of Hakone.8
An afternoon in Yumoto
From the station to a bath
Hakone-Yumoto Station, step by step
Most journeys start at Hakone-Yumoto Station. The limited express from Shinjuku takes about 80 minutes, and from Odawara the Odakyu line takes 15 minutes.213 The station is compact, and the platforms are numbered by direction.
Platform 1 serves the limited express, platform 2 trains for Odawara, and platform 3 the Hakone Tozan Railway up to Gora.14 The ticket gate is upstairs. If you are heading into the mountains, platform 3 is the one to find.14 The mountain train takes about 40 minutes to Gora with 6 stops on the way.15
The station's best service for visitors is luggage. A counter in the station building takes your bags and delivers them to your accommodation.3 With your hands free you can sightsee all day and collect everything at your inn in the evening. The shops beside the ticket gates sell local sweets and crafts, handy for a last-minute gift while you wait for a train.
Around town
Yumoto sights at a glance
| Sight | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sounji | Rinzai Zen temple | Founded in 1521 |
| Cold springs | Shugakudo, Hakusan Shrine, Tamadare | Easy to walk past |
| Kenban events | Song and dance | Free if you stay in Yumoto or Tonosawa |
| Old Tokaido trail | Edo-period road to the lake | About 7 km, 2 to 3 hours |
| Amidaji | Hydrangea temple above Tonosawa | Late June to mid July |
From the Hakone Tourist Association's history pages and trail guide.4916517
Three Yumoto days
Bathe, explore or walk
Decision helper
How should you spend time in Yumoto?
Match Yumoto to the time you have
This is a town with a rich history as a hot springs district. Visitors can try out the hot springs, stay at hotels, and enjoy shopping at the rows of stores.
Bathing in Yumoto
Hakone-Yumoto onsen bathing comes in every form, from riverside ryokan with their own baths to day bathhouses in the hills above town. Bathing rules are the same everywhere: wash before you get in, keep your towel out of the water and leave the swimsuit behind.111221
Tenzan, a public bathhouse in the hills above town, is a good example of a day bath with strict rules. It has no private bath and takes no reservations; groups are limited to 6 adults; and payment is basically cash only, with no ATM nearby.182219 It does not accept sightseeing tours or visits accompanied by agents.23
If tattoos or shyness are a concern, a ryokan with a private bath is the easier choice. The Japan Tourism Agency notes that guests with tattoos can use private ryokan baths with no issue.24 Our guide to Hakone onsen and ryokan explains how the different baths work and what a night includes.
Map
Hakone, the Tozan line and the old road
The whole valley first, then the railway climb to Gora, the streets around Yumoto station, the cedar road over the pass and the way in from Tokyo.
1Yumoto Station2Hakone Open-Air Museum3Owakudani4Sengokuhara5Hakone Checkpoint
6Tonosawa Station7Ohiradai Station8Miyanoshita Station9Kowakidani Station10Chisuji Falls11Gora Station12Hakone Gora Park13Sounzan Station
14Sounji Temple15Tenzan bathhouse16Amidaji Temple
17Hatajuku18Amazake Chaya19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
20Shinjuku Station21Odawara Station
- 1Yumoto Station
The limited express from Shinjuku ends here after about 80 minutes; platform 3 is for the Tozan Railway up to Gora.214
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Hakone Open-Air Museum
Sculpture park opened in 1969, a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Tozan line.2526
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Owakudani
A stop on the day tour this site sells, reached on the Hakone Ropeway.
