JAPANESE SNAPSHOTS – #40 – MT. FUJI

We took the Shinkansen Nozomi Bullet Train from Kyoto Station to busy Tokyo Station and then caught the JR Local Subo Line to our hotel near the silver Sky Tree in the Sumeda section of Tokyo — by far our favorite part of town because of it’s laid back residential feel. It took three hours door to door and cost about $360 for both of us. And we even got a very rare view from the speedy train of snow cone Mt. Fuji without a cloud in the sky. Yet another sunny warm day in jewel-like Japan.

We had planned to spend our last three days in Tokyo where our journey began. When we laid out our itinerary back home, it had seemed like a fitting end.

But as we were passing by Mt. Fuji Inna said, “We can’t say we really were in Japan if we don’t go to Mt. Fuji.”

I pointed out that we had already booked the next three nights at the Tobu Hotel Levant in Tokyo and it was too late to cancel.

Inna said, “Look, in the scheme of our whole month-long vacation we can afford to pay for one night in Tokyo, just blow it off as a lesson in poor planning, and spend it instead at Mt. Fuji. My friend Igor says he always stays at the Fuji View Hotel and he’s been going there for years. He says it’s like a slice of heaven. They have their own hot spring and bikes that we can ride to the three nearby lakes where we’ll take a nice boat ride. The weather’s perfect. We’re GOING!”

What could I say?

Inna had been so psyched to get a room at the Fuji View, she accidentally ended up booking us a “traditional Japanese room” with futons atop green tatami mats and a balcony overlooking an enchanted garden and the twinkling lake as the sun set on sacred Mt. Fuji. What a grand adventure!

It was the first time I ever booked two rooms for the same day — on purpose — in two hotels in two different cities, but as usual, my lovely wife Inna was right and it was worth every penny to stay in Fuji.

That said, you need to understand two fundamentals related to Fuji. First off, the hotels are not right next to the mountain, but rather, in the surrounding towns. So, you really aren’t all that close to the sacred mountain. Secondly, Mt. Fuji is usually shrouded in clouds or rain, and many people’s stories about their visit to Fuji begins with, “Well, we never actually saw the mountain because it was wrapped in clouds the whole time we were there.”

HOW TO GET THERE

It turns out that getting from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji can be a very expensive proposition — a cab costs $600 round trip and there is no direct train service. But by now, we had mastered the trains and buses and figured out how we could do it round trip by public transportation for $40 per person each way — a savings of $520. So, off we went.

It took us about three hours to get from our hotel, catch an incredibly packed commuter train to the Tokyo Station labyrinth, grab breakfast at an amazing Japanese waffle house in the Station, and then hop the Expressway Bus to Mt. Fugi where we were picked up by our hotel’s free shuttle bus.

WHERE TO STAY

The Fuji View Hotel is by far your best bet and is world-renowned for being one of the top ryokans in Japan. They offer western-style and traditional rooms for $350 a day. We booked our room at the last minute during a popular time of the year, so it could be much cheaper if planned in advance. We grabbed the only room left and it was large enough to accommodate four people. But the room came with some splendid additional perks, including a traditional Japanese multiple course dinner, an insane amount of yummy food for breakfast at their expansive buffet, and all sort of other things like hot springs, massage chairs, the mind blowing Fuji views, a par three golf course and free clubs, walking trails through the manicured gardens and forest, and god knows what else. Unfortunately, we were not there long enough to discover all there was to offer at the hotel.

What is Onsen Ryokan? A traditional Japanese hotel/inn with hot springs (onsen) is called Onsen Ryokan. Inside a ryokan, you will find the unique beauty of Japanese culture and custom. So a ryokan is not just a place to stay but also a place for experiencing the authentic traditional Japan. A sojourn at ryokan is sure to make your trip to Japan truly unforgettable.

Five highlights to be experienced at ryokan:

– Living in a room with Tatami (straw mat) flooring
– Wearing a Yukata (robe) before and after taking an onsen bath
– Sleeping on a Futon (bedding) put down directly on the Tatami floor
– Taking an Onsen (hot spring) bath for relaxation
– Enjoying a typical Japanese Ryokan dinner with fresh local ingredients

We did it all, exactly as prescribed. And after a few beers on the balcony following our bike ride adventures I began to go native and decided I was going to attend the formal dinner attired as a sumo wrestler, wearing only my pale blue skivvies and my yukata rob and slippers. Inna put an end to that notion pretty quickly and made me dress appropriately.

