Hakone Gora

Hakone Gora sits at the upper end of the Hakone Tozan Railway, the starting point for the ropeway up to Owakudani and beyond to Lake Ashi. The town itself is a cluster of ryokan, small hotels, and hot spring baths spread across the hillside, and the hot spring water here is piped directly into the baths of the inns. The Hakone Museum of Art sits above town in a Japanese garden, displaying ceramics and lacquerware from across Japan's history. Day visitors can use the public bath at Gora Park, which includes a small craft studio and greenhouse. The whole Gora area is best taken slowly, arriving on the train and spending a day walking between its different corners.