If there is one place I would recommend in Hakone, it is Yoshike Ryokan.
I have visited this garden more than ten times, yet it never fails to impress me.
Although it is only 7 minutes walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, stepping into the garden feels like entering a different world.
Let’s take a walk through the garden.
Surprisingly Spacious Yet Peaceful
The first thing that impress me about this garden is its size.
Yoshike Ryokan’s garden is a historic Japanese garden associated with the Iwasaki family, founders of the Mitsubishi Group.
Covering approximately 33,000 square meters, the grounds offer a surprising amount of nature.
Quiet, spacious, and surrounded by nature, it is one of my favorite places in Hakone.
More Than Just a Beautiful Garden
Yoshike Ryokan’s garden offers much more than beautiful scenery.
Throughout the garden, you can find historical landmarks such as
- a tea house connected to the Tokugawa family,
- the former villa of Iwasaki Yataro,
- an Edo-period stone lantern,
- the former gate of a villa owned by Matsukata Masayoshi.
You can also see a natural hot spring source and feed the koi fish in the pond.
Photo Credit: All photos were taken by the author unless otherwise noted.
Location & Access
- Yoshiike Ryokan is conveniently located about a 7-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
- A paid shuttle bus service is also available from the station(3-minute).
- Free on-site parking is provided for guests arriving by car.
Map
