OWAKUDANI
It is undoubtedly one of the most visited sites in Hakone. It can be reached by cable car, either from the station Tōgendai, on the lake side, or from Gōra.
Owakudani is also called Ō-jigoku, the great hell, and you can understand why when you see the fumaroles and the whirlpools of sulphurous vapours that emanate from it. Once you get off the cable car, a strong smell of sulfur stings your nose, and you face a lunar landscape. The green mountains have given way to a scorched earth covered with grey and yellowish dust. It reigns like the end of the world in Owakudani, barely disturbed by the hubbub of tourists (extremely numerous in all seasons).
The eggs of Owakudani are almost as well known as the volcano itself. After cooking in sulphurous water, the shells of these eggs turn black, hence their name: kurotamago. It is said that eating them extends life by seven years and perhaps that is why they are so popular. They can be eaten in all sauces, and even desserts are decorated with their black colour.
Both the Owakudani "valley" and Lake Ashi below are the result of the collapse of Mount Kamiyama after a powerful volcanic eruption about 3,000 years ago. The Owakudani Natural Science Museum, which is on site, explains the geological formation of the area in detail. Beware, volcanic activity is still regular, and this has recently led to the closure of walking trails around the fumaroles.
