Food & Drink Jan 9, 2022
The lines blur at Hakone’s Bar Hotel
by Nicholas Coldicott
The Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan can be viewed as a bar-themed hotel or a hotel-themed bar. Staying there is a luxurious experience either way.
Travel Feb 8, 2020
Escape from Tokyo: Day trips from the capital
by Russell Thomas
Got a spare day and not sure what to do? Russell Thomas suggests some easy day trips from Tokyo, whether you're after sake, art, history, mountains, shrines, festivals or flood defenses.
National Nov 15, 2019
Popular Mount Hakone tourist site reopens after volcanic alert level drops
A popular tourist site on Mount Hakone was reopened Friday, ending a six-month closure caused by an increase in the volcanic alert level in the hot spring resort area, local authorities said. The Owakudani valley district, famous for its sulfur vents and geothermal hot springs, ...
National Nov 14, 2019
Closed typhoon-hit trails in Japan put damper on rush to view autumn leaves
by Ryusei Takahashi
November typically sees a surge in hikers seeking to enjoy autumn leaves, but several trails in Kamakura, Hakone and other destinations across Kanagawa Prefecture — and elsewhere in the Kanto region — remain closed indefinitely after two powerful typhoons tore through the country in ...
Business Jul 18, 2018
TPP negotiators gather in Japan to confirm domestic progress toward full ratification
Chief negotiators from the 11 signatories to the Trans-Pacific Partnership gathered Wednesday in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, to check on their progress with domestic procedures to ratify the pact, amid fears of a trade war. During talks through Thursday, negotiators will also discuss how to welcome ...
Business / Tech Jan 26, 2018
With self-parking slippers, Nissan drives hospitality to a new level
Old traditions are constantly being updated with new technology, and one ryokan (guesthouse) is making use of automated driving technology to offer the latest in hands-free hospitality — self-driving slippers. Nissan Motor Co. has developed a system for slippers to "park" themselves at the entrance ...
Business Jul 12, 2017
TPP chief negotiators meet to hash out deal with or without U.S.
Chief negotiators from the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership countries met Wednesday in the hot-spring resort town of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, to discuss how to breathe fresh life into the massive free trade deal after the U.S. withdrew. Kazuyoshi Umemoto, the chair of the meeting, said at ...
Lifestyle | CHILD'S PLAY Jun 18, 2017
Dipping into Hakone's more unusual hot spas
by Danielle Demetriou
"I love red wine, it's my favorite thing!" These are perhaps not the words that a mother particularly likes to hear from her young daughter — especially when she is only 4 years old. But this was precisely what my daughter told me when we ...
Travel Mar 25, 2017
Hakone: a paradise for the 'onsen' aficionado
by Hiroko Kimura
Those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of Japan's big cities will find what they are looking for in a hot-spring paradise hidden deep in a forest. Located about 90 kilometers west of Tokyo, Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture is a famous onsen (hot springs) ...
Food & Drink Nov 25, 2016
Wine lovers in Japan toasted the release of this year's vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau on Nov. 17 by swimming in a hot-spring bath mixed with the renowned French tipple. A sommelier was on hand to pour wine over the dozens of attendees at the 11th ...
Business / Corporate Oct 21, 2016
Odakyu plans to debut new luxurious Romancecar on Hakone run in 2018
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Odakyu Electric Railway Co. has unveiled a new design for its signature Romancecar limited express train connecting Tokyo with the hot-spring resort of Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture. The new train will offer luxurious trips to and from the famed area near to Mount Fuji. The 70000 ...
Travel Apr 30, 2016
Hakone in hot water: Romance, gimlets and raunchy 'onsen'
by Nicolas Gattig
"I think they're having an affair," murmurs my companion, the ever-observant Megumi. She nods at a middle-aged couple sitting next to us on the "Romance Car," the limited express train that links Tokyo and the hot-spring resort of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture. "How can you tell?" ...