Hakone is one of Japan’s leading luxury resort destinations, where majestic nature and centuries of hot-spring culture still feel vividly alive. Scattered across this landscape, you’ll find “Best Ryokan” that protect historic architecture and traditional beauty while blending in contemporary refinement and art.
Soak up a sense of timeless grace in buildings worthy of cultural-heritage status, heal in moments of stillness as you gaze at mountain ranges from a private open-air bath, and let your senses be awakened by art and cuisine—this is the kind of stay Hakone makes possible. In this article, you’ll discover top-tier ryokan you’ll want to experience in Hakone, along with cultural, artistic, and sustainable experiences that can make your time there even richer.
Hakone is home to many renowned ryokan, but here we’ve carefully selected four that stand out for their historical significance and artistic excellence. Each one preserves long-held traditions while captivating you through sophisticated spatial design and hospitality.
From a classic hotel founded in the Meiji era with an enduringly elegant atmosphere, to a Japanese-modern ryokan that makes the most of architecture connected to the Imperial family, to a resort-style ryokan where breathtaking views and art exist in harmony—each stay offers a distinct personality. As you read, you’ll also get a feel for each ryokan’s cultural background and dedication to art, so you can choose the one that resonates most with how you want to travel.
Hakone’s iconic classic resort, Fujiya Hotel, is Japan’s first full-fledged resort hotel, founded in 1878 (*1). Since opening to welcome foreign summer visitors during the Meiji period, it has spent more than 140 years hosting distinguished guests from Japan and abroad (*1).
Throughout the hotel, you’ll encounter architectural beauty where Japanese and Western aesthetics are seamlessly intertwined. The elegant, eclectic design—symbolized by the Main Building and the Western Wing—carries the weight of history. Traditional Japanese details such as karahafu gables and delicate carvings sit in harmony with European-inspired elements like stained glass and lofty ceilings (*2).
In the main dining room, “The Fujiya,” the coffered ceiling features 636 varieties of alpine plants. Transom panels and pillars are carved with the twelve zodiac animals and playful motifs from the founding family—so ornate it can feel as if you’re dining inside a museum (*3).
Another defining feature is that every guest room is supplied with the hotel’s own hot-spring source, allowing you to savor Hakone’s waters in a warmly nostalgic atmosphere. The cluster of buildings expanded across the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras (including the Main Building, Hanagoten, and Kikuka-so) was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 1997, and recent major renovations have added modern comforts while faithfully preserving the original character (*4). At Fujiya Hotel, you don’t just stay the night—you come into contact with “living history,” and your time there becomes a cultural experience that feels beautifully unbound by time.
Gora Kadan is a distinguished luxury ryokan nestled in Hakone’s Gora. Originally, it was the summer villa of Prince Kan’in Kotohito, built in 1930 (Showa 5), and it opened by making use of the Western-style building and gardens of that former estate (*5). Across its expansive grounds, you’ll find seasonal natural beauty everywhere you turn, and the ryokan’s spirit of traditional Japan feels perfectly balanced with a modern sensibility. It is also a member of the international hotel group Relais & Châteaux, and it is highly regarded by guests from overseas as well (*5).
All 41 guest rooms are styled in a purely Japanese manner, embracing the warmth of time-honored materials such as tatami and wood while offering polished modern comfort. One of the most striking features is the 120-meter glass-walled corridor known as “Rinro.” Walking through it as the scenery shifts with the seasons can feel like moving through a museum that lets you become one with nature (*6).
Beyond the corridor, you’ll find the wooden terrace “Tsukimidai,” where you can take in sweeping views of Mt. Myojo and the surrounding Hakone mountain range (*6). Here, the ambiance of a storied building and the ease of up-to-date facilities coexist, allowing you to experience the emotional richness of classic Japanese architecture alongside contemporary luxury.
In fact, the main building (the former Kan’in-no-miya villa) was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2017 (Heisei 29), ensuring its historical value is protected (*5). With three private hot-spring sources and abundant waters that you can enjoy in guest-room open-air baths and large communal baths alike, Gora Kadan is a ryokan that satisfies you on both tradition and comfort.
Located in Hakone Miyanoshita Onsen, Hakone Ginyu is a luxury spa-resort ryokan that prides itself on “spectacular views and open-air baths in every room.” Built on a hill facing a valley, it looks out over the Hayakawa stream below and the grand panoramic sweep of the Hakone mountains ahead.
