Food · Hakone · Japan
What to eat in Hakone
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Hakone, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Quercus acuta, CC0
Quick answer
Start with Black eggs, Yuba-don and Hakone tofu. A night in a ryokan usually includes a kaiseki dinner and a Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, rice, miso soup and pickles, often served in your room in a yukata after a bath. Most ryokan serve dinner at a set time in the early evening; tell them in advance if you will arrive late or have dietary needs.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Black eggs
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is not customary in Japan.
- Food experiences
- 3
9 foods to try
Snack · Vegetarian
1.Black eggs (Kuro-tamago)
Eggs boiled in Ōwakudani's hot springs, where sulphur and iron turn the shells black. Each is said to add seven years to your life, and they are sold in bags of several.
Where: Shops beside the volcanic vents at Ōwakudani, reached by the Hakone Ropeway.
Dish
2.Yuba-don
A rice bowl topped with fresh tofu skin (yuba) simmered in a soy-dashi broth and bound with egg, a Hakone speciality that reflects the area's soft spring water.
Where: Restaurants in Hakone-Yumoto and around Gōra and Miyanoshita.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Hakone tofu
Tofu made with Hakone's spring water is prized for its smooth texture and served cold with soy and ginger, simmered in hot pot or as part of ryokan dinners.
Where: Tofu shops and restaurants in Hakone-Yumoto, and ryokan kaiseki meals.
Dish
4.Soba
Buckwheat noodles served cold with dipping sauce or in hot broth, sometimes with grated yam (tororo); Hakone-Yumoto has several long-established soba shops, including Hatsuhana.
Where: Soba restaurants along the river and main street in Hakone-Yumoto.
Dish
5.Kaiseki dinner
A seasonal multi-course meal of small dishes — sashimi, grilled fish, simmered vegetables, tofu and rice — served in your room or a private dining room at most ryokan.
Where: Ryokan throughout Hakone, usually included in half-board rates.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Onsen manju
Small steamed buns filled with sweet red-bean paste, sold warm in hot-spring towns all over Japan and a classic Hakone souvenir.
Where: Sweet shops along the main street of Hakone-Yumoto.
Drink · Vegetarian
7.Amazake
A sweet, thick, non-alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, traditionally served to travellers on the old Tōkaidō road.
Where: Amazake-chaya teahouse on the old Tōkaidō between Hatajuku and Moto-Hakone.
Snack
8.Odawara kamaboko
Steamed fish cake made from white fish, a speciality of nearby Odawara, eaten sliced with soy sauce and wasabi or as a snack.
Where: Shops in Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara, and the Suzuhiro kamaboko complex near Kazamatsuri station on the Hakone Tozan Line.
Dish
9.Lake Ashi smelt tempura (Wakasagi)
Small lake smelt from Lake Ashi fried whole in light tempura batter, eaten bones and all.
Where: Restaurants around Moto-Hakone and Tōgendai on the lakeshore.
Food experiences
Ryokan kaiseki and breakfast
A night in a ryokan usually includes a kaiseki dinner and a Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, rice, miso soup and pickles, often served in your room in a yukata after a bath.
Black eggs at Ōwakudani
Buy a bag of sulphur-blackened eggs at the volcanic valley and eat one at the viewpoint with Mount Fuji beyond the steam on a clear day.
Yumoto street snacks
Walk Hakone-Yumoto's main street sampling warm onsen manju, fish-cake sticks and soft-serve before catching the train back to Tokyo.
Quick bites and street food
- Black eggs — Shops beside the volcanic vents at Ōwakudani, reached by the Hakone Ropeway.
- Odawara kamaboko — Shops in Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara, and the Suzuhiro kamaboko complex near Kazamatsuri station on the Hakone Tozan Line.
Vegetarian options
Of the 9 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Black eggs, Hakone tofu, Onsen manju and Amazake. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Most ryokan serve dinner at a set time in the early evening; tell them in advance if you will arrive late or have dietary needs.
- Restaurants outside Hakone-Yumoto close early, often by 7–8pm, so eat dinner at your hotel or plan ahead.
- Vegetarian and vegan kaiseki is not standard; ask your ryokan when booking.
- Many small restaurants accept cash only, so carry yen.
- Lunch spots along the loop get busy at midday on weekends; eat early or late.
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in Japan. Some guests leave a small gratuity in an envelope for ryokan staff, but it is never expected.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Konnichiwa | Hello |
| Arigatō gozaimasu | Thank you very much |
| Sumimasen | Excuse me |
| Onsen wa doko desu ka? | Where is the hot-spring bath? |
| Gochisōsama deshita | Thank you for the meal |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Hakone famous for?
Black eggs, Yuba-don, Hakone tofu and Soba. Eggs boiled in Ōwakudani's hot springs, where sulphur and iron turn the shells black.
+Is Hakone good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Black eggs, Hakone tofu and Onsen manju.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Hakone?
Tipping is not customary in Japan. Some guests leave a small gratuity in an envelope for ryokan staff, but it is never expected.