Odakyu Hotel de Yama, building in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Odakyu Hotel de Yama is a lakeside hotel on the shores of Lake Ashi in Moto-Hakone, Japan, set within a garden that faces Mount Fuji. The building has a red roof and white exterior walls in a European style, and the interior is furnished with classic wooden pieces and decorative elements from earlier decades.
The property began as a private villa belonging to Baron Koyata Iwasaki, a member of the family behind the Mitsubishi corporation. After the Second World War, in 1948, the estate was converted into a hotel, and a later renovation kept much of its original character intact.
The name "de Yama" loosely means "of the mountain" and reflects the hotel's relationship with Mount Fuji, visible from the garden and several interior spaces. Guests often spend time on the lakeside terrace, where the view across Lake Ashi toward the volcano is part of the daily rhythm of the place.
The hotel sits in Moto-Hakone and can be reached by bus or by boat across Lake Ashi, with stops close to the entrance. Early morning tends to offer the clearest views of Mount Fuji, as clouds often gather around the peak later in the day.
The top floor of the building contains a viewing room with a wide outlook over the lake, the garden, and Mount Fuji that many guests never find during their stay. The room is reached by stairs rather than the main elevator, which is why most visitors walk past it without noticing.
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