Today, I left Kawaguchi and visited several places on my way to Kyoto.
I slept very poorly last night in Fujikawaguchiko. The futon bed I slept on was not only very uncomfortable; it was hard to get down to and back up from. The only redeeming feature of the room was my view of Mount Fuji above another hotel through the window. After getting up, taking a shower and having breakfast, I joined everybody else to get on the coach for our trip to Kyoto.
Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba.
Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba, also known as the Healing Village, is a reconstructed traditional village located on the shores of Lake Saiko in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. The village was originally a farming community known for its thatched-roof houses, which were destroyed by a landslide in 1962.
The village has been restored to preserve the traditional Japanese atmosphere, featuring around 20 thatched-roof houses that now serve as shops, restaurants, museums, and galleries.
After leaving our hotel in Kawaguchi this morning, our first stop of the day today was at Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba. We walked from the coach stop to the first of the thatched-roof homes and then were told we could explore on our own and be back at the coach in 40 minutes. I had a look at various buildings and saw some lovely artwork in one of them that I would have liked to have purchased. The artist was in the store and was happy to sign any of his artwork for customers. I didn't think the price of the artwork was too bad and would have loved it hanging up in my home, but I was worried about getting the delicate pieces of art home in one piece and decided not to buy anything.
After walking around, I walked back to the the car park and bought a drink in a small shop before getting back on the coach.
Shiraito Falls.
Shiraito Falls, also known as Shiraito-no-Taki, are beautiful waterfalls located in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, near the southwestern base of Mount Fuji. The falls are part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and have been protected as a Japanese Natural Monument since 1936.
The Shirato Falls were our next stop today, and once again, after being dropped off and told the history of the area, we were given a very short time to look around before we had to get back on the coach. There are two sets of falls, and I walked first to one set of falls and took a couple of photos from a viewpoint above it. Then, I walked to a viewpoint overlooking the more impressive second waterfall. The water cascading down the rocks fell into a small pond at the bottom, and the spray caused a beautiful rainbow to form. Many of the people on the coach raced down to the lower level to get a photo at the base, but I didn't think my knees would make the climb back up. We had already descended a short distance, and my legs were still aching from yesterday's exertions.
I walked back towards the shops near the car park, but instead of climbing the slope we had come down, I took a circular route through a beautiful wooded area that grew to the side of the waterfall. It was very tranquil, and all I could hear was the noise of the waterfall and the singing of the birds in the trees. When I got back to the shop, I stopped outside and had an ice cream while waiting for the rest of the people to arrive and get back on the coach.
Toyota Automobile Museum.
After leaving the falls, we made a very brief stop at the Toyota Automobile Museum. I am not sure what part of the museum we were shown, but it was not the part shown on the website, and we were only given 40 minutes to look around. I would like to have seen the whole museum, not the tiny part we looked at. The part we saw did have some exciting things on display.
I liked the prototype autonomous buses and taxis they had on display, and I was interested in the disability scooters they had on show. I climbed into a couple of cars: a giant electric-powered SUV that I loved and the latest, most expensive electric-powered Lexus that was on display. When I was sitting in the Lexus, I pushed a button, and the seat moved forward, but I couldn't stop it. It did stop when my belly hit the steering wheel, but I couldn't get the seat to go back. I gave up looking for the correct button to make it go backwards, searched below the seat, and luckily found a manual leaver that allowed the seat back. I was able to move the seat back just enough to allow me to fall out of the car sideways. All that money for a car, and I would need help getting in and getting up from the floor when I got out, but if I won the lottery, I would buy one tomorrow.
Photos from my day travelling to Kyoto.
We stopped briefly on our journey to Kyoto to use a bathroom at a motorway service station, but other than that, our next stop was at our hotel in Kyoto.
Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo.
My hotel tonight was the Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo.
Address: 17, Nishikujo-Inmachi Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8412, Japan