Every guest room includes a private open-air bath and an open terrace, so you can luxuriate in the waters and unwind while watching the mountains change with the seasons (*7). Another hallmark is its distinctive spatial aesthetic, blending the warm spirit of traditional ryokan hospitality with resort-inspired design influences reminiscent of Bali—creating an atmosphere that feels both calm and intriguingly different. Throughout the property, you’ll find Asian-inspired furnishings and art thoughtfully placed (*8).
For example, the lobby and corridors display stone statues and interiors sourced directly from Bali, while lighting that combines washi and copper plate casts a gentle glow (*8). The most famous piece is the Peacock Chair, designed in the image of a peacock’s feathers. Placed as a best seat facing the Hakone mountains, this custom chair was assembled by artisans without using a single screw, and it has become an emblem of the ryokan itself (*8).
Surrounded by furniture and objects that feel like artworks in their own right, the interior could truly be described as a “museum you can stay in.” Beyond that, Hakone Ginyu offers monthly changing kaiseki cuisine and spa treatments—experiences that soothe all five senses and help you slip into a world apart where natural beauty and art merge. It’s easy to see why it is known as a highly sought-after ryokan that can be difficult to book—there’s simply nothing else quite like it.
Kai Sengokuhara, created by Hoshino Resorts, is a new style of stay that opened in 2018 with the concept of an “atelier onsen ryokan.” Reflecting the character of the Sengokuhara area—where museums are scattered throughout—artworks are displayed across the property from the front desk to the guest rooms, giving you the feeling of staying inside a gallery (*9).
Every room features paintings by 12 emerging artists from Japan and abroad—one-of-a-kind works created from inspiration gained through the artists’ own stays in Sengokuhara (*10). Paired with the sweeping Hakone nature outside your window, your room becomes a private art space where the landscape and the artwork speak to each other.
Inside the property, you’ll also find a creative space called the “Atelier Library,” where guests can join workshops every evening to color-dye tenugui (hand towels) (*11). You’ll color a pre-drawn design featuring seasonal plants and flowers, creating your own piece as you lose yourself in the process—an experience many guests love for how naturally it pulls you into focused, joyful concentration (*11).
In addition, events are held every Sunday inviting artists in fields such as bonsai and calligraphy, creating opportunities for interaction among guests and local community members (*11). Balancing modern style with the warmth of an onsen ryokan, Kai Sengokuhara is a contemporary destination where you can fully enjoy art appreciation and cultural exchange—especially if you’re the kind of traveler who wants your curiosity to be truly fed.
One shared appeal among the Best Ryokan introduced above is that they excel in three areas: “food,” “interiors,” and “sustainability.” Here, we’ll break down—through specific examples—the refined food culture each ryokan offers, their sophisticated interiors and amenities, and the initiatives they take to be mindful of the environment.
From seasonal Hakone flavors to space design enriched with traditional craftsmanship, to guest services that are gentler on the planet—these are the points worth paying attention to when choosing where to stay. Use these perspectives to deepen a culture-driven trip and make your journey feel even more meaningful.
One of the true pleasures of staying at a celebrated ryokan is being able to experience the region’s food culture at its highest level. In Hakone’s luxury ryokan, you’ll find delicate kaiseki meals that highlight seasonal ingredients as well as inventive multi-course dining—mealtimes that can make your travel memories feel even more vivid.
Kaiseki is defined by careful techniques that draw out ingredients’ inherent flavors and by the visual artistry of tableware and presentation. Fresh local vegetables and seafood, as well as prized wagyu brands, are combined with remarkable finesse (*1). Many properties also offer sommelier-recommended sake and wine pairings, creating a memorable marriage of food and drink (*1). Here, we’ll spotlight two ryokan with a particularly strong commitment to cuisine and explore what makes them so compelling.
At Gora Kadan, you can enjoy an authentic kaiseki course at the on-site restaurant “Kaiseki Ryori Kadan.” In an elegant setting that makes use of the former imperial villa’s Western-style building, you’ll taste dishes crafted with exceptional care, using fresh seafood caught that morning in Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, along with carefully selected seasonal mountain ingredients from around Japan (*2).
Seasonal transitions are also reflected in the vivid presentation, with dish after dish arriving like edible artworks (*2). For example, a kaiseki course beginning with appetizers may include soup and grilled items featuring luxurious ingredients such as kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) and abalone (awabi). To finish, you might be served rice cooked with local Odawara-grown “Harumi” Koshihikari—an arrangement that weaves regional flavors into the menu (menu content changes by season).
