Whether you ascend into the highlands of Hakone by rail, road, or a combination of both, you will soon find yourself immersed in lush forests. Along the switchbacks that lead up the steep slopes, the trees on either side are so close that they often stretch across the gap and embrace, forming a canopy overhead. As the road begins to flatten out, you will soon reach the famous susuki grass fields that give the region of Sengokuhara its name, ringed by forests that shift depending on the season from verdant green to fiery red to frosty white.

Despite the beauty and tranquility of the forests here, many travelers these days only get to see them through the window of a car or bus as they rush onward towards Lake Ashinoko or other destinations. What the private forest villas of Hakone Retreat Villa 1/f offer you instead is the opportunity to slow down for a moment and reconnect with nature to take a break from the many distractions of urban life.

Within the expansive wooded grounds of Hakone Retreat Villa 1/f, there are 18 private villas where guests can relax, unwind, and reconnect with nature. From the moment that you turn off the main road into the narrow driveway that leads off into the trees, the rest of the world begins to disappear. A curtain of leaves and branches closes behind you as you reach your accommodation and check in to what will be your own secluded sanctuary during this precious time in Hakone with the people who matter the most.

Your home away from home for the duration of your stay will be one of the seven private villas on the property known as the Ibuki Suites. While these villas provide ultimate modern style and comfort, they are also designed to complement the beauty of their surroundings. Natural materials such as wood and stone abound in their construction, with large windows facing out into the swaying branches of the forest. Each villa is also fitted with its own private onsen bath, the perfect place to lay back, gaze outside, and lose yourself in the moment.

Your morning meal at Hakone Retreat Villa 1/f will be served within the serenity of the graceful on-site WOODSIDE dining restaurant (Western-style breakfast) or Ryotei Hyoseki restaurant (traditional Japanese restaurant). Constructed as an attractive half-dome with large windows to fill the room with natural sunlight, the WOODSIDE dining restaurant highlights its close connection with the forest all around. Ryotei Hyoseki combines traditional Japanese aesthetics that emphasize the proximity of nature, including windows that resemble Japanese sliding doors, yet offer gorgeous views of your woodland surroundings.

At WOODSIDE dining restaurant, breakfast is served buffet style, offering up your choice of fresh fruit, delicately baked pastries, local seasonal vegetables, and a range of delicious hot dishes prepared right before your eyes by the on-site chef. At Ryotei Hyoseki, breakfast is served in the customary Japanese way, including delicately grilled fish, steamed rice, savory miso soup, and a range of delicious side dishes made using seasonal local ingredients.

Whichever option you choose, take time to relax at your table as you enjoy the flavors and aromas of the meal, balanced just right for the perfect start to your day.

The samurai, scholars, and merchants of the Edo period (1603 - 1868) discovered the pleasures of Hakone long before us, frequently making the trip from the shogun’s capital city to enjoy the rustic beauty, delicious food, and soothing hot springs of the region. Tokoan, a historic building on the site of Kumano Shrine in the small Hakone town of Ashinoyu, is thought to have been a place where people of that time would gather between dips in the local hot springs to relax, drink, eat, socialize, and be entertained.

This historic building, just a short journey by car from your accommodation, is surrounded by the tranquility of nature, the perfect spot to slow down for a moment and clear your mind. In this exclusive Wabunka experience, you will have the opportunity to learn the ancient Japanese meditation technique of zazen (seated meditation), followed by suizen (meditation to the sound of a shakuhachi flute).

The shakuhachi music will be provided by master musician Lenzan Kudo, with the instrument’s hauntingly beautiful tones adding to your levels of concentration and mindfulness. If you want to try to learn how to play the shakuhachi, Lenzan will be happy to instruct you (additional fees apply). After your meditation, enjoy a quiet cup of hojicha tea with simple wagashi sweets (specific tea and sweets are subject to change).

Spending time in a city as vast and varied as Tokyo is an incredibly exciting and stimulating experience, but now and then we all need to slow down, relax, and appreciate the world around us. Your private forest villa in Hakone gives you the time and space to reconnect with nature and with the people you care about, where you can hear sounds normally lost in the clamor of the city, like the gentle songs of birds or the wind rustling through the leaves.

To explore Hakone’s long history as a place of relaxation and contemplation, a visit to the historic building Tokoan on the atmospheric grounds of Kumano Shrine will transport you into the distant past. As you listen to the breathy tones of the shakuhachi flute amidst these timeless surroundings, let your meditation carry you back to a time when the only music came straight from the instruments of the musicians themselves.