Hakone Ekiden road closures roll along Route 1 on 2–3 January. How the controls work, and how to time a Haneda–Hakone transfer or a flight out of Hakone.
If your plan is "land at Haneda on 2 January and sleep in Hakone" or "leave Hakone on 3 January for a flight home", this article is for you. Those are exactly the two days of the Hakone Ekiden, when university runners go from Otemachi in Tokyo up to Lake Ashinoko and back, and National Route 1 is controlled in sections along the way. On a long transfer, the worst surprise is finding out about a Hakone Ekiden road closure after you have already set off.
Which road, and which two days
The race is organised by the Kanto Student Athletics Federation, which publishes its traffic regulation and spectator guidance every year. The outbound leg runs on 2 January (Otemachi to Ashinoko) and the return on 3 January (Ashinoko to Otemachi). In 2027 these fall on a Saturday and Sunday, which also overlaps with the end-of-holiday return rush.
So a car heading to Hakone on the 2nd travels with the runners; on the 3rd, a car coming down from Hakone meets them head-on.
Hakone Ekiden road closures are rolling, not all-day — here is the pattern
Exact times change each year and we won't guess this year's. Past press reports (Kuruma News, citing Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Kanagawa Prefectural Police announcements) show how the controls generally work:
- Section by section, following the runners. Away from the start and finish, control points are set every few kilometres and apply only for a window around the runners' passage; windows may be extended or shortened depending on the race.
- No parking anywhere on the course. On the Kanagawa return leg, right turns and U-turns are also prohibited shortly before runners pass. Waiting at the kerb for a passenger simply isn't an option.
- The Ashinoko end lasts longest. In past years controls near the start and finish ran longest, so hotel drop-off and pick-up there is the thing to settle early.
- The police advise public transport near the course, according to the same report.
That describes past years. For 2027, rely on the organisers' page and police announcements.
Arrival day (2 January): your landing time sets the plan
- Landing in the morning and heading out before noon: the most likely to meet outbound controls. Don't estimate — give us your flight and hotel when booking and we'll set a departure time against that year's notice.
- Landing in the afternoon or evening: past controls were mostly in daylight hours, so later departures are usually less affected, but confirm anyway.
- Where your hotel is: a ryokan along Route 1 (Hakone-Yumoto, Miyanoshita, Ashinoko) is affected differently from one towards Sengokuhara. Include the hotel name and address; whether the car can stop at the front door is confirmed by our team once that year's information is out — we don't promise it in advance.
Return day (3 January): leave early
The return leg starts at Ashinoko and controls begin in the morning. If your flight is around midday, tell us your flight and check-out time when booking so the pick-up can be set before the controls. For an early flight, whether a pre-dawn departure works is likewise confirmed by our team. For normal-day timing, see our Hakone to Haneda Airport departure guide.
Can the train avoid all this?
The runners use the roads, so rail service is not affected. But Odakyu and the Hakone Tozan line are busy at New Year and still involve changes (our Tokyo to Hakone transport guide compares the options). Check timetables and fares on the official sites:
- Odakyu Electric Railway: https://www.odakyu.jp/english/
- Hakone Tozan Railway: https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/
With big suitcases or older travellers, the changes are no easier because of the race; choose by luggage and party size. For a direct car from Haneda, fares start from ¥50,000 per vehicle.
Tell us the date first
The race dates are fixed but the controls are published each year, so the practical approach is: book your date and hotel, and we'll confirm the departure time against that year's information. See Haneda to Hakone and Narita to Hakone for the routes, and book here.
FAQ
- When is the Hakone Ekiden and what is the route?
- It is held every year on 2 January (outbound, Otemachi in Tokyo to Lake Ashinoko in Hakone) and 3 January (return, Ashinoko back to Otemachi). The organisers publish traffic-control details each year at https://www.hakone-ekiden.jp/regulation/ — treat that page as the authority.
- Can a private car get in and out of Hakone during the Hakone Ekiden road closures?
- Controls move with the runners rather than closing roads all day, but timings and sections change every year. Give us your date and hotel address when booking, and our team will confirm workable departure times and drop-off points against that year's published information.
- I land at Haneda on 2 January and sleep in Hakone that night. Will I be affected?
- In past years the outbound controls fell between morning and mid-afternoon, so an evening drive is usually less affected — but this depends on the year's announcement. If you land around midday, check the departure time with us.
- I need to leave Hakone for a flight on 3 January. Should I go early?
- The return leg starts at Ashinoko in the morning, and past press reports describe the uphill side of Route 1 being controlled in sections until around midday. Plan to leave before controls begin, or confirm that year's times with us first.