Hakone Autumn Leaves (Lake Ashi & Sengokuhara) 2026 Confirmed

箱根(芦ノ湖・仙石原)の紅葉 — Hakone, Kanagawa (Kanto)

Hakone stretches its autumn across a full month because the color descends the mountains by elevation: the slopes around Lake Ashi and the Sengokuhara highlands turn in early November, Gora and the mid-slopes follow, and the valley around Hakone-Yumoto finishes in early December. Peak window overall runs early November to early December. Add Sengokuhara's silver pampas-grass fields, which glow gold from October, plus the ropeway, pirate-ship lake cruise, and open-air museums, and it's the most complete foliage resort within easy reach of Tokyo.

Background

Hakone was a key checkpoint on the Edo-period Tokaido highway between Edo and Kyoto, and its hot springs have hosted travelers for centuries. Lake Ashi itself fills part of an ancient volcanic caldera, with the lakeside torii of Hakone Shrine standing since the era of samurai pilgrimage.

Getting there

Take the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes, then loop the region by the Hakone Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, and Lake Ashi boats. Roads clog badly on peak-season weekends, so the rail-and-ropeway circuit beats driving; a Hakone Free Pass covers the whole loop.

Tips

• Match your itinerary to the elevation: lakeside and Sengokuhara peak in early November, Yumoto valley in late November to early December — check area-by-area color reports before choosing your route.
• Buy the Hakone Free Pass; it bundles the Shinjuku round trip with unlimited local transit and pays for itself in one loop of the lake circuit.
• The pampas grass fields of Sengokuhara are best in low afternoon light, when the whole hillside turns to gold — combine them with the nearby wetlands botanical garden.
• Weekend ropeway and boat queues build from mid-morning; ride the ropeway first thing, and clouds permitting you'll get Mount Fuji above the foliage from the Owakudani stretch.