Enjoy the autumn view at Sengokuhara

or nature photographers and nature lovers!

From the lovely pink cherry blossoms of spring to the fiery red autumn leaves in fall, every change of the season shows off the beauty of Japan’s local nature. There are a number of flowers, plants, and local scenery that are worth seeking out during full bloom that nationally represent each season – even the locals treat it as if Japan’s four seasons possess some particular quality unique only to their own country.

Autumn in Japan is gorgeous for nature and is my favourite time of the year here. I would even argue it’s prettier than springtime (I know, gasp!).

A popular scenic sight in autumn located near Tokyo in Kanagawa’s Hakone is the pampas grass fields of Sengokuhara. It’s a breathtaking hillside landscape filled with overflowing tall gold-toned grass and looks stunning through the camera lens where you will be moved by the overwhelming wonder of the scenery mixed with the warm autumn sun. It was also voted the “Best 50 scenic spots in Kanagawa” and the “Best 100 spots to view flowers in Kanagawa.”

How can you step into this waking daydream?

Follow me to know the ins and outs of this heavenly field of wonder.

There are four different stages that Sengokuhara’s pampas grass fields go through to get to full bloom:

As a no-brainer, it is best to avoid visiting in March as the field will be charred to promote good growth and protect the landscape from other intrusive trees and weeds. If you do visit during summer, you can enjoy the fresh green fields but I highly recommend to visit in November when the grass has turned fully into its signature gold.

Unfortunately, though the best viewing period is when the field is completely coloured gold it is also the time many people visit the fields.  They can get quite crowded particularly on a good day after 12PM.

However, being a public site it is open at all hours so you can get there as early in the

morning as possible to have the place to yourself.

Alternatively, you can go in the late afternoon to catch the sunset. During either time, the light will filter through the grass which will increase its radiance.

Although the weather was raining and overcast when I went, I was still able to enjoy the scenery and take some nice photos!

The fields are not only great for nature photography but also fashion portraits too!

 

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Although the field area itself is very large and wide there is unfortunately only a single walk path that people can walk through. There are plans to extend it in the future but for now, you can only walk up and down along the rocky pathway. The good thing though is that you can still get up close and touch the grass but not damage it, of course.

The main path has a lot of potholes and is not paved so wearing closed toe shoes are

best when visiting.  Alternatively, there is a paved trail portion on the side should the main path journey be too difficult to walk or becomes muddy due to rain.

Once you make it to the end at the top you can get a great view of how the grass look like rolling waves and see how vast and far the grass can grow on the hill.

After taking some snaps and wondering around a bit, I would say the whole experience took around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Sengokuhara’s Pampas Grass Field is a good pit stop to walk around and do some scenic exploring but a good point to note

is that it isn’t the best place to plan an entire day around and traveling to the area can be a pain in the neck to get to if you are relying on the public transport’s hourly time schedule.

The view going up.

The view going down.

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Hire a Car

As rural areas in Japan have slower public transport timetables than urban areas, going by car is the best way to get from place to place.

Google Maps and Apple Maps in Japan both work well in English and Japanese and makes driving a breeze if you are not familiar with the local language. Additionally, most rent-a-cars in Japan are equipped with an inbuilt navigation system should you not have access to the internet while traveling.

Arriving by Bus

There are two main ways to take the bus to get to the Sengokuhara area (from japan-guide.com):

1. From Hakone-Yumoto Station, take the Hakone Tozan Bus, Togendai Line (Route T) (30 minutes) → to Sengoku Kogen; the field is near the bus stop
2. From Shinjuku Station, take the Odakyu Hakone Expressway Bus (roughly 2 hours and 11 minutes) → to Sengoku Kogen; the field is near the bus stop

Owakudani Valley or as the locals call it “Jigokudani” (the Valley of Hell) is a 3000-year-old volcanic valley with active sulfur vents that spew out volcanic gases and steam. As a hot springs area, it is famous for their black coloured eggs believed to extend

one’s life by 7 years! Don’t miss the upward trail by taking the Hakone Ropeway to see how they boil the eggs and appreciate the views of Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji from the top.

 

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Chisuji Falls is a small but pretty forest waterfall with hiking trails to enjoy. It’s called “the waterfall of a thousand threads” because the water spills between the rocks like many thin “threads.”

It’s surrounded by maple trees and would no doubt look amazing during autumn time but summer time has another special surprise. In July during the evening, hundreds of fireflies gather and glow creating a mystical sight for the eyes.

 

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Lake Ashi is a great place to enjoy a lot of tourist-friendly attractions like traveling on one of the famous Lake Ashi pirate ships that cruise around the lake, the Hakone-en

Aquarium, Hakone Tokaido Checkpoint as well as visit the many local shops and nature walks that are accessible via here.

If you do head to Lake Ashi you can also visit the famous Hakone Shrine. It is famous for its tori gate situated as if it is “floating” in the water and is a popular photo spot

for visitors. There are also two other shrines nearby that are worth the visit – the nearby Kuzuryu Shrine as well as Hakone-Mototsumiya Shrine to see the best view of Mt Fuji (see my guide here).