The head chef is grounded in tradition while also incorporating techniques suited to the times, so you may even notice a subtle Western nuance within classic Japanese cuisine. For delicately seasoned dishes, pairings of local sake or wine selected by a kikizakeshi (sake sommelier) are available, deepening the pleasure of the meal. Gora Kadan’s kaiseki can truly be called a supreme dining experience—one that lets you feel Japan’s traditional beauty and the energy of the season through all five senses.
Hakone Ginyu is also highly regarded for serving food that values harmony with nature—healthy, yet undeniably luxurious. Dinner and breakfast are offered as kaiseki meals with menus that change by season, using ingredients carefully selected by the chef. What especially stands out is a commitment to local sourcing and an organic-minded approach: you’ll find plenty of locally landed fish brought in from Sagami Bay that very morning, along with abundant fresh vegetables supplied by partner farms (*3).
For instance, at dinner you might enjoy seasonal Sagami Bay fish as sashimi or grilled dishes, a steak of Kanagawa’s branded “Soshu Beef,” and simmered dishes featuring colorful vegetables grown with organic cultivation in mind, such as Kamakura vegetables—each item designed to highlight the natural character of premium ingredients (*4). By minimizing chemical seasonings and focusing on techniques that bring out deep, inherent savor, the cuisine is also appreciated by health-conscious guests.
To enhance the dishes, tableware often includes ceramics and glassware made by local artisans, adding a visually natural and warmly crafted impression. Hakone Ginyu’s attitude—bringing organic and sustainable perspectives into dining—will likely resonate with travelers who care about the environment as part of how they choose to explore.
If you enjoy these gentle yet indulgent meals served quietly in your room, embraced by the stillness of the forest, you may feel a deep sense of fulfillment—one that nourishes you from within.
In a truly high-quality ryokan, attention to detail extends to every corner—spatial design, furnishings, and even amenities—elevating your stay at every moment. Interiors filled with traditional crafts and artworks stimulate your intellectual curiosity, while bespoke furniture and carefully chosen objects create a singular sense of ease.
In recent years, more ryokan have also adopted materials for amenities that consider environmental impact and personal well-being, seeking a balance between comfort and sustainability. Here, we’ll look at specific Best Ryokan examples and introduce both the artistic interiors and the thoughtful approach to amenities.
Each Best Ryokan is, in its own way, a complete “space of beauty.” At Fujiya Hotel’s main dining room, for example, you may be overwhelmed by Meiji-era craftsmanship—plant paintings spanning a six-meter-high ceiling and finely carved wooden transom panels that feel like works of art (*5).
At Gora Kadan, you’ll find rooms that incorporate Art Deco elements within traditional Japanese architecture, and the former imperial villa itself can be seen as a historic artwork (*6). Turning to Hakone Ginyu, the moment you step into the lobby, you’re greeted by interiors with an evocative, faraway sensibility. From stone statues and lamp shades sourced in Bali to fabrics dyed with plant-based methods, every item feels carefully chosen, making the entire space feel like one unified artwork (*7).
The especially famous Peacock Chair (peacock chair) features elegant curves and is designed so you can sit and take in the mountain view. As a one-of-a-kind piece assembled by artisans without using screws, it has become an unmistakable symbol of the ryokan (*7).
In this way, the artworks and furnishings you encounter at each property carry the story of the place and the ryokan itself—and they’re details you’ll want to pay attention to throughout your stay.
Amenities and linens—essential to a comfortable stay—have also seen more sustainability-minded innovation in recent years.
At Fujiya Hotel, for example, shampoo and soap are provided not in disposable mini bottles but in refillable large pump bottles, reducing plastic waste (*9). The amenity bag uses non-woven fabric made from recycled PET, and it is dyed with a natural pigment derived from onion skins produced in Japan—showing careful material choices that are gentler on the environment (*9). Some disposable items such as razors also incorporate recycled plastic and plant-derived additives, encouraging more natural breakdown after disposal (*9).
As for towels and sheets, many ryokan have introduced eco-cleaning practices that skip daily linen changes for consecutive stays. In Hakone Town, it is also encouraged that if you request it at check-in, you can reduce in-room cleaning and linen replacement during your stay, contributing to savings in energy and water resources (*10).
In fact, just as more international travelers in Hakone are joining local nature tours like “HAKONATURE” with English-speaking guides to learn about Hakone’s nature and history, accommodations are also increasingly engaging guests through environmental awareness.
