Old Tokaido Road and the Cedar Avenue

The Old Tokaido Road was the great highway of Edo-period Japan, linking Edo, the old name for Tokyo, with Kyoto, and the crossing of the Hakone mountains was one of its most difficult and most famous sections. Travellers, daimyo processions and merchants all had to climb over the pass, stopping at the Hakone checkpoint where papers were inspected. Parts of that road still survive in Hakone, including sections of original stone paving laid to keep feet out of the mud and long stretches of cedar avenue planted alongside the road centuries ago to shade travellers. Walking here is a quieter, more atmospheric alternative to the ropeway circuit, trading gondolas for old stones, moss and the sound of the forest. The best-known section runs near Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi beside Lake Ashi, where tall cedars line the roadside in a deep green tunnel, while longer hiking routes climb into the hills toward the old pass, passing small shrines, stone markers and rest stops.

That makes a full cultural half-day around the lake, with the pirate ship ride as a connector.\n\nThe stone road and the hike: for a longer outing, a guided hiking route follows older sections of the road, including paved stretches that climb through woods toward the pass.

The linked tour is a hike to Hakone Shrine along the old road, which is a good option if you want context and company, since it explains the history of the checkpoint, the travellers and the tea houses. Along the way you may find a historic tea house that serves amazake, a sweet fermented rice drink, and rice cakes to hungry walkers, in a tradition that goes back centuries. The paths include slopes and uneven stones, so wear good shoes and bring water, and check weather, since the stones can be slippery after rain.

\n\nPlanning: the walks suit most people with average fitness, and the cedar avenue is accessible for almost everyone, although the longer hiking sections are steeper. Buses from Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto serve the area, so you can walk one direction and take transport back. Late autumn, early spring and clear winter days are pleasant for walking, while midsummer is hot and humid. Take care along road sections, where traffic passes close by, and respect the temples and shrines you pass.

Combining the road with a lake cruise and a soak in an onsen gives a fuller picture of how Hakone has welcomed travellers for hundreds of years. If you only have time for one cultural walk in Hakone, this is the one that best connects the scenery to its past.

\n\nA few finishing touches: carry a little cash for the tea house and for small donations at shrines along the way, and pick up a map of the walking routes at a tourist information desk, since signage can be sparse in places. The cedar avenue is lovely even in light rain, as the canopy keeps you partly dry and the damp deepens the colours of bark and moss. If you hear the sound of running water or see small stone statues by the path, take a moment to enjoy them, because these quiet details are what make the old road feel like a journey back in time.