Hakone

Hakone, wedged between Mt. Fuji and Izu Peninsula, is one of the most popular resorts, drawing a large number of local and foreign visitors year-round. It is a large region encircled by forested mountains. Highlights of the area are the varied volcanic topography, countless hot springs and resorts, historic sites, museums, deep valleys, ravines, and captivating scenery accentuated by beautiful Lake Ashi. Hakone is the location of a noted Shinto shrine , the Hakone Gongen , which is mentioned in Heian period literature. During the Gempei War , Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed at this shrine for victory over his enemies, after his defeat at the Battle of Ishibashiyama , which was fought in neighboring Manazuru. As with the rest of Sagami Province , the area came under the control of the late Hōjō clan of Odawara during the Sengoku period . After the start of the Edo period , Hakone-juku was a post station on the Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto . It was also the site of a major barrier and official checkpoint on the route known as the Hakone Checkpoint ( 箱根関所 Hakone sekisho ? ), which formed the border of the Kantō region . Under the Tokugawa shogunate , all travellers entering and leaving Edo along the Tōkaidō were stopped here by officials. Their travel permits and baggage were examined to enforce Tokugawa laws that restricted the travel of women and weapons. After the start of the Meiji Restoration , Hakone became a part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture before becoming part of Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa prefecture in August 1876. Hakone attained town status in 1889. The imperial household established the summer Hakone Imperial Villa close to the lake. After merger with five neighboring towns and villages in September 1956, it reached its present boundaries.