koti through the seasons

Sengokuhara, home to koti hakone, is a quiet villa area of Hakone known for its susuki grass fields. Both the scenery and the way you spend your days change with the seasons. Spring brings fresh greenery and cherry blossoms, summer is the green season, autumn means silver grass and fall colors, and winter is all about snow and hot springs. On this page, we introduce what to enjoy in each season and what to keep in mind. We accept bookings up to about 6 months ahead.

The Sengokuhara Susuki Grass Fields

Spring (fresh greenery and cherry blossoms)

April and May are the season of fresh greenery. Cherry blossoms in Hakone can be enjoyed through early May. On warm days, the kids can play in the outdoor kids' park in the garden, and you can eat in the covered BBQ area.

Cherry blossoms and mountains Cherry blossoms at night

Summer (the green season, family trips and fireworks)

July in Sengokuhara is "the green season." During summer vacation, many of our guests are families. You can spend the whole day between the outdoor kids' park in the garden, the kids' room inside and the BBQ.

On summer nights, you can enjoy handheld fireworks at the fire pit. Aerial fireworks and fireworks that make a bang are not allowed. Outdoor areas can be used until 9:00 pm. Every year from July 31 to August 5, Lake Ashi (芦ノ湖) holds the "Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week" (芦ノ湖夏まつりウィーク), with fireworks shows each night rotating between Moto-Hakone (元箱根), Hakone-en (箱根園) and Kojiri (湖尻) (starting at 8:00 pm). They can't be seen from the house.

There are bugs in summer, so we provide mosquito coils.

Splitting a watermelon in the garden Kids toasting marshmallows over the campfire

Autumn (silver grass fields and fall colors)

October and November are the best time to see the Sengokuhara Susuki Grass Fields. Fall colors last from about early November to early December, starting around Lake Ashi and Sengokuhara. In the evening, you can gather around a campfire at the fire pit, then warm up in the hot spring afterward.

Roads in Hakone tend to get congested on weekends and holidays. If you're visiting during the autumn travel season, please plan with plenty of extra time. We've also written about traffic on the Owner's Blog.

Mountains in fall colors Two people around the campfire

Winter (snow, hot spring and sauna)

In winter, temperatures in Sengokuhara drop below freezing and snow is common. Mt. Fuji isn't visible from the house, but on clear days you can see it well from viewpoints around the area, such as Lake Ashi.

Winter is a great season for the hot spring and sauna. There's the large bath with free-flowing hot spring water and a barrel sauna in the garden. The sauna takes 1 to 1.5 hours to heat up. On days when your feet get cold, block the gap under the sauna door with a towel. The sauna's cold-water shower can't be used in winter because it freezes.

Besides air conditioning, the house has plenty of heaters, including gas heaters, kerosene heaters and infrared heaters, and in winter we put electric heated mattress pads in the bedrooms.

Tips for visiting in winter

• Snow can fall suddenly throughout the winter, so winter (studless) tires are a must. In Sengokuhara, it often snows in March too, so please don't let your guard down and come with winter tires in March as well.
• When you use a heater, please air out the room every 1 to 2 hours.
• Snow and icy roads can delay your arrival, so please plan with extra time. For self check-in, we recommend arriving by 9:00 pm. For directions, see Getting here.

Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji The tub in the large bath The sauna from outside (at night)

Rainy and cold days

Whatever the season, there's plenty to do indoors on rainy or cold days.

• Kids can play on the monkey bars, slide and ball pit in the kids' room.
• Adults can enjoy board games and movies in the playroom.
• The BBQ area is covered, so you can barbecue even when it rains.
• You can take your time warming up in the large bath with free-flowing hot spring water.

When to book

We accept bookings up to about 6 months ahead. If you're thinking of coming during summer vacation or the autumn silver grass season, we recommend booking early. Bookings through our official website (direct booking) come with an early-booking discount and a multi-night discount. For guests traveling with children, we also recommend cancellation fee insurance (you can sign up 9 to 14 days before your stay).

Month by month