OWAKUDANI
This is undoubtedly one of Hakone's most popular sites. It can be reached by cable car, either from the lake-side Tōgendai station or from Gōra. Owakudani is also known as Ō-jigoku, the great hell, and it's easy to see why when you see the fumaroles and swirls of sulfurous fumes that emanate from it. Once off the ropeway, a strong smell of sulfur stings the nose, and you're faced with a lunar landscape. The lush green mountains have given way to a scorched earth covered in yellowish-gray dust. Owakudani has an air of the end of the world, barely disturbed by the hustle and bustle of tourists (extremely numerous in all seasons). Owakudani's eggs are almost as famous as the volcano itself. After cooking in sulfurous water, the shell of these eggs turns black, hence their name: kurotamago. Eating them is said to extend your life by seven years, and perhaps that's why they're so popular. They are eaten locally with all kinds of sauces, and even desserts are adorned with their black color. The Owakudani "valley", like Lake Ashi below, is the result of the collapse of Mount Kamiyama after a powerful volcanic eruption some 3,000 years ago. The interesting on-site Hakone Geo Museum explains in detail the geological formation of the region. Beware, volcanic activity is still regular, and this has recently led to the closure of walking trails around the fumaroles.
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