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Sengokuhara
Highland area with silver grass plains in autumn; express buses run here from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.2728
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Hakone Checkpoint
Reconstructed Edo-period checkpoint, open to the public since April 2007, with a museum of 300 items.2930
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tonosawa Station
First stop above Yumoto; a path of no more than 20 minutes leads up to Amidaji.10
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Ohiradai Station
One of the switchbacks where the train reverses to keep climbing.31
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Miyanoshita Station
Village of the Fujiya Hotel, developed as a summer retreat from Tokyo and Yokohama.32
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Kowakidani Station
Chisuji Falls is a 20-minute stroll from here.33
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Chisuji Falls
Water threads down a mossy volcanic wall 20 meters wide and 3 meters tall.34
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Gora Station
End of the Tozan line, where the cable car continues uphill.35
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Hakone Gora Park
Garden opened in 1914, a 5-minute walk from Gora Station.3637
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Sounzan Station
Top of the cable car, 209 meters above Gora, and the ropeway transfer.38
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Sounji Temple
Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1521 in honour of Hojo Soun.4
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Tenzan bathhouse
Day-use bathhouse with public baths only, no private bath, and cash payment.1819
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Amidaji Temple
Hydrangeas line its path from late June to mid July.17
In Google Maps ↗ - 17Hatajuku
Village of yosegi marquetry, with reconstructed milestone mounds that marked 23 ri from Edo.3940
In Google Maps ↗ - 18Amazake Chaya
Thatched teahouse run by 12 generations, open 7am to 5:30pm.4142
In Google Maps ↗ - 19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
Cedars more than 350 years old, some 30 to 40 meters tall, line the old road by the lake.43
In Google Maps ↗ - 20Shinjuku Station
Odakyu limited expresses leave here for Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes away.2
In Google Maps ↗ - 21Odawara Station
Shinkansen stop; from here the Odakyu line reaches Hakone-Yumoto in 15 minutes.13
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
For a day in Yumoto
01
At the station
- Leave big bags at the delivery counter
- Platform 3 for the mountain train
- Check the last train to Tokyo
02
In town
- Cash for day baths
- A small towel for bathing
- Avoid Golden Week and Obon if you can
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Video
A walk through Hakone-Yumoto
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Temples, springs and geisha
Sounji, a Zen temple of the Rinzai school, was founded in 1521 in honour of the warlord Hojo Soun.4 Toyotomi Hideyoshi burned it in 1590 after defeating the Hojo, and it was rebuilt in the following century; since 1672 its grounds have held a monument to five generations of Hojo lords.4445 It is a quiet escape from the busy main street, with a Zen garden behind the main hall and tall trees shading the old graves of the Hojo lords on the hillside.
Look out for water. Besides hot springs, Hakone has cold springs, and three that visitors can reach are in Hakone-Yumoto: the Shugakudo spring, the spring at Hakusan Shrine and the Tamadare spring.9 They are often tucked into unlikely corners, so ask at your inn or a shop for directions.
Yumoto also keeps a living geisha tradition. Hakone has about 150 active geisha, supported by the Hakone-Yumoto Kenban, and the Kenban holds monthly events of an hour of song and dance, free for anyone staying the night in Yumoto or Tonosawa.4616 Ask at your inn whether one falls during your stay.
Walks that start in Yumoto
Yumoto sits at the foot of Hakone's great historic roads. The Old Tokaido trail from near Hakone-Yumoto to Lake Ashi covers about 7 km in 2 to 3 hours and is rated moderate.5 It passes Hatajuku and the Amazake Chaya teahouse on the way to the lake, where cedars line the old road.
An older road starts here too. The Yusakamichi, established in the ninth century, begins at Hakone-Yumoto and crosses central Hakone towards Ashinoyu and Hakone Shrine; today it can be walked as a 10.4-kilometer hiking course.6
For something short, ride one stop up to Tonosawa. From the station a stepped path of no more than 20 minutes climbs to Amidaji, a temple known for hydrangeas that bloom from late June to mid July.1017 It is the perfect hour between lunch and a bath.
The Daimyo procession and other dates
Once a year Yumoto turns back the clock. On 3 November about 170 people in period dress walk a stretch of the old Tokaido through town for the Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu, first organised in 1935.2047 It imitates the processions of the Odawara domain, of which Hakone was part, and brings the old highway briefly back to life.
