Fujiya Hotel

The Fujiya Hotel in Miyanoshita, Hakone, Kanagawa, holds the distinction of being Japan's oldest Western-style hotel, opened in 1878 by Sennosuke Yamaguchi to serve the growing number of foreign visitors drawn to Hakone's scenic mountain valleys and hot spring waters. Designated a National Registered Cultural Property, the hotel's complex of Victorian-inspired wooden buildings — including the original Flower Palace main building, the Bamboo Annex, and the Garden Wing — has been painstakingly restored and maintained over nearly 150 years of continuous operation.

The property occupies a generous mountainside site surrounded by manicured Japanese gardens that come alive with azaleas in spring and maple foliage in autumn. The garden contains a natural stream and koi pond, inviting leisurely walks between meals and activities. Famous guests have included Charlie Chaplin, John Lennon, and multiple Meiji-era statesmen — portraits and memorabilia lining the corridors preserve this storied heritage.

Rooms range from historic Western-style accommodations in the original main building, carefully furnished with period-appropriate details, to more modern Japanese and Western hybrid rooms in the newer wings. The most-requested accommodations are those in the Flower Palace building, where intricate stained-glass windows, antique furnishings, and handcrafted wooden fittings create an atmosphere unmatched elsewhere in Kanagawa.

Dining at the Fujiya Hotel is a centerpiece of the guest experience. The Flower Palace Dining Room serves traditional Western-style cuisine that the hotel has refined since the Meiji era, including its signature French-influenced menu. Breakfast in the historic dining room — with its ornate ceilings and fine tableware — is a memorable ritual. A bakery and snack shop offer takeaway pastries.

The onsen facilities feature both indoor and outdoor baths fed by Hakone's geothermal mineral waters. A seasonal outdoor swimming pool (typically open in summer) and bicycle rental service round out the leisure amenities. Service blends Western hotel conventions with Japanese omotenashi hospitality throughout.