Hakone Ropeway, Aerial lift in Hakone, Japan.
The Hakone Ropeway is a funitel linking Sōunzan and Tōgendai via Ōwakudani, operated by Odakyu Hakone. Since 2002 it has run in two sections: Sōunzan–Ōwakudani (1.4 km, 18 cabins) and Ōwakudani–Tōgendai (2.5 km, 30 cabins). Swiss CWA cabins hold 18 passengers and hang from two parallel cables, with a blue-and-white emblem and the word "HAKONE" on the lower front panel.
The ropeway was constructed in 1959 and began operations that same year to facilitate mountain transportation in the region. In 2002, the system was restructured into two interconnected sections that improved connections between different parts of Hakone.
The name funitel combines the French words for cable railway and aerial tramway, and Hakone's line became Japan's second funitel in 2002, after the Hashikurasan Ropeway. The route forms part of the sightseeing circuit between Odawara and Lake Ashi, and its station codes continue the numbering used from Shinjuku along the Odakyu line and the Hakone Tozan railway and cable car.
Cabins depart approximately every minute from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and take around thirty minutes to traverse the full route across all three stations. Views are clearest on sunny mornings, and checking weather conditions beforehand is helpful, particularly on windy days.
The route passes over Owakudani, an active volcanic zone where sulfurous steam rises from the earth in a striking natural display. At this station, visitors can sample famous black eggs boiled in the hot springs, which local tradition associates with good fortune and longevity.
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