Lake Ashinoko is a long slender crater lake that rests serenely in a saddle between the mountains of the Hakone highlands. Surrounded by lush verdant forests with walking paths and lakeside temples and shrines, the lake offers some of the most picturesque views in Japan. On clear days, Mount Fuji is clearly visible over the northwest end of the lake, beautiful in any season but particularly in winter or spring with its pure white snowcap.

You will travel around Lake Ashinoko by private car after being picked up at your accommodation. The car will traverse small back roads that wind their way through the highlands of Hakone and the dense forests of the region. Ask your driver to stop en route to enjoy expansive views across the lake that sometimes, on a clear day, include Mount Fuji.

On your tour, you can visit the lakeside Hakone shrine with its iconic red torii gate or head out to stretch your legs on the walking trails that surround the lake’s perimeter. For culture, you can head to Narukawa Art Museum or the Hakone Detached Palace Garden, then stop for a snack at one of the small local cafes and restaurants surrounding the lake.

While it is only a short drive from Lake Ashinoko, arriving at Kinnotake Sengokuhara feels like you are entering another world. Flanked by fields of susuki pampas grass that roll like ocean waves in the wind as well as deep groves of bamboo, this modern onsen ryokan offers privacy and comfort that especially appeals to couples looking for that special romantic getaway.

Much of the main concept of the hotel revolves around bamboo, inspired by the ancient Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, one of Japan’s oldest folk tales (adapted into the Academy Award-nominated film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya in 2013) in which the beautiful Princess Kaguya is discovered inside a stalk of bamboo. Each of the nine exclusive rooms within Kinnotake Sengokuhara possesses its own unique design, with bamboo and other types of wood featuring prominently.

Each room is also equipped with its own private open-air onsen from which you can gaze out into the surrounding bamboo groves throughout the seasons as you lay back and relax. The waters for these onsen are drawn from the nearby Owakudani Valley, giving them a milky color and silky feel that is said to do wonders for the skin.

Your evening meal at Kinnotake Sengokuhara is also a private affair, delivered to your guest room so that you can enjoy a quiet leisurely meal in comfort. Dinner is brought to you in traditional kaiseki style, consisting of many intricately prepared dishes featuring seasonal ingredients selected with care and precision. Guests may also order from a menu of fine wine and Japanese sake for the perfect complement to their dinner.

For a quiet drink after dinner, head to the sophisticated Bar Bamboo to enjoy a drink of your choice, perhaps one of their signature cocktails made using fresh fruit. The interior of the bar features soft lighting that brings out the warm glow of wood and bamboo for a sophisticated and intimate ambience. The front of the bar opens out onto a wooden deck equipped with chairs where you can relax over views of the pond and the bamboo groves beyond.

At Kinnotake Sengokuhara, great pride is taken in the careful selection of all ingredients used in preparing both dinner and breakfast, even down to the rice itself, which is selected by five-star rice meister Kazu Tsuchiya. Featuring a selection of locally sourced ingredients, breakfast at Kinnotake Sengokuhara is all about finding just the right balance of flavors, textures, and colors to satisfy all the senses. Once again, you can enjoy breakfast in the privacy and comfort of your own room.

With the shores of Lake Ashinoko just a short drive away from your accommodation, a tour around the lake by private car is a relaxing way to explore the beauty of the region during your stay at Kinnotake Sengokuhara. Along with the ryokan’s more immediate surroundings of lush susuki grass fields and bamboo groves, a tour by car allows you to enjoy some of the interesting historical sites in the area as well as majestic views across the lake towards Mount Fuji.

Featuring beautiful guest rooms, attractive interior design, private onsen, and delicious kaiseki cuisine, the modern onsen ryokan inn Kinnotake Sengokuhara offers an ideal getaway from the rigors of city life, particularly for couples looking to spend some time alone and create special memories of their time together in Hakone.