Many Best Ryokan refine their services through a “no disposables, no waste” mindset, and you may find yourself appreciating not only the comfort, but also the philosophy behind it. Because Hakone is surrounded by rich nature, ryokan place genuine importance on environmental care. Small choices—supporting eco-cleaning, avoiding excessive disposable amenities—can help protect Hakone’s beauty for the future.
To make your time at a top-tier ryokan even more rewarding, consider stepping out to explore art and culture around Hakone as well. Hakone is a treasure house of museums, with spots scattered across the region where you can encounter world-class paintings and sculpture. Between indulgent hours at your ryokan, immersing yourself in some of Japan’s finest art—and the aesthetics of East Asia—can make the emotional impact of your trip feel even more profound. Here, we’ll introduce two especially recommended museums.
The Pola Museum of Art is built to blend into the forest of Sengokuhara, Hakone. Its collection centers on Impressionist Western paintings, alongside modern Japanese painting, glass crafts, and a collection of cosmetic tools—totaling around 10,000 works. It is known for exhibitions of masterpieces by artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Picasso (with 19 Monet works in its holdings), including Renoir’s “Girl with a Lace Hat,” and it boasts one of Japan’s finest collections in both quality and scale (*1).
While the total exhibition area is vast at 5,000㎡, the building is designed at a low height (under 8m) to avoid harming the forest, and 80% of the structure is set underground (*2). With an atrium that fills with natural light from above and deep green views through large glass windows, the open spatial design—often described as feeling “as if you’re enjoying beauty within the forest”—captivates visitors (*2). Special exhibitions also rotate through the seasons, making it a luxurious museum where you can savor the harmony between masterpieces and the quiet forest.
Meanwhile, the Hakone Open-Air Museum (commonly known as the “Chokoku no Mori Museum”) is Japan’s first outdoor museum, opened in 1969. In its approximately 70,000-square-meter gardens, around 120 major works by modern and contemporary sculptors from Japan and abroad—including Rodin, Henry Moore, Bourdelle, Miró, and Taro Okamoto—are on permanent display (*3).
Set against Hakone’s lush mountains, you can stroll through the grounds while viewing sculptures scattered outdoors. The museum also includes a “Picasso Pavilion” holding 319 Picasso works across ceramics, prints, and glass (*4). The pavilion exhibits selected works from one of the world’s leading collections in rotation, offering a rare opportunity to experience about 50 Picasso pieces at once (*4).
There are also cafés and a footbath corner, so you can pause and recharge between galleries. Because it’s an open-air setting, families with small children often find it easier to enjoy art here, and you’ll commonly see three generations visiting together. These museums—where you can fully take in both famous artworks and Hakone’s nature—are ideal to weave into your ryokan itinerary.
Another Hakone highlight is the Okada Museum of Art, which comprehensively houses East Asian artworks. Opened in 2013 in Kowakudani, it offers one of Hakone’s largest exhibition areas (about 5,000㎡) across five floors above ground and one underground, and it continuously displays around 450 masterpieces—ceramics, paintings, Buddhist art, and more—from ancient times to the present, focusing on Japan, China, and Korea (*5).
Inside, each floor is organized by theme: the first floor features Chinese and Korean ceramics; the second, Japanese ceramics; the third, Japanese paintings including Rimpa and ukiyo-e; the fourth, modern Japanese painting; and the fifth, Buddhist art—allowing you to follow eras and genres as you explore (*6).
Some pieces are considered on the level of national treasures. Lavish gold-leaf folding screens by the Kano and Rimpa schools, paintings by masters such as Ito Jakuchu and Yokoyama Taikan, Song-dynasty celadon, and Imari ware that returned home from Sakata—there is no shortage of depth to engage with. Curatorial explanations and audio guides are also available, and learning the background of each work as you view it can deepen your understanding.
A particular standout is the footbath café on the grounds. On the museum’s front wall, a monumental mural by contemporary Japanese painter Fukui Eitaro—12m high and 30m wide—titled “Kaze・Toki” (Fū・Toki) depicts the dynamic movement of the Wind God and Thunder God. As you gaze at this powerful scene, you can soak your feet in a 100% free-flowing hot-spring footbath (*7).
This experience—resting after art viewing while enjoying the collaboration of grand-scale art and onsen—feels like a uniquely Hakone kind of luxury. The Okada Museum of Art invites you into the profound world of East Asian art while also proposing a modern, approachable way to enjoy it as part of your journey.
