Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho): A Family Guide

What Is Hakone Checkpoint?

Hakone Checkpoint (Hakone Sekisho) is a rebuilt Edo-period checkpoint on the south shore of Lake Ashi, where officials of the Tokugawa shogunate stopped and searched everyone travelling the Tokaido road between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. It was set up here in 1619 and closed in 1869, when the new Meiji government abolished checkpoints across Japan.

What you walk through today is a full reconstruction, finished in 2007.

The rebuilding was unusually exact. Excavation found the old foundations, and the carpenters worked from a detailed record of a repair made at the end of the Edo period, using traditional tools, timber and stonework.

The result is the only checkpoint in Japan rebuilt to its original form on its original site, and it is one of the few places in Hakone that shows children what travel in old Japan was like rather than just telling them.

Why the Shogun Needed a Checkpoint

The checkpoint existed to control who and what moved towards the shogun's capital. The well-known summary is "guns in, women out" (iri-deppo ni de-onna). Guards watched for weapons going into Edo, and for women leaving it.

The reason for the second rule was political. Regional lords had to keep their wives and children in Edo, which made them hostages in all but name.

A lord's wife slipping out of the city disguised as a commoner could signal a rebellion, so every woman heading west needed a written permit, and female inspectors called hitomi-onna checked that she matched its description. Men needed travel papers too, and anyone who tried to go round the checkpoint through the hills faced the harshest punishments of the time.

Hakone was the right place for this. The road squeezes between the mountains and Lake Ashi, so there was no easy way round, and a fence ran into the water to stop people crossing by boat.

What to See Inside

The checkpoint is a short walk-through route between two gates, with the guardhouses, a lookout and a museum along the way. One ticket covers the checkpoint and the museum.

1. The Edo and Kyoto gates

The Edo-guchi gate on the Tokyo side and the Kyo-guchi gate on the Kyoto side close off each end of the road. Walking from one to the other is the same route a traveller in 1800 took, and it takes only a few minutes.

2. The main guardhouse (Obansho)

The Obansho is where senior officials sat on raised tatami and inspected papers. Life-size figures in Edo-period dress act out an inspection, which makes the scene easy to follow even without reading the panels.

3. The foot soldiers' station (Ashigaru Bansho)

Across the road is the Ashigaru Bansho, the station for the foot soldiers who did the guarding, with their sleeping room, kitchen and a small cell for people caught trying to slip through.

4. The lookout (Tomi Bansho)

The Tomi Bansho is a lookout up on the slope, where guards watched the lake for boats. The official children's guide counts 69 steps to the top.

Children like the climb, and the view over the roofs to Lake Ashi is the best on site.

5. The museum (Hakone Sekisho Shiryokan)

The Hakone Sekisho Shiryokan is a small museum by the exit. It holds real travel permits, travellers' gear and documents about the checkpoint's rules, and it tells the story of a girl called Otama who tried to get round the checkpoint.

It is the indoor part of the visit, useful when it rains.

Tickets and Opening Hours (2026)

Hakone Checkpoint is open every day of the year, from 9:00, and entry costs ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for elementary school children. These are the official prices in October 2026.

	Adult	Child (elementary school)
Regular ticket	¥500	¥250
With Hakone Freepass and similar tickets	¥400	¥150
Groups of 20 or more	¥350	¥100

Opening hours change with the season. From December to February the checkpoint closes half an hour earlier, and last entry is always 30 minutes before closing.

Season	Open	Last entry
March to November	9:00 to 17:00	16:30
December to February	9:00 to 16:30	16:00

• Show your Hakone Freepass at the counter for the discount.
• A combined ticket with the Lake Ashi sightseeing boats is sold online only, not at the checkpoint counter.
• People with a disability certificate, and one companion, enter free.
• Eating and smoking are not allowed on site, and you take your rubbish with you.

How to Get to Hakone Checkpoint

Most visitors arrive by bus or by boat across Lake Ashi. The checkpoint is a 2-minute walk from the Hakone Sekisho-ato bus stop.

From	How	Time	Then
Hakone-Yumoto Station	Hakone Tozan Bus to Hakone-machi-ko, or Izuhakone Bus to Hakone Sekisho-ato	About 40 min	2-min walk
Odawara Station	Same buses	About 55 min	2-min walk
Togendai (pirate ship)	Pirate ship to Hakone-machi-ko	Check the timetable	5-min walk
Odawara-Nishi IC (car)	Odawara-Atsugi Road	About 40 min	No car park of its own

The Hakone Tozan Bus is covered by the Hakone Freepass. If you come by car, use one of the public car parks nearby, as the checkpoint has none of its own.

