Japan Unlocking

Hakone-Yumoto Overnight: A Local Izakaya Night and Owakudani

Updated October 25, 2026 · Prices checked October 25, 2026 · Visited August 2023, October 2026

Hakone-Yumoto Station and a Hakone Tozan train

Hakone-Yumoto Station and a Hakone Tozan train　Photo: Kansai-good・CC BY-SA 4.0

I have been to Hakone twice. The first time I stayed one night alone, on August 19–20, 2023. The second was a day trip on October 15, 2026. This is what I actually did, ate and spent, including the mistake I would not repeat. Addresses, prices and opening hours come from official pages and the local tourist association, with the date I checked them.

Hakone-Yumoto is the hot-spring town at the foot of Hakone, where the Romancecar from Shinjuku ends. If you want the classic loop with the ropeway and the pirate ship on Lake Ashi, see the Hakone guide. This page is about slowing down in the town itself.

Getting there from Tokyo

There are two easy ways in.

Route Fare (adult) Time
Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku, no change 2,470 yen (fare + limited express fee) 84 minutes at the fastest
JR Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station to Odawara, then the Hakone Tozan train 1,520 yen + 360 yen Odawara to Yumoto about 14 minutes

Romancecar figures are from Odakyu’s official timetable and fare pages; the JR and Tozan fares are from Hakone Navi, the Hakone Tozan group’s official site (as of September 30, 2025). On my day trip I took the JR route from Tokyo Station and paid extra for the Green Car (the upgraded double-decker cars) as far as Odawara: 1,000 yen if you buy it on a Suica card, 1,260 yen as a paper ticket or on board (fares since March 16, 2024).

My day trip (October 15, 2026)

Lunch: tai ramen at Mendokoro Aya

Right off the train I went to Mendokoro Aya, a sea-bream (“tai”) ramen shop about two minutes’ walk from the station (Hakone Navi says about three). The broth was excellent and the room had a calm, local feel. If you only eat one meal in Yumoto, make it this.

See photos and the map on Google Maps

Up to Owakudani by bus

After lunch I took a bus up to Owakudani, the volcanic valley near the top. There are two ways to get there from Hakone-Yumoto.

  1. Izuhakone Bus, on a service that goes via Owakudani. You can board at Hakone-Yumoto Station. On busy weekends and holidays the company sometimes runs these buses without stopping at Owakudani because of traffic (example notice, November 2024), so check their notices if you go on a weekend.
  2. Train, cable car and ropeway. The Hakone Tozan train to Gora takes about 40 minutes, the cable car to Sounzan about 10, and the ropeway to Owakudani about 10 (Hakone Navi).
Owakudani

Owakudani: steam rises from the valley floor and the air smells of sulfur.　How to get to Owakudani →

Photo: そらみみ・CC BY-SA 3.0

The name means roughly “great bubbling valley”, and it lives up to it: sulfur vents steam out of the mountainside. It is high up, so even in mid-October it felt properly cool, and the views are huge.

I ran out of time for the Hakone Ropeway, but for views it is the best ride in Hakone. It costs 2,000 yen one way or 3,000 yen round trip for adults (Hakone Navi fares, checked October 24, 2026). It takes time and money, and on a clear day it is worth both.

Hakone Ropeway

The Hakone Ropeway crosses a deep valley between Sounzan and Owakudani.　How to get to Hakone Ropeway →

Photo: TLV and more・CC BY 2.0

There is a big souvenir building at the top, and that is where I ate the famous black eggs. They are boiled in the hot pools until the shells turn black. They look genuinely odd, and eating one is a fun, only-in-Hakone moment. They sell in packs of four for 500 yen (Owakudani Kurotamagokan, checked October 24, 2026).

There is also Gokuraku Chaya, famous for its Akaike Jigoku black ramen: black noodles in a red soup, in “super hot” or regular strength, with rice bowls and more on the menu (Hakone Navi; 8:45–17:00, open every day). I didn’t get to eat there this time, so it is on my list for next time.

See photos and the map on Google Maps

Evening: soba and the shopping street

Back down in Yumoto, I had soba at Ryori Chaya Hanasagami, about five minutes’ walk from the station. Also very good. Udon and soba shops are everywhere around the station, but look around and there is much more.

