Hakone

An easy one-hour drive west of Tokyo, Hakone is a magical region of volcanic hills covered with forests and dotted with hot-spring resorts. Twisting roads abruptly yield vistas of crystalline Lake Ashi and (when the weather cooperates) heart-stopping views of Mount Fuji. Hakone can also be reached by train, the last 35 minutes being especially spectacular in June and July, when thousands of hydrangeas are in bloom. Visitors ride scenic cable cars or cruise on the lake. The Hakone Open-Air Museum has a remarkable collection of international sculptures, with 11 pieces by Henry Moore alone.