What are the black eggs from Owakudani?

The black eggs, or 'kuro-tamago,' are ordinary chicken eggs boiled in Owakudani's sulphur-rich hot springs, which turn their shells black.

Does eating Owakudani's black eggs really add seven years to your life?

A thousand-year-old local legend claims that eating one black egg adds seven years to your life, though there is no scientific evidence to support this.

How can I reach Owakudani from Tokyo?

Owakudani can be reached from Tokyo by taking a train to Odawara, followed by a series of local transports including mountain trains, cable cars, and the Hakone Ropeway.

Home / Lifestyle / Owakudani's Black Eggs: A Taste of Longevity

Owakudani's Black Eggs: A Taste of Longevity

29 Jan

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Summary

Owakudani's black eggs are boiled in sulphur-rich hot springs for an hour.
A legend claims eating one black egg adds seven years to your life.
The volcanic valley Owakudani is an active geothermal zone requiring caution.

Owakudani's Black Eggs: A Taste of Longevity

Japan's Owakudani, a steaming volcanic valley in Hakone, offers a unique tourist experience rooted in ancient folklore. Known as the 'Great Boiling Valley,' this geothermally active zone, formed around 3,000 years ago, is famous for its 'kuro-tamago' or black eggs.

These eggs gain their distinctive black shells after being boiled for about an hour in the valley's sulphur-rich hot springs. Local legend, dating back over a thousand years to the monk Kobo Daishi, states that consuming one black egg can add seven years to one's life, a belief tied to the number seven's symbolic significance in Japanese culture.

The journey to Owakudani, approximately 90 km from Tokyo, is an adventure in itself, involving mountain trains and cable cars, culminating in a ropeway ride over the bubbling landscape. While the myth of longevity is compelling, visitors are advised to exercise caution due to the area's active volcanic status, with potential restrictions on access based on seismic activity or gas emissions.