Feel the breeze in Hakone with Japan's first open-air gondola

Two gondolas travelling on the Hakone Ropeway in Hakone, Japan

Odakyu Hakone has announced that Japan’s first-ever windowless open-air gondola will operate on the Hakone Ropeway.

This new experience is part of the celebrations taking place in the run up to the Hakone Ropeway’s 65th anniversary in September 2025.

The ropeway cars travel across the volcanic hot springs and lush forests of Hakone and this is the first time that visitors will be able to experience this while not separated from the elements by glass.

The new gondola has been called “ROPESTER”, as the open-air experience is supposed to offer a feeling of riding directly on the ropes yourself.

The transformation of a standard gondola into a ROPESTER gondola involved removing the windows, essentially creating an open-top carriage that seamlessly integrates with its surroundings.

An artists impression of how the new open-air gondola will look — The Hakone Ropeway have commissioned an artists impression of how the new gondola will appear

This design allows for the breeze to pass through the gondola and for riders to view the scenery without any glare from the glass windows, enhancing the already spectacular views and creating a truly extraordinary experience.

The only glass that remains in the gondola are the door panels.

This unique gondola experience will only be available for one-way trips between the Togendai and Owakudani stops, and will offer passengers a stunning view of the volcanic valley below.

A map showing the 4 stations on the Hakone Ropeway — The Hakone Ropeway has 4 stations visitors can travel between

The inaugural run will take place over five days, from 10th to 14th March.

Following this initial period, regular operations are scheduled for approximately 50 days between April and September, giving visitors ample opportunity to experience this novel way to see Hakone.

The exact dates that this new service will run during that time will be announced shortly on the Hakone Na v i website.

Reservations must be made in advance via the Hakone Ropeway website, as only 4 trips will take place each day at 10:00am, 11:00am, 2:00pm and 3:00pm.

The Hakone Ropeway will begin accepting reservations from 12 noon on 20th February.

While each gondola technically has a maximum capacity of 8 people, reservations are limited to a maximum of 5 people and all riders must be aged 12 years or older.

The fare will be 5,000 yen (approx. $33.02 USD / £26.16 GBP) per person, which is a reasonable price given the unique and memorable nature of the ROPESTER experience.

The Hakone Ropeway is a popular mode of transportation in the Hakone region as it offers stunning views of volcanic hot springs and lush forests as well as Mount Fuji.

It forms part of a circuit that day trippers from Tokyo follow around the area called the Hakone Loop. The Hakone Loop typically involves a series of train journeys, followed by the ropeway and a boat trip across Lake Ashi.

A collage showing various modes of travel on the Hakone Loop — The Hakone Loop consists of the ropeway as well as trains, boats and buses

It is unknown at the moment whether the new ROPESTER gondola will remain a limited time offering or if it will enter regular service following the ropeway’s anniversary in September.

Source: Nikkan Sports