If willing spent alot then Fujiya Hotel is the Best at Hakone ...build during Meiji Era plus is middle of town....walk to Train Station and walk to Museum...so near only....Not bad also with the Western and japan Mix architecture feeling.  BTW I discover hakone is famous Hot Spring Area in Japan...better stay at ryokan more Syok!!!

''Hakone Free Pass''  can get at Tokyo Shinjuku Station ....  Before Taking  Odakyu Odawara Line from Shinjuku to Hakone.

Can you do Hakone in 1/2 day? If you arrive at Hakone (I'm assuming you mean Hakone-Yomoto station) around noon, sure, I do it all the time. People do daytrips to Hakone all the time from Tokyo, leaving at say 9am and getting back at say 8pm. You, on the other hand, are already in Hakone and from what it sounds like are staying in Hakone for the night.

I've been to Hakone more than a couple of times. Sometimes I just stay in Odawara and make the daytrip up to Hakone, just because it is more convenient to get back to Tokyo from Odawara. I've also stayed at Moto-Hakone (which is near the lake), in Gora, up in Togendai by the ropeway etc. Where you stay depends on what you want out of your trip. I like Togendai or Ubako or Gora because of the view (my room opens up to view of Mt Fuji) but in terms of access, not so good i.e. more trains to get there.

Conversely, you may want to stay in Hakone-Yomoto (or even Odawara) for easier return to Tokyo. If I'm asked, I would pick Hakone-Yumoto for the 1st time traveler. It is nicely in between Odawara and say, the apex of the Hakone mountains. From Hakone-Yumoto then you take the switchback train up the mountain to Gora and perhaps then the cable train up to Sounzan and then the ropeway to Lake Aishi. The switchback train takes perhaps 1.5 hours to Gora, the cable car is maybe like 30 minutes to the top (be prepared, people run to these cable trains pushing every one out of the way! so much for polite Japanese myth!) and the ropeway, maybe 30 minutes end to end.

You may want to stop at Owakudani on the repeway to see what a sulfuric volcano looks like. Skip the black eggs - they taste just like eggs (duh!)

Then onto Lake Aishi and the boat ride. Maybe 30 minutes. Then you maybe to the Tokugawa checkpoint* and then it is time to go back. You'll probably take the bus back to Hakone-Yumoto.

* the checkpoint is fascinating if you like history as I do. Checkpoints all over Japan were the primary way the Tokugawa shogunate maintained power over all the other daimyos (the other major reason was forcing all the Hans[clans] to maintain expensive Edo quarters) for so long.
Mt Fuji is not in Hakone. You can, however, get an amazing view of it, particularly on the Hakone Ropeway. Also the reflection Fujisan casts on Lake Aishi is very nice and famous view.

hi all, for stop over in tokyo during transit, how much "airport charge" do i need to pay to go out? thx

Quick answer: None

Terminology refresh: there is a difference between a "stopover" and a "layover". A stopover is a scheduled stop at a intermediate city enroute to your destination e.g. if you are flying KUL-NRT-<stay 2 days in Tokyo>-LAX. In this case the tax (called the Passenger Service Facility Charge or PSFC in NRT) will already be inbuilt into your ticket fare.

A layover, on the other hand, is when you connect in NRT but are not staying more than 24 hours e.g. KUL-NRT-LAX with a 5 hour wait in NRT for the connecting flight to LAX. A layover is defined as any connecting segment than is < than 24 hours. No tax is collected and no tax will be collected.

Long time ago, NRT used to collect the PSFC at the airport. You had to buy a coupon at the airport at departure much like how it used to be at BKK. That went away I think in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Lots of people do what you're planning to do but you'll still need a visa or the ability to enter Japan without a visa. I've done this a couple of times to meet family/friends while in transit; I'll take the train to Narita City, have lunch (they are famous for their unagi) and then go back to the airport. Be careful though that immigration may have lines (I set aside 1 hour for this just in case). Technically though you *don't* need a visa for Japan if you are staying < 24 hours because immigration can give you something that's called a "shore pass". My dad missed a connecting flight once and the airline put him up in a hotel and he didn't need a visa. Neither do the Chinese travelers in transit from China through NRT to elsewhere who stay the night while in transit need visas. But to get this, you must have a good reason I guess. To be sure, get a visa.

Quick answer: None

Terminology refresh: there is a difference between a "stopover" and a "layover". A stopover is a scheduled stop at a intermediate city enroute to your destination e.g. if you are flying KUL-NRT-<stay 2 days in Tokyo>-LAX. In this case the tax (called the Passenger Service Facility Charge or PSFC in NRT) will already be inbuilt into your ticket fare.

A layover, on the other hand, is when you connect in NRT but are not staying more than 24 hours e.g. KUL-NRT-LAX with a 5 hour wait in NRT for the connecting flight to LAX. A layover is defined as any connecting segment than is < than 24 hours. No tax is collected and no tax will be collected.

Long time ago, NRT used to collect the PSFC at the airport. You had to buy a coupon at the airport at departure much like how it used to be at BKK. That went away I think in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Lots of people do what you're planning to do but you'll still need a visa or the ability to enter Japan without a visa. I've done this a couple of times to meet family/friends while in transit; I'll take the train to Narita City, have lunch (they are famous for their unagi) and then go back to the airport. Be careful though that immigration may have lines (I set aside 1 hour for this just in case). Technically though you *don't* need a visa for Japan if you are staying < 24 hours because immigration can give you something that's called a "shore pass". My dad missed a connecting flight once and the airline put him up in a hotel and he didn't need a visa. Neither do the Chinese travelers in transit from China through NRT to elsewhere who stay the night while in transit need visas. But to get this, you must have a good reason I guess. To be sure, get a visa.

Great info man... I didn't know such things existed. 

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Added on June 3, 2010, 8:35 amThe life-sized Gundam statue is back... in Shizuoka.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/nationa...oot-in-shizuoka

This time with a beam saber~~~ who wanna go visit Shizuoka when it's done?

Reserved with cash lorrr

Currently bz...standby for my wife to deliver...wish me luck guys!
matta ne

End Of October,

Recommend To Visit Japan?

Any Specific Area Or Town?

Hi guy/gal,

just wanna ask what is cheap in japan compare here? or must buy item?

looking for branded as well 

what happen? everyone like disappear ady...

Hi all,

Can you recommend me a reasably priced hotel in Tokyo? i'm looking at around rm250 per nite. thanks!

LOL ... still here... just busy. 
In the first page there's some reviews by heterosapien on some nice ryokans and hotel which he tried while he was here among other links.
Also, here's some additional links that might be of interest to you... they should fit your budget.

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/hotellist.html
http://www.superhotel.co.jp/en/index.html

You can also do a search on Rakuten and see if you can find any that fits your liking.
http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/

Hope this helps.