All Reviews of Hakone Shrine

While taking a sightseeing cruise on Lake Ashi in Hakone, we passed by Hakone Shrine, and the lakeside scenery immediately caught my eye. Seeing the shrine in the distance, surrounded by the lake and mountains, felt distinctly Japanese and made me want to keep looking.

Since we were only passing by on the boat this time, we didn't get off to visit and could only admire Hakone Shrine from the lake. The lakeside atmosphere looked especially peaceful from the water, offering a very different perspective from the view on land.

Although we only passed by briefly, it left a deep impression on me. If I visit Hakone again, I hope to make time to enter the shrine and pay my respects, and I'd also like to see the well-known lakeside torii gate.

There are a lot of stone steps, but they're not too hard to climb. Walking up feels a bit like traveling through time. If you want a photo with the torii gate, come early—otherwise, you'll have to wait in line as more people show up.

There's a huge, bright red torii gate standing by the port at Moto-Hakone. It's over 1,000 years old and definitely one of the must-visit spots when sightseeing in Hakone.

The Peace Torii standing on Lake Ashi is the shrine's most iconic feature.

The ancient trees lining the stairs are massive and you can just tell they've been there forever. The torii gate on the water is the most famous spot—expect a long line of people waiting to snap a photo.

Mountains, water, and trees—this spot has it all. It's a fantastic place with great energy.

A mountain doesn't have to be tall to be spiritual, and water doesn't have to be deep to have a dragon. This saying fits Hakone Shrine perfectly.

You absolutely can't miss the stunning torii gate on the water when you visit Hakone Shrine.

Right next to Hakone Shrine is Kuzuryu Shrine. It's said that if you wash your hands and rinse your mouth with the water from the dragon god's fountain, it will wash away your bad luck.

Hakone Shrine has a gorgeous torii gate in the water—makes for great photos! The only downside is that it's crowded, so you'll have to wait in line.