Owakudani

Owakudani is what is left of the eruption that formed the Hakone caldera's most recent crater about three thousand years ago: a bare grey valley with the vegetation stripped off, fumaroles venting steam and hydrogen sulphide, yellow sulphur deposits on the rocks, and a persistent smell. The ropeway crosses directly over it, which is the best view, and a station at the top lets you walk out onto the edge of the field. The local product is kuro-tamago - eggs boiled in the sulphurous pools, where iron in the water reacts with the shell and turns it black; eating one is said to add seven years to your life, which is a sales line rather than a claim. The valley is genuinely active: it was closed entirely in 2015 after increased activity, and sections have been restricted since, so check the status before planning around it.

What you actually see

• A stripped valley - bare grey ground, steam vents and yellow sulphur crust.
• The ropeway crossing - the best view is from directly above the fumaroles.
• Black eggs - boiled in the pools, the shells turned black by iron in the water.
• A live volcano - closed in 2015 and partly restricted since.

When to go

All year, checking the volcanic alert level first. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The site closes without much notice when activity rises - check before travelling. Hydrogen sulphide is genuinely unpleasant and people with respiratory or heart conditions are advised against entry. The ropeway queues heavily. Wind carries the gas across the walkways.

Nearby

Lake Ashi is south down the ropeway; Gora is east.