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HAKONE YUMOTO : Hakonefs base-town of Hakone Yumoto, is best known for onsen and relaxing in the hot water provided at the hot springs throughout the town is one of the best ways to while away a rainy afternoon: there are enough onsen to keep you busy for as long as you like, and offer a great way to relax after a day of rainy walking on the old post road or exploring museums. Closest to the station is the Kappa Tengoku Rotenburo, which, though often crowded, has pleasant open-air baths that are particularly enjoyable on rainy days. Therefs also a free shuttle bus from the station to the Tenzan Notenburo complex, which is a bit more elaborate and luxurious, with hot waterfalls and outdoor baths in rocky pools. Hakone Yumotofs souvenir shops, mostly on the main street, can also offer respite from the weather, particularly as much of the footpath is roofed, and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes offering shelter from the elements as well as food and drink.
MIYANOSHITA : A quiet stop on the Hakone Tozan Railway, Miyanoshita is home to one of Japanfs first Western style hotels, the Fujiya, which serves tea and coffee in the lounge and often has piano playing in the charming if faded historic lobby – a tempting offer on a wet day. There are also antique and craft shops along the main street, as well as a good selection of onsen baths. Two stops onwards from Miyanoshita is Chukoku no Mori, home of the Hakone Open Air Museum, which is well worth seeing even on a rainy day, as the museum houses over 300 works by Picasso alone, as well as sculptures by many other famous artists, including Henry Moore, Rodin, and Miro. There is also a hot spring foot bath to warm up those soggy feet, and the indoor galleries provide respite from the rain. There are also indoor cafes and a restaurant, which also give cover and a place to dry out.
GORA: Gorafs two best wet weather attractions are also museums: the Hakone Museum of Art, with itfs impressive collection of Japanese ceramics throughout the ages, and the Pola Museum of Art (located at Shissei-kaen, just out of town on the Sightseeing Shuttle Bus), which houses nearly ten thousand works of art, both Japanese and European, in an impressively futuristic building.
LAKE ASHI: A rainy day is no excuse to not take the pirate boat across the lake, and the ancient cedars leading up to the shrine (where the treasure hall is a good place to get out of the weather) are particularly impressive looming out of the mist. With your umbrella and rain jacket, itfs worth visiting the detached palace gardens, and, if youfre feeling energetic and have shoes with good grip, you can follow the old, cobbled Tokkaido road from Moto Hakone through the forest all the way to Hakone Yumoto. The road passes through several villages, and the ancient Amazake Jaya is a good place to try amazake, a sweet and warming drink much loved in Japan. The walk takes approximately four hours from Moto Hakone to Hakone Yumoto.
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