Aerial photography of Lake Ashi and mountains in Hakone

DAY 04 / OWAKUDANI TO HAKONE-YUMOTO

Last day in Hakone

Save Lake Kawaguchi for next time and finish slowly at Owakudani and Yumoto Shopping Street.

On the fourth day, I originally wanted to drive to Lake Yamanaka or Lake Kawaguchi, but this was my last full day in Hakone. Later, I decided to go to Owakudani and visit Yumoto Shopping Street.

Hakone Owakudani Yumoto Cabin

Hakone Morning

Wooden house in the morning with Hakone mountain view

At the end of the day, I didn’t rush. I took aerial photography to capture the terrain near the lake, mountains and cabins, and then drove to Owakudani.

Aerial photography of Lake Ashi and settlements — 08:56 JST / towards Lake Ashi

Aerial shot of the exterior of a wooden house in Hakone — 09:06 JST / Log house exterior

Route Map

Day 4 route

Drive from Hakone Wooden House to Owakudani, then to Hakone Yumoto Shopping Street for lunch and a walk, and return to Hakone Wooden House in the evening to pack your luggage.

Open the complete route on Google Maps

Owakudani

Mount Fuji, volcanic smoke and parking crowds

It only takes ten minutes from the cabin to Owakudani, but we had to wait a little longer for a parking space on holidays. The trails are temporarily closed, but the shops and small museums are still a good place to spend time.

Close view of Mount Fuji from Owakudani Valley — 12:01 JST / Close view of Mount Fuji

One daughter from the Taiwanese family we met by chance — 12:08 JST / Daughter from the Taiwanese family we met

Owakudani Shop and Tourist Service Building — 12:20 JST / Owakudani Building

Owakudani store entrance and crowds — 12:21 JST / Store entrance

Parking lot and view of Mount Fuji — 12:23 JST / Parking lot view

Owakudani volcano smoke and slopes — 12:18 JST / Volcano smoke

Volcanic landscapes and buildings — 12:19 JST / Volcanic Landscape

Close view of Owakudani volcano smoke — 12:19 JST / Close shot of smoke

Smoke and fog on Owakudani hillside — 12:24 JST / Hillside fog

Black Egg Shops

Once the trails are closed, leave time for the shops

The volcanic activity temporarily closed the trail, but the shops, black eggs and exhibition spaces in Owakudani also have a strong presence. We stopped here for more than two hours.

Owakudani Store Stairs and Notices — 12:46 JST / Store Movement

Group photo at Owakudani — 13:17 JST / Owakudani photo

Hakone-Yumoto

Yumoto Shopping Street and Yakiniku Lunch

After leaving Owakudani, we drove to Yumoto, had lunch before the restaurant break, and then took a slow walk along the shopping street.

Hakone Yumoto Riverbank with tourists — 14:23 JST / Yumoto Riverbank

Yumoto Riverbank and Street Scene — 14:24 JST / Yumoto Riverbank

Hakone Yumoto Station or transportation buildings — 14:26 JST / Around Yumoto Station

Hakone Yumoto Shopping Street entrance and crowds — 14:32 JST / Shopping street entrance

Yumoto Yakiniku restaurant exterior — 14:33 JST / Roast pork lunch

Yumoto Shopping Street store and souvenirs — 14:35 JST / Shopping Street

Roast meat meals — 15:04 JST / Roast meat meal

Roasted Pork Don Lunch — 15:07 JST / Roasted Pork Donburi

Meat dishes — 15:27 JST / Sliced meat dishes

Yumoto Yakiniku restaurant sign — 15:43 JST / Yakiniku restaurant sign

Street Snacks

Souvenirs and street snacks

Yumoto Shopping Street is not much different from what I remember. If you are interested in souvenirs, this is still a good place to buy them.

Yumoto dango confectionery shop window — 15:48 JST / Dumpling Shop

Souvenir dessert cabinet — 15:49 JST / Dessert Cabinet

Skewered dumplings and shop assistants — 15:56 JST / skewered dumplings

Queues at dim sum shops — 15:57 JST / Queues

Traffic flow and street scene in Hakone Yumoto Shopping Street — 16:05 JST / Shopping street traffic flow

Group photo on the bank of Yumoto River in Hakone — 16:08 JST / Photo on the river bank

Buildings and bridges along the Yumoto River in Hakone — 16:09 JST / Riverbanks and Bridges

Evening Drive

The scenery on the return journey and the last evening in Hakone

After returning to the mountains from Yumoto, the sunset, snow and lakeside settlements slowly dimmed, and the five days and four nights in Hakone entered the last night.

Mount Fuji view from the Hakone mountains — 16:02 JST / Mount Fuji view

Aerial shot of mountain ridge and sunset — 16:02 JST / Sunset Mountain Ridge

Snow and vistas — 17:32 JST / Snowy vistas

Sunset and mountain view — 17:35 JST / Sunset Mountain View

Interior window view at sunset — 17:30 JST / Sunset window view

Snow and sunset — 17:40 JST / Snowy sunset

Aerial shot of lakeside settlement at night — 17:47 JST / Lakeside at night

Hakone wooden house exterior at evening — 18:32 JST / Cabin Evening

Last Hakone Night

Dinner at a convenience store before heading back to Tokyo

I have to check out the next day, so I buy a bento at the convenience store and go back to the cabin, drink some wine, pack my luggage, and spend my last night in Hakone quietly.

Store appearance at night — 18:42 JST / Night storefront

Road and storefronts in the evening — 18:42 JST / Return trip supplies

Night view of VILLA HAKONE STAGE near the cabin — 19:03 JST / VILLA HAKONE STAGE

Cabin dinner table, drinks and the night before packing — 00:26 JST / The night before packing

Go to Day 5