Visiting Hakone for Yosegi and Puzzle Boxes

Hakone is a mountain hot-spring resort in Kanagawa Prefecture, within reach of Tokyo. For anyone interested in yosegi and puzzle boxes, it offers museums, a public craft hall, working studios and shops along the old Tokaido road. This page introduces the main places and how they fit together.

Opening days, hours, admission and class schedules change. Check each venue's official site before you go.

Getting oriented

Three areas matter most for yosegi:

  • Hakone-Yumoto, the gateway hot-spring town at the bottom of the mountains, with Hakone-Yumoto Station.
  • Hatajuku, a small settlement on the old Tokaido road in the mountains above Yumoto, and the birthplace of yosegi.
  • The Hakone checkpoint area on Lake Ashi, where the Hakone Karakuri Museum is located.

Hakone Tozan buses connect these areas. Hamamatsuya's directions, for example, describe taking a bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station on the route to Hatajuku or via the old road to Moto-Hakone, and getting off at the Honjin-ato stop, about 15 minutes away.

Hatajuku

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism calls Hatajuku, on the old Tokaido highway between Edo and Kyoto, the birthplace of yosegi marquetry. The village also preserves an ichirizuka, a pair of distance-marker mounds from the Edo-period highway system.

Hatajuku Yosegi Kaikan

The Hatajuku Yosegi Kaikan is a public hall at 103 Hatajuku that displays craftsmen's tools and yosegi works, introduces Hatajuku's shops, sells souvenirs and runs a coaster-making class. Its own site says admission is free and that it is about a two-minute walk from the Honjin-ato bus stop, with free parking. A Hakone local guide explains that Hakone Town established the hall after the 1984 traditional craft designation to preserve the technique, and that it has exhibits and demonstrations on how yosegi is made.

Hamamatsuya

Hamamatsuya, at 138 Hatajuku, is described by the national ministry as a workshop and store run by the descendants of Ishikawa Nihei, credited with inventing yosegi. Its site describes a "visible workshop" on the second floor of the main store, where you can watch demonstrations of yosegi and wood inlay.

Hakone-Yumoto

Honma Yosegi Museum

The Honma Yosegi Museum and Yosegi Shop are at 84 Yumoto, according to Hakone Town, close to Hakone-Yumoto Station. The museum was founded by Noboru Honma, a certified traditional craftsman. The national craft association writes that seeing the collection will change your image of yosegi as just a souvenir, and describes a ceiling made by Mr. Honma that looks like a marquetry planetarium. The shop can be visited without buying a museum ticket. Hakone Town also lists a coaster-making class here.

Near the Hakone checkpoint

Hakone Karakuri Museum

The Hakone Karakuri Museum, at 16 Hakone, is about a one-minute walk from the Hakone-sekisho-ato bus stop, according to Kanagawa Prefecture's tourism site. It exhibits works by master craftsmen of Hakone yosegi, and visitors can touch and play with works that have mechanisms, such as secret boxes. The Japan News reported that the museum was established in 2013, exhibits about 100 items, and includes puzzle furniture as well as boxes. The museum also runs a puzzle-box-making workshop (see hands-on classes).

A suggested day

  1. Start at Hakone-Yumoto and visit the Honma Yosegi Museum to see historic and fine pieces.
  2. Take the bus up the old road to Hatajuku. Visit the Yosegi Kaikan, watch a demonstration at Hamamatsuya, and make a coaster.
  3. Continue toward Lake Ashi and the Hakone checkpoint to try puzzle boxes at the Hakone Karakuri Museum.

This order follows the craft from its history to its making to its puzzles. Confirm bus times and opening days before you set out; some venues close on certain weekdays.

Tips for buying in Hakone

  • Buy from workshops and shops that make or know their goods. Staff can usually explain the woods, pattern and move count.
  • Look for the Tradition Stamp and maker's marks. See the buying guide.
  • Ask for the opening sequence or instructions with any puzzle box.
  • Consider buying a box in person after trying one: it is the best way to choose a move count you will enjoy.

Respectful visiting

Hatajuku is a small residential settlement as well as a craft village. Workshops are workplaces; ask before photographing craftspeople, and follow any rules at demonstrations. At museums with hands-on exhibits, handle boxes gently and never force a panel.

Further reading

Hakone Town's official yosegi site lists workshops and experiences, and Kanagawa Prefecture's tourism site covers wider Hakone travel. For background before you go, read the history of yosegi-zaiku and how yosegi is made.

When to go

Hakone is busy on weekends and Japanese holidays. Craft venues can be quieter on weekday mornings, but some close on particular weekdays or over the New Year period. Check each venue's official site for its current closing days, and book classes ahead.

Sources

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