Owakudani
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Active volcanic vent? | Stinky and often crowded |
| Easy access | Sometimes off-limits |
Currently closed due to high volcanic activity
Due to increased volcanic gases this location is closed to the public. For latest status check the Rope-way homepage or the Kawanagawa Prefecture notices. You can also view a live webcam of the area should the volcano explode (it won’t, but it might!).
Owakunidani is an active volcanic vent on top of an active volcano with sulfurous hot spring pools, sulfurous noxious gases and black eggs cooked in the sulfurous, noxious hot spring pools.
It is actually quite a challenge avoiding the plumes of gas as you walk around the site so those with limited lung capacity should probably avoid the area as the warning signs clearly indicate. At the very least it stinks.
There isn’t actually much else to do other than admire the view, unless the mountain top is shrouded in clouds in which case you can just admire the sulfur clouds. The black eggs are popular however they are just for show. The eggs themselves taste like normal eggs; you eat them with salt along with the other tourists on some tables outside.
As part of the Hakone tour this is a great stop, assuming it is open to the public, however if you have a busy schedule in Hakone then perhaps skip the trek over the mountain and instead use the other rope-way to catch the view from the top of the mountain.
