Hakone
/həˈkoʊni/noun
A mountainous town and volcanic region in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, known for hot springs and views of Mount Fuji.
Did you know?Hakone’s name is written 箱根, literally “box root,” but scholars caution that these Chinese characters may represent an older place-name sound rather than its original meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japan
Old Japanese
Hakone
“An early Japanese place-name; its original lexical meaning is uncertain.”
8th Century
Japanese
箱根山 (Hakone-yama)
““Mount Hakone”; the region appears in early Japanese literary and geographic traditions.”
8th Century
Classical Japanese
箱根
“The name was written with the characters meaning “box” and “root,” though this may be phonetic rather than a literal translation.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
Hakone
“A strategically important mountain area on routes linking eastern Japan with the capital region.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
箱根 (Hakone)
“The name of the town and volcanic mountain region in Kanagawa Prefecture.”
Modern English
English
Hakone
“An established English proper noun for the Japanese resort and volcanic region.”