Black Eggs of Japan

Legends say you get a chance to live longer with the black eggs of Hakone Hell Valley, Japan. Ramana Sista checked it out for himself.

My friend asked me, “If white hens lay white eggs, do black hens lay black eggs? I said, “No, they don’t, but Japan is the only place in the world where you get “Black Eggs” laid by white hens.”

My wife and I visited this place with our son in December 2019.

Located in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Owakudani translates to "the Great Boiling Valley,” though some locals lovingly refer to it as Jigokudani, meaning "Hell Valley.” Owakudani is a volcanic basin created some 3,000-odd years ago after the eruption of Mount Hakone. The resulting crater and subsequent landslides opened a series of hot springs and sulphur vents. Mount Hakone is an active volcano. Don’t mistake the sulphuric fumes in photographs for clouds!

The caldera’s gurgling waters were being used to boil dozens of eggs. "Black Eggs” are regular chicken eggs boiled in Owakudani!s natural hot springs. The sulphur in the water turns the eggshells as black as charcoal.

To witness the eggs being boiled in the hot springs, we took a short walk up the mountain from the Owakudani ropeway station. The trek takes about 15 minutes, or roughly one-fifth of the time it takes to cook the eggs. Reportedly, the eggs are boiled for an hour in the 80-degree hot springs (roughly 175 degrees Fahrenheit), and then steamed for an additional 15 minutes. The eggs themselves taste like regular boiled eggs.

Hakone Ropeway to Hell through the Valley of the Shadow of Egg

According to local lore, eating one egg will add seven years to your life. You can only buy the black eggs in packs of five for the affordable price of ¥500 (Rs 330/-). This might help explain why Japanese people live longer than everyone else. For the same price as a bottle of beer, you can add 35 extra years of life. I ate one egg on 1st December 2019 and need to see if it will keep me fit and kicking until 1st December 2026,  allowing a grace period of 30 days till my 85th birthday. Balance 28 years were added to my son’s longevity!  The eggs are strict “No, No” to my wife. 

The valley has to be experienced firsthand to be appreciated. You can get there by car, but taking the Hakone Ropeway is a much more picturesque alternative. The aerial lift offers amazing views of Mount Fuji and the steaming sulphur vents below, making it look like you're flying over hell. Besides the life-prolonging eggs, travelling to Owakudani is a treat. 

Images courtesy: Ramana Sista

Cover image courtesy: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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