Today, we visited several places on our way to Mount Fuji and stopped overnight in Kawaguchi.
Fujiyoshida.
After leaving our hotel this morning, we drove through the beautiful scenery to the village of Fujiyoshida. Fujiyoshida is a charming city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, at the northern base of Mount Fuji. It's known for its stunning views of the iconic mountain and its rich cultural heritage.
We were dropped at a car park next to the train station and led on a march through the quaint little town to the bottom of the Arakurayama Sengen Park. Our guides told us a little about the park but stressed that the climb up to the viewpoint where you could get the famous view of Mount Fuji from was 400 steps up. We were also told that we only had 40 minutes to ascend to the Pagoda, take our photos, descend back down and walk back to the coach that would be waiting for us back at the train station.
I decided that, in this case, discretion would be the better part of valour. I had decided not to make the climb, but before I could tell our guides, they were both off, neither of them checking to see if anyone was not going or lagging behind. I found this would become a recurring theme by the guides on this tour.
I tried to retrace my steps through the village but realised I had taken a wrong turn and went back the way I had come. With the help of some friendly tourists going the other way, I found the path I was looking for. It was hot out, and on the path through the village, there was a small stall selling drinks and ice creams, so I stopped to sit down and had a green ice cream made with matcha. It tasted delicious, and I sat and watched workers in a rice field in front of me, and I admired the view of Mount Fuji behind them.
After I finished my ice cream, I walked back to the train station and was soon joined by the other people on the tour. We only had a short wait until our coach returned, and we left to go to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine.
Arakurayama Sengen Park.
The Arakurayama Sengen Park, located in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, is a stunning destination known for its breathtaking views of Mount Fuji, a red five-story pagoda, and beautiful cherry blossoms.
I did not make the steep climb up the 400 steps to see the shrine and the view, but one of the people I met on the tour took these photos and sent them to me so that I could see what I missed. Thanks for the photos, Mark.
Marks photos of Arakurayama Sengen Park.
When we left Fujiyoshida, the coach took us to the Fuji Sengen Shrine at Fujinomiya.
Fuji Sengen Shrine.
The Fuji Sengen Shrine, aka Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Jinja, is a significant Shinto shrine located at the northern base of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture. The shrine is dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity associated with Mount Fuji.
The shrine is set in a dense forest and features a lengthy approach lined with stone lanterns and tall cedar trees. The main hall, dating back to 1615, is a beautiful example of traditional Japanese architecture. Historically, the shrine served as the starting point for climbers ascending Mount Fuji from the north.
The coach dropped us in a small car park, and we followed the guide through the forest to the shrine entrance. After talking to us about the differences between shrines and temples, we were taught the correct way to enter the shrine before then being shown the correct way to cleanse our hands and faces in the water beside the shrine.
As you go towards the shrine, you should bow slightly before entering the torii gates, and keep in mind that you should walk on the side of the path to the shrine rather than in the middle. The middle of the path and the torii are for the gods, not for humans. On the way to the shrine, you will see a small pavilion with a basin filled with water. This is where you purify yourself before approaching the main shrine. Fill the spoon with water and pour some water on your left hand, then your right hand. Next, clean your mouth by holding the spoon in your right hand again, pouring some water into your left hand and rinse lightly. Don’t wash your mouth directly from the spoon. Finally, hold the spoon vertically, allowing for the remaining water to trickle down the handle and clean it.
After this, we were given 40 minutes to look around the shrine and walk back to the coach. I looked around the shrine and other buildings and also admired the giant trees. I was told that the larger of the two trees was over 900 years old. I stopped at a bathroom on the way back to the coach and then continued the short walk and climbed on our coach. It appeared we were missing one lady and after the guides had gone to look for the lost lady, the lady's husband managed to contact her on the phone. She hadn't followed everybody else and had walked completely the wrong way when she left the shrine. We waited for her and were late leaving for our trip to Lake Kawaguchi.
Photos from the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine.
Lake Kawaguchi.
Lake Kawaguchi is located in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in the Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji, Japan. It is the second largest of the Fuji Five Lakes in terms of surface area and is located at the lowest elevation. It is situated at an altitude of approximately 800 metres, which accounts for its relatively cool summers and frequently icy winters. It also has the longest shoreline of any of the Fuji Five Lakes.
