5 Photogenic Breathtaking Spots in Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture is dotted with breathtaking scenery that makes you feel "I want to shoot that!" We've compiled a rich variety of photogenic spots—sea, mountains, lakes, and sunsets. Grab your camera, and let's head out!

1. Enoshima & Chigogafuchi | A Golden World Woven by Sunset and Sea

At Chigogafuchi, where rocky areas overlap with the sunset, the sky dyed orange and gold reflects on the sea surface, letting you take a shot just like a painting. The best time is 30 minutes before sunset. Aiming low with the rocks in the foreground makes for a three-dimensional composition with depth. From autumn to winter, the air is clear and you can also aim for a collaboration with Mount Fuji.

Access: About a 20-minute walk from Odakyu Line "Katase-Enoshima Station"

2. Hakone & Owakudani | The Dynamic Spectacle of Volcanic Smoke and Volcanic Terrain

The desolate land where white volcanic smoke rises is a photogenic spot full of extraordinary atmosphere. On a clear morning, the contrast of blue sky and white smoke reaches its peak. The composition placing the volcanic smoke in the foreground and Mount Fuji in the background is the ultimate framing unique to Hakone. Aim for a day with the clear air of spring.

Access: Right at Hakone Ropeway "Owakudani Station"

3. Lake Ashi & Koshiri Area | Inverted Fuji Mirrored on the Lake Surface

On a windless early morning, "Inverted Fuji," with Mount Fuji reflected as is, appears on the surface of Lake Ashi. The best time is right after sunrise. Using a tripod and shooting from a low angle just above the water surface completes a beautiful symmetrical composition where sky, Mount Fuji, and lake layer in three tiers. In the autumn foliage season the colors are even richer.

Access: Right by the "Koshiri / Togendai" stop of the Hakone Tozan Bus

4. Azumayama Park | A Yellow Gradient of Rape Blossoms and Mount Fuji

From January to February, the breathtaking scenery capturing rape blossoms covering the entire summit and snow-capped Mount Fuji in a single shot is called a "winter miracle." On a clear morning, placing Mount Fuji head-on and drawing the rape blossoms into the foreground completes a vivid yellow-and-white contrast. Including a person boosts the photogenic level even more!

Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Tokaido Line "Ninomiya Station"

5. Jogashima & Umanose-Domon | The Wild Spectacle of a Sea Cave and Blue Ocean

"Umanose-Domon," a natural arch formed by wave erosion, is a stunning location of blue sea and rugged rock faces. During the morning front-light time, framing as if peering through the arch achieves an outstanding framed-picture composition. In summer, the contrast of blue and white is photogenic; in autumn and winter, the dynamic expression of sea spray is also worth aiming for.

Access: About a 15-minute walk from the Keikyu Bus "Jogashima" stop

Kanagawa's breathtaking scenery shows completely different expressions depending on the season and time of day. Don't miss the best time, and capture your very own shot.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best season and time of day: Chigogafuchi is best around sunset, Owakudani during the day when it is fine, the upside-down reflection of Mount Fuji on Lake Ashi in the calm early morning, and the rape blossoms of Azumayama Park during the day in January and February. On Jogashima, the morning, with the sun behind you, is the easiest time to shoot.
• Opening hours / periods: Azumayama Park is open from 8:30 to 17:00, all year round. The Hakone Ropeway and Hakone Sightseeing Cruise boats heading for Togendai start running in the 9 o'clock hour and do not operate early in the morning. Entry to the Owakudani grounds is restricted according to the concentration of volcanic gas and the volcanic alert level.
• Admission: Azumayama Park is free to enter. There is no charge for viewing Owakudani, Chigogafuchi or the Uma-no-se Domon arch themselves (transport such as the Enoshima Escar and the Hakone Ropeway is charged separately).
• Access: Chigogafuchi is about 25 minutes on foot from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line (at the far end of Enoshima). Owakudani is right by "Owakudani Station" on the Hakone Ropeway. For Lake Ashi and Kojiri, go from "Togendai" on the Hakone Ropeway or the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. Azumayama Park is about 5 minutes on foot from the north exit of JR Ninomiya Station to the entrance, and from there about 20 minutes up steps and a mountain path. For the Uma-no-se Domon arch on Jogashima, get off the Keikyu bus at "Jogashima" and walk about 15 minutes.
• Parking: Owakudani has a paid car park, and no reservations are accepted (large buses for groups of disabled visitors can have the fee reduced or waived if they contact the site in advance). The other spots also get crowded depending on the season and the time of day.
• Photography rules: If you use a tripod on the shore of Lake Ashi or elsewhere, do so where it will not obstruct people passing. On the rocky shores of Enoshima and Jogashima, never enter a no-entry area to take photographs.
• Safety notes: At Owakudani, volcanic gases harmful to the human body (sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide) are emitted, and people with allergic asthma, bronchial disorders, respiratory (lung) disease or heart disease, people fitted with a cardiac pacemaker and people who are unwell cannot sightsee outside their vehicle, as it could be life-threatening. Pregnant women, newborns and infants and elderly visitors should also consider carefully whether to get out of the vehicle. If the smell is strong or you feel irritation in your eyes, nose or throat, leave immediately. At 1,040 m above sea level, care is also needed against fog, strong winds (gusts of 40 m per second) and icy conditions in winter. The Uma-no-se Domon arch on Jogashima is in danger of collapse, and Miura City urges visitors not to climb on top of the arch or go underneath it. Chigogafuchi is a rocky shore swept by waves, and access is restricted in bad weather and when the waves are high.

* Owakudani may be placed under restrictions without notice depending on volcanic activity and weather conditions. Be sure to check the official information immediately before your visit.

(Sources: Kanagawa Prefectural Park Association, "To Those Visiting Owakudani (Points to Note)"; Hakone Town, "On the Review of Entry Restrictions to the Owakudani Grounds"; Miura City, "About the Uma-no-se Domon Arch"; Ninomiya Town official website, "Azumayama Park"; Fujisawa City official tourism website, "Chigogafuchi")