Hakone Ropeway
At the cable-car terminus of Sounzan, a gondola called the Hakone Ropeway swings up over a ridge and crosses the Owakudani Valley (aka the Great Boiling Valley) on its way to Togendai. The landscape here is desolate, with sulfurous billows of steam escaping through holes from some inferno deep in the earth—yet another reminder that Japan is a chain of volcanic islands.
Atop the ridge is one of the two stations where you can leave the gondola. From here, a ¾-km (½-mile) walking course wanders among the valley's sulfur pits. Just below the station is a restaurant; the food here isn't great, but, on a clear day, the view of Mt. Fuji is. Remember that if you get off the gondola at any stage, you will have to wait for someone to make space on a later gondola before you can continue down to Togendai and Ashi-no-ko. The good news is that gondolas come by every minute.
Due to concerns about volcanic activity, sections of the ropeway may be closed and buses will run from Sounzan to Togendai. The Hakone Ropeway's English site is not always up-to-date, so check with the tourist information office before you go.