Seasons shape the town too. Odakyu Hakone forecasts crowds for Golden Week from late April to early May, for Obon from 10 to 16 August and for the autumn leaves in November.484950 On 2 and 3 January the Hakone Ekiden relay race passes through, and traffic is restricted in some areas.51
Outside those dates Yumoto is easy going. Arrive after lunch, walk to Sounji, take a bath, and eat dinner in town before the train back, or stay the night and start up the mountain early the next morning.
Yumoto on a guided day
Several small-group walks begin at the Yumoto ticket gate. A half-day hike on the old Tokaido for up to 6 people meets there and finishes at the Hakone Checkpoint after 3.5 hours. A 7-hour version continues to Mishima Station, and a caldera ridge hike for fit walkers also starts and ends at the same gate.
The coach tour this site sells takes a different line. It leaves from Tokyo and drives straight to Hakone Shrine and the lake, then the ropeway and Owakudani, with no stop in Yumoto. It suits travellers who want the famous upper loop in a day; Yumoto is best kept for an evening or a stay.
Whichever you choose, Yumoto is where Hakone begins and ends on any rail trip. Leave yourself an hour here before the train home: a bath, a bowl of soba and a stroll by the river make a better finish to a Hakone day than a rush for the platform.
Your Hakone day
Shrine, steam and the Fuji lakes in a day.
Pick a date, meet in Tokyo, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
How do I get to Yumoto from Tokyo?
Limited express from Shinjuku. It takes about 80 minutes; from Odawara the Odakyu line takes 15 minutes.213
Which platform is the mountain train?
Platform 3. The Hakone Tozan Railway for Gora leaves from platform 3 of the station.14
Can I leave luggage at the station?
Yes, and have it delivered. A counter in the station building delivers bags to your accommodation.3
Is there a day bath near Yumoto?
Yes, with its own rules. Tenzan, in the hills above town, has public baths only and takes cash.1819
What is there to see?
Sounji, springs, the old road. Sounji was founded in 1521; the old Tokaido trail starts near town.45
When is the Daimyo procession?
3 November. About 170 people in period dress walk the old Tokaido through town.20
Does the day tour stop in Yumoto?
No. Its listed stops begin at Hakone Shrine and the lake, then the ropeway and Owakudani.
Sources
The sources for this guide
- 1Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto↩
- 2Odakyu Electric RailwayLimited Express from Shinjuku to Hakone: ticket details↩
- 3Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto Station↩
- 4Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 5Hakone Tourist AssociationBest hiking trails in Hakone↩
- 6Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yusakamichi↩
- 7Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 8Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)The 17 hot springs of Hakone↩
- 9Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Springs of Hakone↩
- 10Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 11Japan Tourism AgencyRyokan Q&A: the communal bath↩
- 12Japan Tourism AgencyRyokan Q&A: the communal bath↩
- 13Hakone Tourist AssociationJR Railpass and Hakone↩
- 14Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto Station↩
- 15Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 16Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Kenban↩
- 17Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 18Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 19Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 20Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu procession↩
- 21Japan Tourism AgencyRyokan Q&A: the communal bath↩
- 22Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 23Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 24Japan Tourism AgencyRyokan Q&A: the communal bath↩
- 25The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAbout Us↩
- 26The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAccess↩
- 27Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Sengokuhara silver grass fields↩
- 28Hakone Tourist AssociationHow do I go to Hakone?↩
- 29Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 30Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 31Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 32Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 33Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 34Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 35Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 36Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 37Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 38Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone Tozan Train / Hakone Tozan Cable Car↩
- 39Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 40Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 41Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 42Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 43Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Old Hakone Highway cedar-lined road↩
- 44Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 45Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 46Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Kenban↩
- 47Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu procession↩
- 48Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 49Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 50Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
- 51Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Crowd forecast↩
