Sengokuhara is a highland resort area with many museums, hotels, hot springs, cafes, and outdoor activities to enjoy. Some of the natural attractions include the pampas meadow, Mt. Kintoki hiking trail, mountain biking, and the Hakone Wetland Botanical Gardens.

 

Susuki-no-hara, Pampas Grass Fields

The silver grass that grows in clusters on the slopes of Mount Daigatake has a variety of changing expressions during spring, summer, autumn and winter months. The fields are a vibrant green in summer and take on a silver sheen in the autumn light that draws many visitors.  It was chosen as one of the top 50 scenic spots and one of the top 100 flowering spots in Kanagawa. From the grasslands, you can see the splendid scenery of the marshland and Sengokuhara Valley in harmony with the beautiful mountains such as Mt. Kintoki. Every year from mid to late March, a burning ceremony is held to protect the natural system and encourage new growth.

 

Museums

Sengokuhara is a wide and flat highland area of Hakone and is home to many museums. The Little Prince Museum, Lalique Museum, Venetian Glass Museum, and the POLA Art Museum (featuring pieces by Monet, Manet, and Renoir, and Picasso) are some of the main draws in the area.

 

The Hakone Wetland Botanical Gardens

The Hakone Wetland Botanical Garden is a botanical garden focusing on plants that grow in marshes, rivers, lakes and other wetlands. In addition to 200 species of wetland plants scattered all over Japan from lowland to alpine, 1100 species of grassland, forest, and alpine plants are collected in the garden, and about 1700 species of plants, including rare foreign wildflowers, bloom in every season. The park path takes you from lowland to alpine, from early marshland to developed marshland, in order to see the flora in order. The gardens are closed in the winter season.

 

Outdoor Activities

Hiking, bird watching, family friendly mountain biking, and the Hakone Visitor Center are some of the activities that can be enjoyed in the area. The hot springs in Sengokuhara are sourced near Owakudani and have a white milky quality to them.

 

From Hakone-Yumoto Station, take the Hakone Tozan Bus (T-Line) for about 30 minutes and get off at Sengoku Kogen Bus Stop.

From Shinjuku Station, take the Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus and get off at Sengoku Kogen bus stop.