Fuji Five Lakes

On the 30^th, we left a rainstorm in Kyoto to make our way to the Fuji Five Lakes area with the intention of climbing Mt. Fuji. As we were checking out of our swanky hotel, we got quite the surprise with our bill. I had filters set on the websites I was looking at, but somehow the hotel slipped through. When we checked in Lynsey made the comment about us either getting a really great deal or misreading the price. Unfortunately a great deal it was not for the three of us, but it was the most comfortable bed we’ve slept in so far!

We had a short amount of time in the morning to kill before leaving Kyoto, so we made our way to the Nishiki Market. I’m not sure if it was because it was a Sunday or we got there right as it was supposed to be opening, but not many shops were open. It was advertised as a great place to try Kyoto’s takoyaki, or meat on a stick. They had sparrow, quail, fish, eel, and a couple of other varieties. None of us were brave enough to try any of them. Instead, we stopped at a place that advertised as having a traditional Japanese breakfast, and it did not disappoint. Your option was either chicken or fish with rice, omelet roll, miso soup, seaweed, and eight small bites of various items. Scott got the fish option while Lynsey and I got the chicken. I have to admit that I was not brave enough to try the majority of the small bites, but I did not need to worry about leaving the table hungry. Scott was a trooper and ate all of his breakfast.

From the market, we grabbed our bags, and caught a shuttle to the subway station. We took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Mishima where we had to catch a bus to Mt. Fuji Station in Fujiyoshida. We missed the bus that left at 2 and had to wait for the one at 4pm. So, we found a small restaurant in the station and grabbed ice cream and bubble tea. Upon arriving at our hotel, Danna was waiting for us. We went for dinner and made the decision to wait a day to hike Mt. Fuji because all the tourist information centers were already closed for the day.

The morning of the 1^st, we confirmed that we would not be able to climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji as they were still clearing away an avalanche that blocked the path. We found information on a bus that would take us up to the 5^th station where most people begin their climb. We booked our tickets and then went in search of something to keep us entertained for the day.

Mt. Fuji surrounded by clouds & mist.

We went to Kamaguchiko Station where we bought a two day unlimited ride bus pass. We headed for the Herb Festival on the other side of the lake. There were tons of knick-knacks, food, ice cream, and even a jam making class to be found here. We missed the sign up for the earlier jam making classes and all the afternoon ones were full. I tried some Lavender ice cream which turned out not to be as great as the blueberry that Scott got. We also got some of our first glimpses of Mt. Fuji from this area. So far, it has been very overcast in the Fuji Five Lakes area with clouds obscuring the view of Fuji the majority of the time.

From the Herb Festival, we caught the bus again and tried to find a spot called the Craft Park. The map didn’t make very much sense, and we gave up in order to go back to the Station & find lunch. We decided to catch the Blue Line bus to see the Wind Cave. This didn’t leave us much time to eat, so we ran over to a 7 Eleven and grabbed Bento Box food. It makes me laugh because I couldn’t imagine eating anything from a 7 Eleven in the States, but it is totally normal to do here.

Path to the Ice Cave.

The pathway to the entrance of the Wind Cave took us through a beautiful forest. I expected the Wind Cave to be very windy as the name indicates, but it was not. Lava from a Mt. Fuji eruption is believed to have formed the cave. The temperature dropped significantly as we climbed down the steps into the cave. The first part of the cave is an ice reservoir, which was used before the invention of the modern refrigerator. The cave also used to be used to store silkworm eggs and tree seeds. According to the signs that were down there, the natural refrigeration of the cave kept the seeds and eggs fresh. The tree seeds were gathered from 1955-1965 in order to eventually be replanted in the mountains.

Thatched roof hut

From the cave, we caught a green line bus to a traditional thatched roof village. It was set into the mountainside. Danna and I decided to pay the fee to enter the village while Scott and Lynsey wandered around outside it. The huts were primarily used to house tourist shops. Some did advertise as having classes to make some of the items being used there. Danna and I went into one hut that said it had great views of Fuji from the second window, but the clouds and mist completely blocked any chance we had of seeing it. The huts were cool to see, but it was definitely set to cater to all the tourists.

From here we caught the bus and stopped at a grocery store to load up on food and snacks for our climb up Mt. Fuji. Scott and I loaded up on peanut butter, jam, bread, nuts, and bananas. He gets husband of the year award for making us PB&J sandwiches to have for breakfast and as snacks on our ascent up the mountain. We had an early dinner and returned to the hotel to pack up our bags and go to bed early for our climb. Unfortunately, this day we didn’t walk anywhere close to the usual 30,000 steps I’ve been getting here in Japan. This combined with an uncomfortable bed, and excitement for climbing did not lead to the best night’s sleep. 

We did get lucky our first second evening in the Fuji Five Lakes area as the clouds parted for a little bit to give us glimpses of Mt. Fuji.