Between restful hours at your ryokan, it’s also worth joining cultural experiences that are distinctly Hakone. From hands-on traditional craftmaking to history explorations with expert guides, there are many activities designed to stimulate your curiosity.
When you physically engage—making something with your own hands, walking and asking questions—your understanding of Japanese culture can deepen, and your memories gain an even richer color. Here, we’ll introduce two programs you’ll want to consider during your Hakone stay.
Hakone is known for yosegi-zaiku, a traditional woodcraft technique that creates geometric patterns by combining pieces of wood in different natural colors. It is a local specialty that has continued since the late Edo period. There are several places where you can actually experience yosegi-zaiku firsthand. For example, at the “Honma Yosegi Art Museum,” you can make a yosegi coaster featuring basic patterns such as the hemp-leaf motif under the guidance of artisans (reservation required, minimum of two participants) (*1).
Along the old Hakone Highway in Hatajuku, “Hakone Maruyama Bussan” offers hands-on craft experiences where you can assemble items such as the famous himitsu-bako (a puzzle box with a hidden mechanism) or a train-shaped piggy bank. As you learn about the craft’s history, you can enjoy the challenge in a relaxed, engaging way (*2). Taking your finished piece home as a travel souvenir is another delight.
If pottery calls to you, Hakone Craft House inside Hakone Gora Park is an excellent choice. Classes are offered using either an electric wheel or hand-building, and even beginners can try making original bowls or mugs with careful instruction from experienced teachers (*3).
Other craft experiences—like glassblowing, sandblasting, and making glass beads (tonbo-dama)—are also abundant, and one of the appealing points is that you can often join without a reservation (*4). Your fired pottery or glasswork can be mailed to you later, allowing it to remain with you as a long-lasting keepsake.
As you marvel at the precision of yosegi-zaiku and find comfort in the feel of clay during pottery, why not touch the depth of Japan’s handmade culture for yourself? With your body and mind already relaxed from ryokan time, a craft experience can become an even more rewarding blend of learning and enjoyment.
Hakone’s other great appeal lies in its rich natural environment and historical heritage. To understand both more deeply, joining a tour led by an expert guide is one of the best options. The Hakone Town Tourist Guide Association offers various tours in which certified local guides explain Hakone’s volcanic terrain, lakes and marshlands, abundant hot springs, and the region’s history as a key transportation corridor linking East and West (*5).
For example, the popular “Old Tokaido: Hakone Hachiri” walking route follows the stone-paved road developed during the Edo period. As you visit historical sites such as the former checkpoint ruins and cedar-lined paths, you can trace the footsteps of travelers from centuries past. Along the way, your guide may show old maps to explain what Hakone-juku once looked like, or even take you on a cruise boat (the sightseeing “pirate ship”) across Lake Ashi and point out views of Mt. Fuji from the water—an experience filled with both knowledge and vivid presence.
If you lean toward nature, trekking the Hakone caldera rim mountains or joining a geo (geology) tour of Owakudani is also recommended. Walking with a guide who has specialized knowledge of volcanology means you won’t only enjoy the scenery—you’ll hear fascinating explanations like “This landform was created by an eruption 4,000 years ago,” or “This hot spring has a high sulfur content…”—inviting you to imagine the story of the earth beneath your feet. Most tours are run in small groups, with plenty of space for questions and conversation, and they’re praised for delivering a high level of satisfaction.
In fact, more international visitors in Hakone have been joining local guide-led nature tours such as “HAKONATURE,” and English-language programs introducing nature, history, and culture are becoming increasingly robust (*6).
In this way, guided walking tours with experts are a valuable opportunity to learn Hakone’s deeper appeal safely and efficiently. Add intellectual stimulation to your Best Ryokan stay, and your trip can become even more memorable.
On a Hakone trip that celebrates culture and nature, it’s also worth paying attention to environmentally friendly transportation options and the sustainable initiatives ryokan are adopting. A luxurious ryokan stay and an eco-conscious mindset can absolutely coexist.
When you know how to move smartly using electric vehicles (EVs), and when you understand how accommodations are protecting the environment, your travel satisfaction can expand from “comfort” to something that feels like “thoughtful abundance.” Here are practical tips to help you savor Hakone fully while also practicing a more sustainable way of traveling.
With growing environmental awareness and evolving technology, Hakone is increasingly becoming a convenient area for EV use. If you’re visiting Hakone by rental car or your own EV, charging locations are a natural concern—but in recent years, charging stations have been steadily installed at major sightseeing hubs and accommodations.
