Motohakone-ko

The red torii gate rising directly out of the water of Lake Ashi marks the entrance to Motohakone-ko. Built to welcome travelers arriving by boat, this gate signals the transition from the lake to the ancient Hakone Shrine. In nineteen sixty-four, the gate served as a ceremonial backdrop during the Tokyo Olympics, with the Olympic torch relay passing right through this site. It remains a physical boundary between the ordinary world and the sacred grounds stretching up the hillside toward the forest.