  • Address: 703 Yumoto, Hakone (Hakone Navi)
  • Soba set or udon set: 1,400 yen each
  • Hours: 11:30–14:30 and 17:30–19:30 (last order 19:00), closed Tuesdays; hours change by season

See photos and the map on Google Maps

Then I walked the shopping street in front of the station: souvenir shops and street snacks, perfect for the last hour before your train.

What the day cost

Item Cost
Train, Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto and back (JR + Tozan) 3,760 yen
Green Car, both ways (Suica) 2,000 yen
Bus between Yumoto and Owakudani Izuhakone Bus fare (revised July 1, 2026)
Lunch (tai ramen) about 1,000 yen
Dinner (soba) about 1,000 yen
Black eggs 500 yen for four

My night in Yumoto (August 19–20, 2023)

The mistake: walking from Odawara

On my first trip I walked from Odawara Station to my hostel. It took about an hour and a half. It is doable, but the second half climbs into the hills, and with luggage it was hard work. Take the train to Hakone-Yumoto instead, and check the hostel’s access page for the bus or taxi from there.

The hostel: K’s House Hakone

I stayed at K’s House Hakone, a hot-spring hostel about 15 minutes’ walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station along the old Hakone Road, according to its official site. It has an open-air bath, a lounge, a shared kitchen and a terrace. The big balcony looks straight out over the forested hills, and the view was beautiful. Most of the guests were travellers from abroad, so it is an easy place to meet people.

See photos and the map on Google Maps

The izakaya: Izakaya Ishida

There are a few izakaya (Japanese pubs) around, and the one I went into was Izakaya Ishida. The local tourist association describes it as a place where staff from local hotels and ryokan drop in after work (Hakone-Yumoto Tourist Association).

See photos and the map on Google Maps

I went in alone, and everyone there was friendly and happy to chat. The food was delicious. We got talking and I drank a lot, so I spent about 5,000 yen. A normal dinner with a couple of drinks would be around 3,000 yen.

The bar that had opened a week earlier

Afterwards I found a bar that had opened just one week before. I’ve forgotten its name, but I spent the night talking with a local old man and the two bartenders, and it is still my favorite memory of Hakone. Drinks were around 800 yen each, and I spent about 4,000 yen.

Night out What I spent A normal night
Izakaya about 5,000 yen about 3,000 yen
Bar about 4,000 yen around 800 yen a drink

Who this is for

Hakone-Yumoto feels nothing like sightseeing in Tokyo. Plenty of the locals are older people with deep roots in this mountain spa town, and the pace is slow. If you like small places, local food and talking to whoever is next to you, it is worth a night.

If I brought a friend from abroad for one day, this is the plan:

  1. Arrive at Hakone-Yumoto around lunchtime and graze along the shopping street
  2. Check in to your inn or hostel late afternoon
  3. Dinner at a local izakaya
  4. One more drink at a small bar nearby

Before you go

  • Check opening days and hours; many shops change them by season
  • On weekends, check whether your bus actually stops at Owakudani
  • Check the volcanic gas information if you have any heart or breathing condition
  • Check how to reach your accommodation from the station: on foot, by bus or by taxi

FAQ

Is Hakone-Yumoto worth a stop, or should I go straight up the mountain?

It is worth at least a few hours. The station shopping street and the restaurants within a few minutes' walk easily fill half a day, and the town is at its best in the evening if you stay the night.

How do I get from Hakone-Yumoto to Owakudani?

Take an Izuhakone Bus that runs via Owakudani, or ride the Hakone Tozan train to Gora (about 40 minutes), the cable car to Sounzan (about 10) and the ropeway to Owakudani (about 10). On busy weekends some buses skip Owakudani.

How much does a day trip to Hakone-Yumoto cost from Tokyo?

My day from Tokyo Station cost 3,760 yen in train fares (JR plus the Tozan train, round trip), 2,000 yen for the Green Car both ways on Suica, plus the bus, about 1,000 yen per meal, and 500 yen for four black eggs.

Can I walk from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto?

I did: it took about 90 minutes to my hostel, and the hills were tough with luggage. The Hakone Tozan train from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto takes about 14 minutes and costs 360 yen.

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