Plants perennial; loosely cespitose, rhizomatous and stoloniferous. Culms 30-90 cm, erect or geniculate at the base. Sheaths open; auricles absent; abaxial ligules present, composed of a line of hairs across the collar; adaxial ligules membranous and sparsely ciliate, sometimes lacerate, cilia subequal to the base; blades flat, linear-lanceolate, resupinate, in living plants the glaucous-green adaxial surface facing downwards and the bright green abaxial surface facing upwards. Panicles not plumose. Spikelets pedicellate, somewhat laterally compressed, with 5-10 florets; rachilla internodes conspicuously pilose; disarticulation at the base of the rachilla segment and below each spikelet. Glumes unequal, lanceolate, unawned; calluses 1.5-2 mm, strigose, hairs 1-1.5 mm; lemmas chartaceous, 3-veined, margins with papillose-based hairs near the base, apices inconspicuously bidentate, awned from between the teeth; awns 3-5 mm, straight; paleas 2-keeled. Caryopses glabrous. x = 10. Name from Hakone, a city on the island of Honshu, Japan, and the Greek chloa, grass.