For example, from around Hakone-Yumoto Station to the shores of Lake Ashi, many rapid and standard chargers are available, and a rapid charger that can be used 24 hours a day was installed at the Hakone Town Hall parking lot in December 2023 (*1).
Many luxury ryokan and hotels have also introduced EV charging facilities. Properties such as Fujiya Hotel, Gora Karaku, Ten-yu, and Hakone Highland Hotel have charging stations on-site, allowing guests to charge during their stay (*2).
Some facilities are also open to non-staying guests, enabling paid charging during a day-use bath visit or café time. At Hakone Sengokuhara Prince Hotel, for instance, two EV charging spots are installed in the parking area and are available to guests beyond overnight stays. The hotel even suggests that you can enjoy the day-use onsen or tea time in the lounge while your car charges—an approach that makes good use of charging time (*3).
You can also check these locations in advance via EV-user specialist sites (GoGoEV or EVsmart) and car navigation apps. Hakone’s mountain roads involve many inclines, so energy consumption can be a concern, but EVs also have the advantage of regenerative braking on downhill stretches, allowing for efficient driving.
If you explore Hakone with zero-emissions driving that respects the surrounding nature, the drive itself can become a kind of environmental learning experience. Use the latest EV charging guide to enjoy a smart, greener Hakone trip.
In Hakone’s luxury ryokan scene, more properties are strengthening sustainable initiatives alongside high-comfort service. For example, as part of reducing single-use plastics, one ryokan has set a goal to cut plastic use in in-room amenities by 50% by fiscal year 2024 (*4).
Another hotel is adopting recycled fibers for uniforms and working to improve recycling rates for on-site waste—showing growing environmental care in daily operations. One particularly noteworthy example is the ryokan “Madokanomori” in Gora, which has implemented a sustainable measure that reaches all the way into its cooking methods: a world-first attempt to cook using hydrogen-energy stoves (*5).
Hydrogen is used as a clean energy source in fuel-cell vehicles because it does not emit CO2 during driving, and at Madokanomori, hydrogen combustion technology has been introduced into cooking stoves from the perspective of addressing global warming (*5). This aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions associated with gas combustion while still providing guests with delicious and safe meals.
Such an advanced initiative is highly unique even within the ryokan industry and may represent a new model case for “environmentally friendly accommodations” (*5). In addition, Hoshino Resorts’ Kai brand promotes local cultural continuity and environmental harmony, building up small changes such as eliminating plastic straws and adopting paper toothbrushes.
Because Hakone is blessed with abundant nature and water resources, many properties engage sincerely in reducing environmental impact, and as a guest, you’re also invited to support and respect that stance. Small actions—agreeing to eco-cleaning, avoiding excessive disposable amenities—can contribute directly to conservation at your destination.
Staying at a ryokan that promotes sustainable initiatives may itself become one step toward protecting Hakone’s beauty for the future. “A luxurious trip that is also kind to the environment”—why not spend your Hakone time in a way that makes that ideal feel real?
Hakone’s Best Ryokan are not simply luxury accommodations—they are spaces for a layered cultural experience where “history, art, nature, gastronomy, and sustainability” resonate together. Whether it’s the cultural-heritage-level architectural beauty symbolized by Fujiya Hotel, the noble elegance tied to the Imperial family at Gora Kadan, the worldview at Hakone Ginyu where nature and art dissolve into one another, or the creativity-filled art stay at Kai Sengokuhara—each ryokan carries its own story, and your time there can sharpen your senses in quietly transformative ways.
You’ll also find each property’s philosophy expressed in the details: the seasonal delights embedded in kaiseki, art-forward interiors, and amenities designed with environmental care in mind. Nearby, you can explore museums that showcase world-class art, the Okada Museum of Art as a treasure house of East Asian beauty, and hands-on experiences such as yosegi woodcraft and pottery that genuinely satisfy your intellectual curiosity.
On top of that, sustainable initiatives—like the spread of EV travel, plastic-reduction measures at accommodations, and the introduction of hydrogen stoves—are meaningful steps toward protecting Hakone’s future. When you, as a traveler, add small eco-conscious choices of your own, your journey can become one that carries nature and culture forward to the next generation.
Time spent in Hakone’s Best Ryokan is luxurious, yet it also leaves a quiet echo deep inside—a cultural experience that unfolds through all five senses. Why not set out on an “intellectual journey for adults,” one filled with deep learning and restorative calm, where you allow your senses to open and your mind to be gently renewed?