A resort facility with much variety where you can view, buy, play and do everything
Hakone-en is a multiple resort complex which is located on the eastern side of Lake Ashi along Kanagawa Prefectural Route 75. With an aquarium and a large grassy field where dogs can run about, there are various facilities where you can also participate in activities such as workshops for illustrating pottery and the traditional Hakone handicraft of wooden mosaic work. At the shopping mall, you can purchase many famous products made in Hakone such as local sake, candies, fish cake and other specialties to make the perfect souvenirs. Once you leave the arcade, Lake Ashi is right in front of you. From its shores, you can see Mt. Fuji. There is also a boarding area for motor boats and Kuzuryu Shrine which is famous as a matchmaking shrine. Also, there are courses including one making a full circuit around the lake and another to take you halfway. And in Hakone-en, there is also a fully equipped hotel and cottages (open seasonally). At the Prince Hakone Hotel, there is a hot spring bath, Kohan-no-Yu, which you can also enjoy on a day trip.
The No. 1 highlight of the Hakone-en Aquarium
You come all the way to Hakone for sightseeing only to find out that it’s raining buckets. In that event, the Hakone-en Aquarium is recommended. The Hakone-en Aquarium is made up of the 3 zones of the Baikal Seal Square, the Saltwater Area and the Freshwater Area. At the Baikal Seal Square, the seal shows are held twice daily on weekdays and three times daily on weekends and holidays. Billy the Seal has been famously called the onsen seal since he looks like someone enjoying a good soak in the hot spring. The Saltwater Area is that part of the aquarium which occupies the highest point in Japan for a seawater aquarium. In the 7m-high gigantic open-air water tank positioned in the center, you can observe fish swimming among the mangroves and coral reefs. Also, there are daily shows of divers feeding the fish, and you can even observe manta rays dancing. In the Freshwater Area, beginning with the fish residing in Lake Ashi, there is a great gathering of unusual fish residing in the grottoes and the Amazon River. You can also enjoy the sight of the adorable water birds as well.