There's also a waterpark, a refuge for locals on hot days; the landmark Fujiya hotel (check rates), which has hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to John Lennon and Yoko Ono to the members of the International Mustache Club.
For lunch, head to the nearby Hakone Hotel Kawaki-En noodle restaurant. Condiments include a wasabi root and a mini board to grate your own.
A bit further away, Hakone Shrine dates back to the year 757. A sacred Shinto place of prayers and wishes, couples can marry here, at the top of Mount Hakone. Or simply buy a fortune and tie it to a post to come true. Here you can also purchase a wooden plate to write your desires upon and join it to others'. At year's end, all are burnt.
Be sure to take a sip from the sacred dragon water fountain for good fortune; a kiosk sells empty bottles that visitors can fill with the elixir.
Pregnant couples and those with newborns pay a visit to a very tall, very broad, very old cedar tree on the premises that is encircled by a golden rope. It's said have the power to ensure healthy babies.
A walkway from the shrine descends to Lake Ashi, a recreational area where couples can board a sightseeing boat or take out a rowboat.
If 12,388-foot Mount Fuji -- said to be the most beautiful view in Japan, especially when topped with snow -- complies, she will reveal herself behind less-steep mountains if the clouds lift. But Fuji-san is said to be shy, so if she does not appear, you must persist and try to view her at another time or from another spot.
