The town of Hakone is known for its hot springs, a benefit given by the volcano that stands tall above it. While it has been a popular travel destination since feudal times, its desolate terrains and calderas were also identified as hell due to the constant bursts of smoke around them, as still seen in the Owakudani Valley. At some point in the medieval Kamakura period, some 700 years ago, locals started carving Buddhist effigies onto the face of the volcanic cliff along the narrow mountain pass that led pilgrims…
