What is a Geopark?
Hakone Geopark is a natural park that offers opportunities to experience, learn, and enjoy geological activities.
Visitors can discover the link that connects the local plants and animals as well as our own history and culture with the geographical characteristics created by Hakone Volcano.
]Yugawara Area
Yugawara onsen (Yugawara hot springs) was sung from long ago in Manyoshu (the oldest Japanese anthology) and benefited from the Yugawara volcano which was part of the Hakone volcanic zone. Many distinguished writers and artists have visited here and was the stage of the February 26 incident at Kofuso. In this area you can feel the blessing of nature while experiencing it historic culture.
35Mt. Makuyama
At the ume plum grove where 4,000 plum trees blossom against the backdrop of the lava wall of the Hakone volcano, a “Ume-no-utage (Plum Feast)” is held every year and the view of Sagaminada from the summit is breathtaking.
40Yugawara Onsen (Yugawara Hot Springs)
The hot springs has a long history and its efficacy has been highly regarded. In the Edo period, it was even ranked as Komusubi (4th highest) of the East in hot springs rankings.
]Manazuru Area
Manazuru had thriving industries that took advantage of the blessings of “Geo (earth)” from ancient times, stone industry that utilized the lava, fishing industry that received the favorable effects of the abundant greenery, and lived closely with “Geo”. You can experience Geopark throughout Manazuru
29Coastal Forest and Fish Breeding Waters
People in Manazuru say that because this forest exists, the fish tastes delicious. Please taste for yourself the blessings of “Geo”.
34Manazuru Peninsula Stone Quarry Sites
The majority of the shoreline of Manazuru was not created by sea erosion. In the past, stone was quarried from the Manazuru shoreline and you can see traces of the quarries in various areas of the shoreline (arrow holes).
]Hakone Area
The Hakone Area is located in the caldera rim of the Hakone Volcano that was formed by volcanic activities about 400 thousand years ago. Because of this, the landscape is complex. This area is comprised of lakes, rivers, grasslands and has a wealth of hot springs formed by volcanic activities and the dynamic activities of the earth can be felt in this area.
1Owakudani（Fumarole Field）
Owakudani is an area with constantly rising gases and the smell of hydrogen sulfide lets you closely feel the breath of the volcano.
Owakudani is a Geosite that represents Hakone Geopark.
5Sengokuhara Marsh
Sengokuhara Marsh is where there was a lake that once was spread out around the Sengokuhara area and later turned into wetlands.
At the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands adjacent to Sengokuhara Marsh, many varieties of plants that live in the wetlands can be observed.
Odawara City Area Geosite
The Odawara City area is the entrance to Hakone Geopark and flourished as a castle town from the Sengoku (warring states) era. Odawara-jo Castle and Ishigakiyama-ichiya-jo Castle also became a stage in history. The stone walls of Odawara-jo Castle and Ishigakiyama-ichiya-jo Castle were made from lava from the Hakone Volcano. The Odawara City area is an area where you can see geological resources being used and where you can come in contact with a piece of Japan’s History.
Covering battle between Hojo clans and Toyotomi clans at Odawara (Time required 4-5 hours)
The Odawara-jo Castle and the Ichiya-jo Castle are famous tourist attractions however, they utilize the terrain that Hakone volcano created.
19Hojo Clan’s castles network
The Hojo clan, in response to the threat from the west, built a network of castles in the natural stronghold of the Hakone Mountains. To the east of the Fujiyama-toride (Fujiyama fortress) which is an auxiliary castle of Odawara-jo Castle, the out most enclosure of Odawara-jo Castle continues.
22Hayakawa-ishichouba-gun (Hayakawa Stone Quarry Sites)
The Hayakawa-ichichouba-gun (Hayakawa Stone Quarry Sites) is the production remains from where lava of the Hakone Caldera rim was cut out. The lava from the Hakone Somma was used as materials for stone walls and the fortification of Edo-jo Castle. The ruins of where rock cutting work took place remains as it were back then.
23Odawara-jo Castle and Odawara Irrigation Channels
The Odawara-jo Castle dry moat was constructed using the Kanto loam layer and was built during the Sengoku (warring states) era.
The stone walls of the Odawara-jo Castle were built with andesite from the Hakone Volcano during the Edo period.
The water from the Hayakawa River that flows from the Hakone Volcano flowed through the Odawara Irrigation Channels and supported the lives of the people in the castle towns.
24Ishigakiyama-ichiya-jo Castle
Hideyoshi constructed the Ishigakiyama-ichiya-jo Castle during the battle of Odawara by taking advantage of the terrain. This castle was made of stone walls. The stone walls of Ishigakiyama-ichijo Castle have been largely destroyed from the effects of numerous earthquakes during the Edo period. You can view the terrain of the Ashigara-heiya Plains, the Oiso-kyuryo Hills, and Sagami-wan Bay from here.
Sites not introduced with photos
25Nebukawa (Kataura Coast)
Nebukawa Station is the station where the view of Sagami Bay is beautiful as described in the poem by Ibaraki Noriko.
At Nebukawa, we are reminded of the damages from disasters such as the landslide behind the station during the Taisho Kanto earthquake and the flood of debris from Shiraitogawa River flowing to the south. The time of the disasters can be recalled at the memorial next to the Nebukawa Station Building or at the Shakado (Buddhist hall) that is close by.
26Ogikubo Irrigation Channels
The Ogikubo Irrigation Channels are canals that underdrains the foothills of the Hakone Volcano caldera rim and passes through an open drain. They were water channels that construction work was done during the Kansei era towards the end of the Edo period by the Odawara Domain.
The entire length of the water channels from the Hayakawa River water intake at Hakoneyumoto to Odawara City Ogikubo is 10.3km.
27Haneo Shell Mound
The Haneo Shell Mound is an early Jomon period (about 5500 years ago) shell mound discovered at Haneo Industrial Park. These remains indicate that the Oiso-kyuryo hills were pushed up. The remains were obliterated by construction and at this location now, is a plate with a description. The excavated relics were designated as cultural assets by the prefecture and portions of these are being exhibited at the Odawara Local Cultural Center and the Town Center, “Koyurugi”.
28Ropponmatsu Site
The Ropponmatsu-ato is a mountain pass of the Sogayama Mountain and there is a monument of the haiku poet Matsuo Baisho there.
When you look in the direction of Hakone from the Ropponmatsu-ato, you can view the Hakone volcano from the caldera rim to the central cone.