The Hakone ropeway runs through Owakudani. Owakudani is an active steaming vent and there may sometimes be precautions taken due to weather or the release of gases. Sometimes the ropeway will be suspended in times of extreme weather or hazardous situations to ensure your safety. Please check ahead or contact use through Facebook for recent news and updates. The Ropeway information is also shared on the Hakone Tozan website.
Owakudani is one of the most popular places to visit in Hakone. Owakudani is the steaming thermal volcanic vents located in the center of the mountains. You can easily visit the area by ropeway, also giving you wonderful views of Mt. Fuji and the surrounding mountains.
Hakone is famous for the hot springs located throughout the area and the thermal vents are a natural wonder to visit and experience. Around the Owakudani area are places to eat to eated the famed Kuro-Tamago, eggs boiled in the natural sulfurous waters that turn their shells black. It is said that eating one of these black eggs with extend your life for an extra 7 years.
There is also an interesting museum that displays the geological history of the area and gives insight into this interesting area.
Getting to Owakudani is just as fun as being there. From Gora Station, take the cable car up to Sounzan Station. From Sounzan Station you can ride the ropeway through the sky to Owakudani. The ropeway gives you wonderful views of the Hakone mountains and even Mt. Fuji on a clear day.
Owakudani is the center point of the famed Hakone “Golden Route” which takes you around Hakone in a circular route. On this route you can take another ropeway down to Lake Ashi for the boat ride across the lake