Hakone, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is a town in Japan. Located on the eastern side of Hakone Pass, it is situated in Ashigarashimo District. Hakone has a population of around 14,800 inhabitants.
Hakone is characterised by a mild climate with high precipitation. The climate here is much cooler than it is in Tokyo. The best time to visit Hakone is from April to November.


Historically, Hakone was a hot spring resort area for tourists from all over the globe. During the Edo period, Hakone was the town connecting the east and west of Japan. It was one of the stations operating from Edo Nihombashi in Tokyo to Sanjou-oohashi in Kyoto. 

Traditional arts, crafts and carpentry are important cultural elements while Hakone-Zaiku Maquetry, Zougan-Zaiku Maquetry and Hikimon-Zaiku Maquetry are some of the traditional Hakone crafts.