A popular tourist spot to feel Japan Vol.23 History of Edo and hot springs Ashinoko Lake in Hakone, fulfilled by Japanese atmosphere

Hakone is a famous hot spring place in Japan.
There are several historical hot spring inns to see beautiful views around Ashinoko Lake, that is the
largest lake in Kanagawa Prefecture, and has 3,100 years history.

Some inns can see an inverted image of Mt. Fuji (reflected in the lake) from the warm tatami floored Japanese room.
So, a lot of tourists from both Japan and abroad are visiting there every day.

Long time ago, Mangansyounin defeat “Nine Heads’ Dragon”, that lived in Ashinoko Lake and troubled people.
It’s said that Hakone Shrine (also said Kuzuryu (means Nine Heads’ Dragon) Shrine) was built to deify the dragon.

There is a red “Torii of Peace” on Ashinoko Lake, and this is necessary to see from a sightseeing boat
that travels according to a timetable.

Hakone has been an important place as a traffic of Tokaido for a long time, and there was
“Sekisho (checkpoint)”, that is a place to collect taxes and to do inspections, and this was there
“to protect Edo”, where was a capital city.

“Hakone Seikisho” was reconstructed that Sekisho, and this is necessary to see to feel Edo.
There are dummies of officers in the tatami floored area, and Japanese rooms for their sleeping and
the bathroom are also completely reconstructed.

An adjoining museum “Hakone Sekisho Museum” exhibit rare documents, and these are also written in English,
so that these are well understood for tourists from abroad.
Around Ashinoko Lake in Hakone takes 2 hours from Tokyo, and this “town of the history and hot springs” is necessary to visit if you visit Japan.

Source of photos:http://www.hakonesekisyo.jp/shoko/index.html

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