On Thursday my plan was to head to Kawaguchi-ko, a lake near the base of Mt Fuji. I had decided on Thursday because the weather forecast on Tuesday suggested it would be the finest day of the three I had to choose from. I had to catch a train to Otsuki using my rail pass, before buying a ticket on the private Fuji Kyuko line to Kawaguchi-ko. The train ride from Matsumoto to Otsuki was under blue skies. In fact, I am pretty sure I caught a long-distance glimpse of Mt Fuji along the way. The mountain I saw was definitely Fuji-shaped, but in an ominous sign, there was a layer of cloud visible below the summit. Sure enough, as I got closer, the blue skies gave way to cloud. I arrived at Kawaguchi-ko and while
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