Train to Hakone

From 1888 to 1900, to make it up to the mountain town of Hakone, one had to hitch a ride on the Odawara Horse-drawn Railway. Luckily for the horses, after 1900, horse power was traded in for horsepower, and the Hakone Tozan Mountain Railway was electrified! Horses around the region surely neighed a sigh of relief.

Today, the line is called the Hakone Mountain-Climbing Railroad Line, and it is Japan’s only mountain railway. It makes sense that design of this railway was inspired by the Bernina railway in Switzerland, a country with a mountain or two (or 10,850).

Travelers taking a ride on this picturesque ride are in for quite a treat, and not just whatever delicious snacks they picked up for their travels. The line is famous for its fantastic flora; during the rainy season in June and July, over 10,000 hydrangeas bloom along the tracks, earning these trains the nickname “Hydrangea Trains.” During this time, the trains slow down to let passengers take in the view. No wonder this area has been an epicenter for 150 years of tourism!

Throughout the course of its rich history, the Hakone-Tozan Line has played a vital role — and not just because it has been featured in Japanese films, TV shows, and novels. During the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, this railroad line was one of the few operational routes, providing crucial transportation for people and goods during the time. Were the trains on this mountainous railway an inspiration for The Little Engine that Could?