Coming from Tokyo, the usual way is the train to Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto and the bus from there. Our Hakone travel guide compares the trains from Tokyo and the full Hakone loop.

How Long to Spend and When to Go

About 45 minutes is enough for the gates, the guardhouses, the lookout and the museum. That is also the time the checkpoint itself suggests. With children who like the figures and the climb, an hour is comfortable.

Go in the morning or late afternoon if you can. Tour buses arrive through the middle of the day, and the lake-side road gets busy.

In winter the checkpoint closes half an hour earlier, so do not leave it for the end of a winter day.

Hakone Checkpoint with Kids

Hakone Checkpoint works well for children from about six who like dressing-up stories, samurai or guards. The figures in the guardhouses, the cell and the 69-step lookout make it physical rather than a museum of glass cases.

• Before you go, explain the "guns in, women out" rule in one sentence. Children enjoy spotting what the guards were looking for.
• The site is mostly flat gravel and packed earth, so a stroller can get round the main road. The lookout steps are the exception. The checkpoint lends wheelchairs free (two at a time).
• There is no food on site, so snack before or after. Hakone-machi has cafés and the boat pier has shops.
• On a wet day, keep the museum for the end so you finish indoors.

What to Combine with the Checkpoint

The checkpoint sits at the south end of Lake Ashi, so it pairs naturally with the lake. A good half-day runs from the pirate ship to the checkpoint, then along the cedar avenue to the shrine.

Hakone Shrine and the Lake Ashi torii

Walk along the lake through the cedar avenue (allow about half an hour at a child's pace), or take the bus, to Hakone Shrine and its red torii gate standing in the water. Expect a queue for the photo at the gate.

The old Tokaido cedar avenue

Between the checkpoint and Moto-Hakone runs a stretch of the old Tokaido road lined with over 400 cedars, some nearly 400 years old. It is about 500 metres, shady and free, and it is the same road that travellers took to the checkpoint.

Onshi-Hakone Park

Onshi-Hakone Park sits on a small headland between the checkpoint and Moto-Hakone, on the site of a former imperial villa. Entry is free, the lawns give children room to run, and the balcony of the lakeside observation hall looks across the lake to Mt. Fuji on clear days.

A pirate ship on Lake Ashi

The pirate ship docks at Hakone-machi-ko, a 5-minute walk away, so you can arrive or leave by water. Our Lake Ashi guide and Hakone pirate ship guide have the routes and fares.

Hakone Checkpoint with Children

If buses and boats with young children sound like a lot of changes, start the loop at this end. The checkpoint, the shrine and the boat pier are all within walking distance of each other.

Our private tours are on foot in Tokyo and Yokohama. Your guide rides the trains with you, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card. See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you need at Hakone Checkpoint?

About 45 minutes covers the gates, guardhouses, lookout and museum. With children who enjoy the figures and the lookout steps, allow an hour.

How much is Hakone Checkpoint?

Entry is ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for elementary school children in October 2026. With the Hakone Freepass it is ¥400 and ¥150. One ticket covers the checkpoint and the museum.

Is Hakone Checkpoint open every day?

Yes. It opens daily at 9:00 and closes at 17:00 from March to November and at 16:30 from December to February. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

How do I get to Hakone Checkpoint from Hakone-Yumoto?

Take the Hakone Tozan Bus bound for Hakone-machi-ko, or the Izuhakone Bus to Hakone Sekisho-ato, and get off at Hakone Sekisho-ato. The ride is about 40 minutes, then a 2-minute walk.

Is Hakone Checkpoint worth visiting?

Yes, if you are already at Lake Ashi. It is the only checkpoint in Japan rebuilt to its original form on its original site, and it takes under an hour.

Is the Hakone Checkpoint the same as the Hakone Sekisho?

Yes. Sekisho means checkpoint, so Hakone Sekisho and Hakone Checkpoint are the same place. Bus stops and signs use the name Hakone Sekisho-ato, meaning the checkpoint site.

Sources

https://www.hakonesekisyo.jp/
https://www.hakonesekisyo.jp/userguide/index.html
https://www.hakonesekisyo.jp/access/index.html
https://www.hakonesekisyo.jp/kids/index.html
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/spot/1381
https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/course/829