Hakone, Kanagawa
Local Guide
From marquetry to glass art. Enjoy Hakone's Indoor Experience Spots!

Hakone, which welcomes approximately 20 million tourists annually, offers a wealth of hands-on experiences. In addition to quintessential Hakone experiences like marquetry, we’ll introduce indoor activity spots where you can create wonderful memories through glassblowing and Zen meditation sessions.

<Recommended Indoor Experience Spots in Hakone

Experience Marquetry Workshop in Hakone Yumoto

You can make your own creations by putting together small pieces.
You can make your own creations by putting together small pieces.

Hatajuku, located in the southern part of Hakone, is the birthplace of Hakone marquetry, a traditional craft that originated about 200 years ago. Yosegi-zaiku is a traditional craft in which patterns are created by merging different colors and types of wood. There are many detailed work processes that require a lot of time and effort. The store makes a trophy for the winner of the Hakone Ekiden Road Relay Race every year, and it takes about two and a half months to complete the work. The store offers a "Marquetry Experience Class" to make it easy for customers to enjoy this kind of marquetry work.

Depending on your ideas, you can create a wide variety of works.

Even beginners can make their own creations while looking at a sample.
Even beginners can make their own creations while looking at a sample.

In the “Parquetry Experience Workshop,” you’ll create a “parquetry coaster” in about 80 minutes. The process is very simple: just arrange 40 small pieces cut into triangles and diamonds however you like, and glue them together.Depending on how you combine the pieces—whether you choose a design featuring Mount Fuji, a car, or a bear—you can create your very own original piece. Even if you replicate the shape of a sample, using pieces of different colors will result in a unique creation with its own distinct character.
The shop also sells a variety of marquetry goods, such as vases and accessories. These make excellent souvenirs unique to Hakone.

Kanazashi Woodcraft
  • Address 180-1 Hatayado, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 13 minutes by car from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Direction Take a bus from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station and get off at "Hatajuku" stop.
  • Business Hours 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Parquetry Experience Workshops at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.
  • Closed Days Mondays and Wednesdays (Open on public holidays; closed the following day)
  • Admission Fee 1,650 yen
  • TEL 0460-85-8477
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Age Limit From infants to the elderly

Experience Japanese culture at a power spot in Hakone Yumoto

Sparkling decorations that are rare in Japanese temples
Sparkling decorations that are rare in Japanese temples

This Soto Zen temple stands on a hill with a great view, about 2 km from Hakone-Yumoto Station. It was once called "Kannonzawa," a place of great spiritual significance, and is known as a power spot in Hakone. In the center of the main hall stands the main deity, "Kaiun Shusei Jibo Kannon Bosatsu," and to its right, "Kannon Maso Bosatsu," a gift from a sister temple in Taiwan, is enshrined. It is also said that if you pray to the "straddling Kannon" in front of the main hall, which is believed to be the alter ego of the main deity, your wishes for a good marriage and childbirth will be granted.

Experience Zen meditation to detoxify your mind

Before you know it, you will feel calm and your mind will be clear and clear!
Before you know it, you will feel calm and your mind will be clear and clear!

When you visit the main hall, you will be treated to medicinal herb tea made from black maple, dokudami, and other plants gathered in the mountains by the chief priest. After praying to Kannon-sama for good luck and protection from bad luck, experience Zen meditation and sutra copying. With a view of lush greenery outside the window, sit in zazen and meditate with an empty head. The Shakyo, in which one concentrates only on carefully copying the sutra, letter by letter, with ink rubbed on the paper, is also very peaceful and calming. This is a place to let go of worries and anguish. The priest's words, "This is a place to let go of worries and anguish, and to be happier today than yesterday," encourage you to spend a healing time that will detoxify your mind.

Hakone Kannon Fukujuin
  • Address 182-5 Yumotochaya, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction 6 minutes drive from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Direction Take a bus from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station, get off at "Daino-chaya" and walk 5 minutes.
  • Business Hours Gates open 7:00–17:00 (May–August: until 18:00)
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission Fee Donations: Zazen meditation 3,000 yen, sutra copying 2,000 yen, calligraphy art 5,000 yen, tea ceremony 5,000 yen (Tea ceremony sessions require a minimum of 4 participants)
  • TEL 0460-85-5991
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Age Limit From infants to the elderly

Glass art using Venetian glass

Select your favorite glass from a large selection.
Select your favorite glass from a large selection.

Want to make something to commemorate your trip? In such cases, we recommend this workshop, located in front of Hakone-Yumoto Station, where you can casually experience glass art. The most popular process is "fusing," in which glass and glass are combined and melted together with heat. Using high quality glass imported from Venice, you can make chopstick rests, plates, photo frames, and accessories such as earrings and bracelets. Venetian glass comes in 26 different colors, allowing for a wide variety of arrangements.

Create original works of art with colorful glass

Firing glued works and delivering them to you by courier
Firing glued works and delivering them to you by courier

First, decide on the item to be made, then glue small glass parts on top of it with tweezers to create the pattern of your choice. It is easy to lose track of time while thinking about how to combine the five different types of glass parts, such as twisted glass, flower-patterned glass, and stick-shaped glass. When the fired pieces are delivered at a later date, they bring back memories of the trip. In addition to fusing, there is also the sandblasting experience, in which the glass is blown with sand and engraved with a design.

Izu Glass Art Experience Workshop in front of Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Address 3F Yumoto Ekimae Kikukawa Bldg. 706-36 Yumoto, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately a 1-minute walk from Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Business hours Open 10:00-17:00
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • Admission Fee Glass Art Experience Fees: Fusing—Chopstick rests 980 yen, Earrings 1,870 yen and up, Plates 4,290 yen and up (shipping not included)
  • TEL 0460-85-6056
  • Parking None
  • Age Limit Ages 2 and up

Experience painting and glass art at a stylish studio

Pottery Painting Experience (60 minutes)
Pottery Painting Experience (60 minutes)

Under the theme “Turning Thoughts into Form: Little Happiness,” we host numerous hands-on workshops focused primarily on glass and ceramic arts. Based at the “Hakone Craft House”—located just inside the main gate of Gora Park—you can experience your favorite courses at the various studios scattered throughout the park.
The “Pottery Painting Experience” is a popular course where you can paint or stamp on bisque-fired items such as cups and plates using approximately 70 vibrant, specially formulated paints. You can enjoy free-form painting, such as creating an anniversary plate by adding your child’s handprint.

First-time visitors can feel at ease as the full-time Staff/staff member will guide you through the process.

Pottery Painting Experience
Pottery Painting Experience "Potterie" with impressive murals of forests and animals.

All courses are taught in detail by dedicated craftspeople in each field, so first-timers as well as those with children can participate with ease. Because of the authentic experience, some parents and children visit for free research during summer vacation. In addition to pottery painting, a wide variety of experiences are available, including faceting, tonbo dama (glass beads), glass blowing, pottery making, and vintage bead accessories. Reservations for experiences can be made in advance for groups of 10 or more people, and for groups of less than 10 people, reservations are accepted upon arrival at the store.

MAP

<Recommended Indoor Experience Spots in Hakone
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.