After we parked at the lake, our guide pushed us all past the queue of people waiting to get on the tour boat, and we made the trip before it left. The trip was only short. I don't know if this was because we were late and had kept it waiting. There were some great views from the boat of the homes around the lake and Mount Fuji in the distance.
When the boat ride finished, and we had all got ashore, we were given 40 minutes to get something to eat. I didn't think that was long enough to go to a restaurant and get back, so I walked to the nearby convenience store and bought a sandwich and a can of soda. I took my purchases and sat alongside the lake to eat them. I watched the swan pedalos and speed boat trips leaving the jetties along the lakefront as I ate my sandwich. When I finished, I walked back to the coach, clambered aboard and got ready to go to Mount Fuji.
Mount Fuji.
Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu. Its summit has an elevation of 3,776.24 m. It is the tallest mountain in Japan. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's three Holy Mountains. It was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. According to UNESCO, Mount Fuji has inspired artists and poets and has been the object of pilgrimage for centuries.
We were lucky on our visit because the roads were open, and we were allowed to go as high as the sixth station on Mount Fuji, which is as far as the public can go in their own vehicle or tour bus. As we climbed up the road, the clouds occasionally came down to meet us and occasionally rose to give us a glimpse of the summit of Mount Fuji. I loved the views of the surrounding area that we enjoyed, and I could imagine a younger me who was a lot fitter, spending hours or days trekking through the woods and exploring.
When the coach parked up, we were given an hour to explore. I walked past the shops, restaurants and toilets to the point where the trekking path started. I admired some of the horses that were there, ready to take people further up the mountain on tours. I wanted to take a photo of the summit, but just as I looked up, the clouds came down, and everyone lost sight of the summit. I walked back to the tourist shop and was pleased to find a thick hoodie that would fit me. I went to buy it, and the salesperson asked if I had my passport on me. I told her I did and showed it to her and she gave me a ¥500 discount. Apparently, lots of places in Japan allow tourists to shop tax-free. I liked the idea and was surprised to be given the offer without asking for it myself. I can't remember why I put my passport in my pocket today, but I was glad I had.
I took my purchase outside and looked at the view of the mountain and surrounding area below me. It was strange; there were clouds above and below me, and as they moved, different areas of land, forests, and other mountains appeared. I took a few photos and was delighted as I turned to walk back to the coach to find that the summit had just become visible again. I quickly took a selfie showing me and the summit of Mount Fuji and a few others of the area above me before the clouds descended again. I then walked back to the coach and got on board.
Musical Road.
As we descended the mountain, the coach driver told us to be quiet and explained that the road we were about to go over would sing to us as we drove over it. Sure enough, as we went over the cleverly laid road, the tyres on the tarmac made the notes of a Japanese song about the mountain. It was good, but I didn't get a recording of it. I found the video below on YouTube that somebody else made of the sound of the road.
Fuji Kawaguchiko Resort Hotel.
After a short drive, we arrived at our hotel for the night. We all got off the coach and were each given the keys to our rooms. We were told what time dinner would be served in the restaurant and given information about the onsen available for us to use for free. In Japan, onsen are hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. The place we were stopping at had separate onsens for men and women to use, but you had to be naked to use them. I didn't worry about that as I would probably never see these people again, but I could not use them because the wound on my leg was open after all the walking.
I went up to my room to relax before dinner. It was a basic room like the ones you see in films. It had a very low table and chair, and the futon bed was on the floor. I tried the bed, and as well as being fairly uncomfortable it was hard work to get down to it and back up from it. The window, however, gave me a terrific view of Mount Fuji, so I took a photo before the sunset, and the mountain disappeared from view. I tried to sit on the chair, but it was too low, and getting up was very difficult again. I decided to go to the hotel lobby, where I had seen some chairs that I could sit in while I waited for the restaurant to open.
I didn't have to wait too long, and it was worth the wait. The buffet-style restaurant served beautiful food, and there was plenty of it. If I didn't know what something was, I took a small portion to try, and 99% of it was really lovely. I had a few helpings of the different foods, and when I had my fill, I returned to my room.
It was when I got back to the darkened room that I realised what the other problem was with the room. The futon bed was in the middle of the floor, and the lights were at the edge of the room, out of reach from the bed. I had to turn the lights out and use the light on my mobile phone to show me the way to bed.
My hotel tonight was the Fuji Kawaguchiko Resort Hotel.
Address: 4902-2 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru County, Yamanashi Prefecture