Fuji Five Lakes

Our first view of Mount Fuji was from the highway, but this was one of the first photos with its iconic snow capped peak and the basis of today’s agenda:



For breakfast, we went around the corner of our hotel for Komoro soba which is a chain. They were celebrating shrimp week, so we enjoyed shrimp as well!



While my mom waited at the hotel after breakfast, Justin and I walked 15 minutes to Toyota Rental Car which is the Hertz partner. On the way, we saw parades of “salary men” and “office ladies” in their black suits and white shirt uniforms headed to their corporate jobs. It was mesmerizing as they lined up waiting for the crossing signals and walked en masse:



We found Toyota and after the explicit instructions, we hopped into a Prius which is only a few years old but had no USB port or CarPlay. We made due and I was grateful for the practice in South Africa of driving on the left side of the road as I navigated to the hotel and then tried to get on the highway.

With the bright sun and the confusing turns in Tokyo city, Google maps had to keep recalculating and poor Justin had to hold the phone near my face until I felt comfortable there weren’t quick turns. It felt a little like downtown Boston with tunnels and confusing turnoffs. Eventually we persevered out of Tokyo, but we were slowed about 40 minutes due to the congestion which I think was ultimately due to the glare.

From Toyota, we rented an ETC card that pops into a slot in the car and is effectively our EZ-Pass. There were several toll roads on our way to Fuji Five Lakes which has views of the famous mountain and onsens. In 2017, I had done a day trip in nearby southern Hakone (http://leadingalifeofcyn.blogspot.com/2017/12/trains-trains-and-trains.html) and decided for this trip, we should do something similar but different.

Fuji Five Lakes is the name of the area located at the base of Mount Fuji, a volcano that last erupted in 1708 and is about 60 miles west of Tokyo. The five lakes formed by previous eruptions are Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Motosu, Lake Sai, Lake Shōji, and Lake Yamanaka. Most visitors stay at Kawaguchiko as it’s the largest.

Mount Fuji is the holiest of three mountains in Japan and the tallest at over 12,389 feet. We arrived at Oishi Park which was flooded with day trippers and tourists. There were long queues for frozen yogurt and lots of buses. We managed to take a few shots and enjoyed some snacks from our nephew:





On the way back into the town area, we tried to stop in Nagasaki Park, another popular viewing area, but it was way too narrow and had limited parking. I think it’s more suitable for the bicyclists who were enjoying the paths along the lake. We did manage to join in on the fun on these photos with the one blossomed cherry tree nearby:











We then headed to Momiji Corridor which is a path with tree blossoms or maple leaves, but it was pretty barren. So we didn’t stop and headed to the Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway which is a cable car on Mount Tenjo. When I suggested it, my mom asked if they take Suica which made me laugh and of course they did. The area in general gave me Niagara Falls vibes with throngs of tourists and old resorts lining the lake.

After being bowed to by the cable car attendant and sent off on a 3 minute ride, we were at the observation deck with a view of the town, lake, and the mountain:







Apparently there’s a story about a raccoon and rabbit that’s famous here as well as ringing the bell brings you good luck!





We descended and headed to the hotel as they accept guests at 3 pm. We struggled a little with both the car GPS and Google maps for the 5 minute ride. I eventually concluded that the address is the back of the hotel as I navigated narrow passages and passed rundown hotels. Apparently, most guests take advantage of the train shuttle van as they arrive from Tokyo and elsewhere to visit. But we eventually found the entrance and parking lot of Fuji Onsenji Yumedono which is a luxurious ryokan. I had decided I wanted this experience as I had learned about it in 2017, but the ~$600 per person per night charge was out of my price range or too difficult to book on short notice as there are not many rooms in traditional Japanese inns.

I reserved a family suite with traditional Japanese futons, our own garden, and hot spring onsen! This is probably what I’m looking forward to the most of the trip a I knew my feet and back would appreciate the Japanese tradition of onsens. Some photos:







They provided us with traditional Japanese pajamas and socks, and Yukatas which are unlined cotton summer kimonos, worn casually and means "bathing cloth". My mom decided she’d try hers as we checked out the lounge where you can relax and enjoy beverages:



We’re in the Yukari suite which means purple:



I enjoyed our private onsen immediately after showering which is the etiquette while my family napped. We were escorted to our private dinner room and rocked our Yukatas:







For beverages, we ordered plum wine and green tea. Coincidentally, the tea pot was rabbit-themed which is our dad’s Chinese zodiac sign:



For the traditional Japanese meal or washoku, they are prepared kaiseki style with detailed arrangements of multiple courses and “Kaiseki Ryori” is more haute cuisine. I usually collage photos for meals, but due to the extraordinary presentation and unique serving dishes, I didn’t want to minimize the photos…

The appetizer:



Sea bream soup with turnip:



Sashimi with Mount Fuji on the banana leaf:



Grilled char with miso in a magnolia leaf:



Steamed egg with shark fin and soft-shelled turtle:





Beef and vegetables on a hot stone with various dipping sauces:



Rice with bamboo shoots and a clam soup with some pickled vegetables:



Our dessert included fruit and mochi rice cake with syrup - here you can see the banana leaf cut out Lake Kawaguchi:



After dinner, I napped before dipping into the onsen with my mom which is about 104 degrees! It felt amazingly luxurious and glad this is part of the vacation!