Japan - Hakone 'Black Egg'

Hakone (箱根) is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous for hot springs, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.

1. Hakone Hot Springs
2. Open Air Museum
3. Lake Ashinoko
4. Pola Museum
5. Hakone Checkpoint
6. Owakudani
7. Hakone Shrine
8. Botanical Garden
9. Hakone Tozan Railway
10. Hakone Art Museum
11. Hakone Glass no Mori
12. Detached Palace
13. Gotemba Outlet mall
14. Gora Park

Hakone is the location of a noted Shinto shrine, the Hakone Gongen, which is mentioned in Heian period literature. During the Gempei War, Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed at this shrine for victory over his enemies, after his defeat at the Battle of Ishibashiyama, which was also located with the borders of present-day Hakone. As with the rest of Sagami Province, the area came under the control of the late Hōjō clan of Odawara during the Sengoku period. After the start of the Edo period, Hakone-juku was a post station on the Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto. It was also the site of a major barrier and official checkpoint on the route known as the Hakone Checkpoint (箱根関所 Hakone sekisho?), which formed the border of the Kantō region. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, all travellers entering and leaving Edo along the Tōkaidō were stopped here by officials, and their travel permits and baggage was examined.
After the start of the Meiji Restoration, Hakone became a part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture before becoming part of Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa prefecture in August 1876. Hakone attained town status in 1889. After merger with five neighboring towns and villages in September 1956, it reached its present boundaries.

The fastest and most expensive method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take a Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama (こだま) train from Tokyo to Odawara, then transfer to the Hakone-Tozan Line for the run to Hakone-Yumoto (trains operated by Odakyu Railway). The one-way ride lasts one hour with a good connection, and costs ¥3430... but if you use the Japan Rail Pass, you need only to pay ¥300 for the Hakone-Tozan line.
Be aware that the JR East Rail Pass does not provide access to the Tokaido Shinkansen and to make use of this pass you will need to ride the regular Tokaido Main Line to Odawara. From Tokyo, a convenient choice that is valid with the JR East Pass is the "Odoriko" limited express train service. These trains have bigger windows and better seating than the regular commuter trains, and seat reservations can be made. As of March 2007, there are at least four daily runs, arriving in Odawara one hour later; there may also be additional runs on certain days. All trains make a pickup stop at Yokohama, while a few also stop at Shinagawa and Kawasaki stations.
You also have the option of boarding comfortable Green Car seats on regular JR commuter train runs. These seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and you can purchase light snacks and drinks at your seat. You should purchase a Green Car fare ticket prior to boarding, which is done electronically using a SUICA card: Once you purchase the Green Car fare from a special machine, you wave the SUICA card over the seat that you wish to sit in and the light above you will turn from red to green. The fare for these seats between Tokyo and Odawara is ¥950 on weekdays and ¥750 on weekends and holidays; you can also purchase a Green Car seat on the train for an additional ¥250 surcharge. Holders of the Green Car Japan Rail Pass and JR East Pass can use these seats at no additional charge, and with no fare tickets required: simply board a train with a Green Car, show your Green Car pass to the attendant and inform him/her of your destination.
Without any sort of JR pass, the regular fare from Tokyo to Odawara is ¥1450 (additional for the Green Car); the trip takes about 70 minutes.
The affordable method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take the Odakyu Odawara Line from Shinjuku station. The fastest train on the Odakyu Line is the Hakone (はこね) Limited Express train (特急 tokkyū), which runs twice an hour for most of the day. The 85-minute journey makes only two stops enroute and costs ¥2020. Note that some trains, called Super Hakone (スーパーはこね), use newer train equipment, while evening rush hour runs from Shinjuku are called Home Way (ホームウェイ). The slower Odakyu express train (急行 kyūkō) runs twice an hour at a cost of only ¥1150, reaching Hakone in two hours.
Rail connections can be made at Odawara from Nagoya (2 1/2 hrs), Kyoto (3 hrs) and other locations throughout Japan.

No trip to Hakone would be complete without a dip at a Japanese hot spring (onsen). If you're staying overnight, your lodgings may include bathing facilities, but if not many hotels open up their baths to visitors for around ¥500 or so.

Hakone has many onsen ryokan, traditional Japanese inns featuring hot springs. Facilities vary widely, although prices are generally somewhat elevated (especially on weekends) due to the proximity of Tokyo.

You see, the world famous black eggs — Kuro Tamago — from Hakone come with very special properties. The people cook regular chicken eggs in the volcanic groundwater, which happens to be a murky gray color. After cooking the eggs in this boiling hot water, the eggshell turns very dark black color. To my knowledge, these eggs don’t become poisonous from the sulfur. Instead, they have regenerative properties that add years to the lives of those who eat them.

According to the sign near where they sell these eggs:

If you eat one egg, you will increase your longevity by 7 years.
If you eat two egg, you will increase your longevity by 14 years.