Blogs from Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, Japan, Asia

Early start to catch the Fuji Excursion train to Kawaghchiko. We managed to get our 3 days supplies into my big bag and 3 back-packs, after forwarding our other two bags to Kyoto. We left the hotel at 7:20 and reached Platform 9 at Shinjuku for the Fuji Excursion train with 30 minutes to spare. We departed on schedule at 8:30. The train is very comfortable, and the seats are7 wide enough, with the arm-rest up, for Oscar to sit between Krissy and Daisy. Oscar is young enough for a free ride, but no seat. You can take this train without a reserved seat but there is a risk you have to stand for the entire journey. About 45 minutes out, the terrain gets hilly and bushy and it feels like you've left Tokyo. We arrived ... read more

Dear All Greetings from beautiful and majestic Mt Fuji! Well, I’m not actually staying on the mountain itself, but one of the many nearby tourist resorts called Kawaguchiko, attractively situated on Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the Fuji Five Lakes situated to the north of the mountain, and each offering stunning views of the mountain reflected in its waters. That is, if you can see the mountain during the rare times it is viewable from behind its cloak of cloud cover. I was very fortunate that when I arrived here yesterday, you could see the mountain in all its majestic and imposing glory – a real sight to behold, certainly to my mind one of the many natural wonders of the world. It is really quite huge, and so perfectly symmetrical, I understand why it holds a ... read more

Geo: 35.4893, 138.688On our day of departure, we had to leave the flat by 9am. After that I waved goodbye to the other 3 and left on my own. I took the train to the Five Lakes district and stopped at Kawaguchi station. For the return journey, I took the bus which turned out to be cheaper and as fast. For my first night, I stayed in a fancy hotel. I was in a three-person dorm, nothing too fancy there but the hotel had its own onsen. After dropping my bags, I went for a walk around the lake Kawaguchi. From the side opposite to my hotel, there is a very good view of Mt Fuji. Except that this afternoon the clouds were masking the top of the mountain. I had an early diner in order ... read more

Monday morning I woke early and said goodbye to my awesome host Minna and made my way to the nearby subway station. This week is known as Golden Week in Japan and everyone has Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off as holidays. This makes for a lot of people out at night, but luckily it meant that Monday morning was not a workday and the subway was significantly less busy than normal. I managed to figure out where I was going, change stations and lines and arrive at the station where the bus terminal was located. I bought a ticket and was on my way to Kawaguchiko, which is a resort type town near Mt.Fuji. As I arrived I got a pretty good view of most of Mt.Fuji, except for the top which was lost in clouds. ... read more

Le 19 au matin, nous avons ete eu l'agreable surprise de ne pas voir de nuages, donc, le mont Fuji etait parfaitement visible. ... read more