Lake Ashi
A crater lake along the south-western wall of the Hakone caldera, beside the old Tōkaidō road between Kyoto and Tokyo. Pleasure boats styled as sailing warships cross it, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears beyond the hills.
- Where
- Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 35.2117, 139.0039
Get the Lake Ashi stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Lake Ashi. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Kanagawa volume with your photos and a note.
Near Lake Ashi
Hakone Shrine 2.2 km
A Shinto shrine on the shore of Lake Ashi, reached up stone steps through tall cedars. Its red torii gate stands in the lake itself, the picture most people carry home from Hakone.
Ōwakudani 3.7 km
A volcanic valley of active sulphur vents and hot springs, formed about 3,000 years ago when the Hakone volcano erupted. Steam rises from the yellowed ground, and eggs boiled black in the springs are sold as kuro-tamago, said to add years to your life.
Hakone Open-Air Museum 5.7 km
Japan's first open-air museum, opened in 1969 on a hillside in Hakone. About 120 sculptures stand across its lawns, by artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Constantin Brâncuși, and a pavilion holds a large Picasso collection.
Mount Fuji 30 km
An active stratovolcano and Japan's highest mountain, rising to 3,776 metres on the island of Honshu. Its near-perfect cone has been painted and climbed for centuries, and in summer trails lead to the crater rim, where climbers wait for the sunrise.
Arakurayama Sengen Park 37 km
A hillside park on Mount Arakura above Fujiyoshida, opened in 1959. A long stair climbs past its red five-storey Chūreitō pagoda to a lookout where pagoda and Mount Fuji line up in a single frame, most famously in cherry blossom season.
Lake Kawaguchi 40 km
The second largest of the Fuji Five Lakes and the lowest, at about 800 metres, with the longest shoreline of the five. Its northern shore gives some of the classic views of Mount Fuji reflected across the water.
Enoshima 44 km
A small island, about 4 kilometres round, in Sagami Bay, joined to the mainland at Fujisawa by a 389 metre bridge. Shrines, a lighthouse tower and sea caves sit on its hill, and some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo line the shore opposite.
Kōtoku-in 50 km
A Jōdo-shū temple in Kamakura, home of the Great Buddha: a bronze Amida more than 11 metres tall that has sat in the open air since its hall was lost in the 15th century. The statue is hollow, and you can step inside it.
More famous places to visit in Kanagawa
Questions
Where is Lake Ashi?
Lake Ashi is in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Hakone Shrine (2.2 km), Ōwakudani (3.7 km), Hakone Open-Air Museum (5.7 km).
How do I get the Lake Ashi stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Lake Ashi and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Kanagawa volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Lake Ashi before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Kanagawa volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.