The Hakone Hot Springs began with the discovery of the source in the Nara period by the Buddhist monk Kiyosada. Flourishing in the Edo period as the "Hakone Shichito" hot springs along the famous Tokaido road, this area was later developed in the Meiji period as a vacation and tourist area Futhermore the Hakone Tozan railway and Odakyu Electric railway made it conveniently accessible and widely loved.