About
Hakone Tozan Railway is Japan’s oldest mountain railway (opened 1919), climbing 445 metres over just 15 km between Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto and Gora. It tackles the country’s steepest adhesion-rail gradient (80 ‰) via three dramatic switchbacks, threads cedar-lined ravines, and every June becomes the celebrated “Hydrangea Train.” Today it anchors the Hakone “Golden Route,” linking seamlessly to the cable car, ropeway and pirate-style cruise boats on Lake Ashi.     1 · Route & History • Launch & operator: Began passenger service on 1 June 1919; now run by Hakone Tozan Railway Co., part of the Odakyu group.  • Extent: Odawara ▶ Hakone-Yumoto ▶ Gora (15 km); the 8.9 km mountain section starts at Hakone-Yumoto.   • Role: Acts as the backbone of the multi-modal Hakone sightseeing network, feeding directly into the cable car at Gora.   2 · Engineering Highlights Feature Detail Source Steepest grade 80 ‰ (1 in 12.5) – Japan’s sharpest for an adhesion railway  Switchbacks Daita (Ōhiradai), Kami-Daita and Deyama signal posts; trains change direction 3 times   Compact rolling-stock Short 15 m cars, powerful motors and regenerative brakes for tight curves and slopes  3 · Seasonal Attractions • Hydrangea Season (mid-June – mid-July): More than 10 000 bushes bloom track-side; evening “Night Hydrangea Train” runs with slow rolls and special lighting.   • Autumn foliage: Maples flame along the ravines from late October.  • Winter frost & occasional snow: Creates icy scenery at higher elevations.  4 · Service Pattern & Tickets • Frequency: Local trains every 10–20 minutes; the March 15 2025 timetable retains a last departure from Gora around 21:30.  • Hakone Freepass: 2- or 3-day ticket (from ¥5 700 ex-Shinjuku) covering the Tozan Line plus cable car, ropeway, sightseeing cruise and buses.   • Tozan Train 1-Day Pass: Unlimited Odawara–Gora rides for a day.  5 · Recent & Upcoming Developments • Typhoon Hagibis (No. 19) damage: Mountain section closed for major reconstruction after October 2019 storms; full service restored on 23 July 2020.   • Driver-only operation: Odakyu Hakone announced one-man operations between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto from 2026 to improve efficiency while keeping headways.  6 · Travel Tips 1. Sit on the right-hand side leaving Hakone-Yumoto for the best valley views; swap sides on the return. 2. During hydrangea season, board weekday evening trains for shorter queues. 3. Large luggage can be forwarded from Hakone-Yumoto to hotels, avoiding the steep station steps.  Hakone Tozan Railway offers a compact but thrilling ascent through forests, hot-spring hamlets and alpine scenery—an essential prologue to any Hakone adventure.