From Tokyo to Mount Fuji: An Autumn Day in Hakone
We left Tokyo early in the morning by train, heading southwest toward Hakone. As the train moved away from the metropolitan area, the scenery gradually shifted from dense urban structures to wooded hills and open valleys. By late morning, the atmosphere was noticeably cooler, and the first autumn colors appeared along the route.
From Hakone, we continued by ropeway toward Ōwakudani, reaching an elevation of about 1,044 meters. The landscape at the top was dominated by active volcanic features. White steam rose constantly from fissures in the ground, moving with the wind and partially obscuring the slopes. The smell of sulfur was present throughout the area, and vegetation was sparse, replaced by dark rock and mineral deposits. From a photographic point of view, I focused on the contrast between the drifting steam and the rigid, barren terrain, documenting the raw character of the site.
In the early afternoon, we descended again by ropeway toward Lake Ashi. As we lost altitude, the environment changed quickly. Forests returned, now clearly in peak autumn condition, with red, orange, and yellow foliage dominating the hillsides. At the lakeshore, we boarded a sightseeing boat bound for Motohakone.
During the boat crossing, visibility improved significantly. The clouds began to break, and the light softened. Midway across the lake, Mount Fuji suddenly became visible. The mountain appeared with a clean outline, partially surrounded by light clouds but clearly defined against the sky. From the deck, I composed images combining Mount Fuji, the calm surface of the lake, and the surrounding forest in autumn color, using the open water to maintain visual balance and scale.
As we approached Motohakone, the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine Torii came into view near the shoreline. The alignment was particularly strong: Mount Fuji in the background, the lake in the foreground, autumn foliage framing the scene, and the torii providing a cultural focal point. From a photographic perspective, this was the most complete visual summary of the day—natural landscape, seasonal color, and symbolic architecture in a single frame.
This journey from Tokyo to Hakone unfolded as a sequence of clear transitions: urban to rural, volcanic terrain to water, and overcast conditions to a clear afternoon view of Mount Fuji. For us, it was a compact but varied itinerary. For me, it offered a structured opportunity to document one of Japan’s most recognizable landscapes under ideal autumn conditions.
