A day of misdirection, matcha ice cream, sacred shrines, lake views, cloud‑covered summits, and a musical road on the way to a traditional Fuji‑side hotel.
Fujiyoshida.
We left the hotel after breakfast and drove through beautiful countryside towards Fujiyoshida, a small city at the northern base of Mount Fuji. The coach dropped us beside the train station, and our guides immediately marched the group through the town towards Arakurayama Sengen Park, home of the famous 400‑step climb to the pagoda viewpoint.
With only 40 minutes to climb up, take photos, and get back, I decided discretion was the better part of valour. Before I could tell the guides, they were already disappearing into the distance, a theme that would repeat itself throughout the tour.
I tried retracing my steps through the village, took a wrong turn, and eventually found the right path thanks to some friendly tourists. The heat was building, so when I spotted a small stall selling drinks and ice cream, I stopped for a matcha ice cream and sat, watching the workers in a rice field with Mount Fuji rising behind them. A peaceful moment, and far better than 400 steps.
I returned to the station and waited with the others until the coach came back.
Arakurayama Sengen Park.
I didn’t make the climb, but one of the group, Mark, kindly shared his photos of the pagoda and the iconic Fuji view, a generous gesture and a reminder that sometimes the best views come from other people’s legs.
Fuji Sengen Shrine, Fujinomiya.
Our next stop was Fuji Sengen Shrine, set deep in a forest of towering cedar trees. The approach was lined with stone lanterns, and our guide explained the etiquette: bow before entering the torii, walk at the sides of the path (the centre is for the gods), and purify hands and mouth at the water pavilion.
We were given 40 minutes to explore. I wandered through the grounds, admired the ancient trees, one over 900 years old, and then headed back to the coach. One lady had gone completely the wrong way, and after some confusion and phone calls, she was retrieved. We left late for Lake Kawaguchi.
Lake Kawaguchi.
At the lake, our guide hurried us past a long queue and onto the waiting tour boat. The ride was short, possibly because we’d delayed its departure, but the views were lovely: lakeside homes, wooded hills, and Mount Fuji drifting in and out of the haze.
With only 40 minutes for lunch, I skipped restaurants and bought a sandwich and a soda from a convenience store. I ate beside the lake, watching swan pedalos and speedboats glide across the water before heading back to the coach.
Mount Fuji.
We were lucky, the road to the sixth station was open. As we climbed, clouds swept across the slopes, sometimes hiding the summit, sometimes revealing it for a moment. The views of the forests and valleys below were spectacular.
At the sixth station, we had an hour to explore. I walked past the shops and restaurants to the start of the trekking path, where horses waited to carry visitors further up the mountain. I found a thick hoodie in a shop, and when I showed my passport, the salesperson gave me a ¥500 tax‑free discount, a pleasant surprise.
Outside, clouds drifted above and below us, revealing and hiding the landscape in turns. Just as I was about to leave, the summit appeared briefly, so I grabbed a selfie before it vanished again.
Musical Road.
On the descent, the driver told us to be quiet. As the coach rolled over a specially designed stretch of tarmac, the tyres played a Japanese melody about Mount Fuji, a charming little moment.
Fuji Kawaguchiko Resort Hotel.
We arrived at our hotel for the night and were given our room keys and onsen information. The baths were free to use, but required full nudity, not a problem for me, though I couldn’t go in anyway because the wound on my leg was open.
My room was simple and traditional: a low table, a low chair, a futon on the floor. The view of Mount Fuji from the window was superb, but the furniture was a challenge. After testing the futon and struggling to get up again, I retreated to the lobby to wait for dinner.
The buffet was excellent, lots of dishes I didn’t recognise, but almost all of them were delicious. After a few helpings, I returned to my room. Only then did I realise the flaw in the layout: the light switches were nowhere near the futon. I turned them off, used my phone torch to navigate across the room, and settled in for the night.
A long day, full of detours, clouds, shrines, lakes, and the occasional musical road, but a memorable one.
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