Overview
The Hakone Tozan line above the station is one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world and reverses direction three times to gain height, with drivers and conductors swapping ends at each switchback. The town has been a hot spring stop on the old Tokaido road for four centuries and several inns date their founding to the 1600s. Most visitors pass straight through, which is a reasonable choice but means missing the river gorge behind the main street.
Highlights
Buy the Hakone Freepass here if you have not already; it covers the mountain train, cable car, ropeway, pirate boat and buses for two or three days and is cheaper than the individual legs. Several inns open their baths to day visitors for a small fee, which is the best use of an hour before the last train. The bakery and soba shops on the main street are the ordinary town, not a tourist strip.