Japan Unlocking

Hakone · Around Hakone-Yumoto Station

Soun-ji Temple

How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24

Soun-ji Temple

Photo: Suikotei・CC BY 4.0

The family temple of the Hojo, a warlord clan of the 1500s. The graves of five Hojo lords are on the grounds.

Nearest station
15 min walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station
Hours
Grounds open for visits at any time; the main hall only on limited days in November

What to see

  • Graves of the five Hojo lords, on the grounds.
  • Statue of Hojo Soun: a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
  • Dry landscape garden: said to be made by Soun's third son, Genan.
  • Back-hill forest: a chorus of cicadas (Himeharu-zemi) in early summer, found only here in Kanagawa.

Seasons

  • Early summer: the cicada chorus. The main hall opens only on a few days in November.

History

Ujitsuna, the second Hojo lord, built it in 1521 as his father Soun had wished. It burned in Hideyoshi's 1590 attack and was rebuilt in 1627 by the monk Kikkei. Hakone-Yumoto town is said to have begun as the temple's gate town.

Getting there

A 15-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station.

Address:405 Yumoto, Hakone, Kanagawa

Directions in Google Maps →Official website →

Before you go

No official entry fee or hours were found. The tourism page says goshuin stamps were not offered as of November 2021; that is old, so check with the temple.

Around Hakone-Yumoto

Tap a red pin to open that sight's page.

Nearby sights

← Hakone guide: trains from Tokyo

Sources

Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.

Map data:© OpenStreetMap contributors