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Japan is full of geothermal activity; the country’s numerous onsen (hot springs) perfectly exemplify this. Specifically, Hakone is a hotbed for geothermal activity due to its proximity to Mount Fuji. For this reason, it’s aptly known as an onsen-town where local and international visitors frequent to soak in the piping hot water. However, Hakone is also famous for Owakudani, called “the valley of hell” by some. Owakudani is an open crater which formed 3,000 years ago from a volcanic eruption. To this day it is still highly active, attracting thousands of visitors as it spews gases out of its eerie volcanic valley.

My friend and I paid a visit to Owakudani by taking the Hakone Ropeway up, through, and into the crater. As we passed over part of the valley in the suspended car, we had to cover our noses and mouths with small damp towels to prevent breathing in the sulphuric fumes. The amount of gas pouring out of the valley’s vents was pretty impressive, and made me question if it was safe to be in the crater to begin with. Even though thousands of people visit Owakudani each year, it is completely possible for the volcano to erupt or leak excessive amounts of gas, which would put visitors in eminent danger. These thoughts cycled through my mind as we slowly passed over and into the crater, but I focused on the unique experience rather than the negative potentials.

Travel tip: The Hakone Ropeway has specific operating hours that slightly change during different seasons. Be sure to check these times and plan your trip in and out of Owakudani accordingly so you don’t get stuck in the volcanic valley overnight!

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Owakudani was for its famous kuro-tamago (black eggs). The black eggs are hardboiled in volcanic water, giving them their signature black color. According to local legend, eating one of these black eggs can add seven years to your life. A bundle off five eggs is typically sold for 500 JPY (~$4.50 USD), which is great if you’re sharing amongst friends. Between my friend and I, we ate two eggs apiece, saving one for later and adding a total of fourteen years to each of our lifespans! Other than being visibly black and having been prepared a special way, the kuro-tamago tasted like standard hardboiled eggs. They definitely looked cool, though, and eating them while in the valley of hell added to the experience.

We also explored the small shops, learned about the crater, and sampled two kinds of soft serve ice cream while in Owakudani. The egg soft serve ice cream we tried was a bright yellow-orange color and tasted like custard. And although the black vanilla ice cream tasted like vanilla, it turned our tongues completely black when eating it. Both were special flavors I had not previously tried, and ice cream seemed to be a pretty good distraction from my negative thoughts while in the active volcanic valley.

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Exploring Owakudani was definitely an experience I’ll never forget and a place I highly recommend visiting if you’re in Japan. If you’re looking for more places of interest, food recommendations, or travel tips about Hakone, please view my Hakone Travel Guide! Click here to learn more about Hakone and here for a list of cities in Japan to get inspired to travel and experience more.

Peace & happy travels,

Tay