WHERE TO EAT

After a long and eventful day some serious gluttony took place within the walls of our amazing hotel. An eight course traditional Japanese dinner was served in a special dining room overlooking the gardens and it was all part of the package deal. It was the most exotic meal I have ever eaten and was like being part of a grand performance where you get to eat exotic food. The menu was pure fantasy and most of the time we had no idea what the hell we were even eating. There were delicacies you would never imagine eating, like Chrysanthemum petals in mild broth. I mean, who eats flowers?

Appetizer

Herring Roe on Kelp/Pressed Sushi with Pacific saury

Persimmon and pear dressed with tofu/Fish cakes with propagule

Sweet fish rolled in kelp/Mashed sweet potato/Raisin

Steamed-boiled dish

Conger pike with its small bones cut up/Pine mushroom/Japanese honeywort

Sashimi

Assortment of three kinds

Various garnishes/Wasa

Grilled dish

Japanese Spanish mackerel grilled on a cedar plate

Shimezu mushroom

Chrysanthemum petals in mild broth

Eddoe grilled with miso paste

Roast chestnut

Fried dish

Fish cakes with mushroom/Pumpkin/Green chili

Ear of rice

Grated Japanese white radish with hot pepper

White buckwheat noodle

Lidded dish

Buckwheat dough

Largehead hairtail

Grain-like buckwheat seeds

Fine strips of leek

Starchy butterscotch mushroom sauce/Wasabi

Main dish

Japanese sweet potato rice

Japanese pickles

Red miso soup

Dessert

Persimmon

Kajiicho grapes

Vanilla ice cream

The hotel’s second-floor breakfast room has a stunning view of Mt. Fuji. The breakfast is an all you can eat buffet deal, also included in the price of the room.

BEST THINGS TO DO

Wherever you go around Fuji, assuming there are no clouds, the mountain is always front and center. You can’t get away from it. Like a god, it’s everywhere!

Our hotel rented bicycles for $4.50 for 3 hours. There is also a red and a green shuttle bus that does a loop around the town and the lake for a minimal fee. But given that there’s a paved bike trail all around the lakes, you should rent a bike from one of the many rental shops or hotels and travel by bike.

Ride or walk around Lake Kawaguchiko bike path into town and then take the Pleasure Cruiser Ropeway gondola to the top of the mountain to the Rabbit Shrine and some amazing views of Mt. Fugi, hopefully on a rare sunny day. Instead of taking the return trip on the gondola which we had paid for, but which was super crowded and had a long line, we chose instead to hike the steep forest trail back down to the lake.

Take the “Ensoleille” historic lake boat for a thirty minute cruise. This is included in the price for the gondola ride and leaves every hour from a dock across the street.

On the lake cruise we ran into a young couple from Manitoba, Canada — think Nebraska. Like us, they were also spending a month traveling around Japan and were nearing the end of their stay. When Inna asked them how they liked Japan they both thought for a minute and then Bob offered up what I think is the absolutely best way to describe Japan. “Everything works.”

Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan at 12,390 feet, and there is still a lot of volcanic activity right below the surface of the whole region. And that spells major league hot springs.

Kawaguchi-ko, the base town for Mt. Fuji, is a famous spa town with very nice hotels along the lake. Each has its own hot spring.

After dinner we dressed in kimonos and went to the lovely hot spring public bath in our hotel. You can do the same at almost anywhere you stay. It will be part of the hotel package.

There are trails galore around Mt. Fuji and throughout the surrounding volcanic mountains. You could spend weeks just hiking around the lush hills and forests. So, it would be worth it to buy one of the many hiking guide books if that is your plan. But understand this: hiking around Fuji involves steep, rugged climbing, and trekking to the top of Mt. Fuji is a major operation where you hike in five stages and then spend the night freezing your ass off in a crowded hut before attempting the final push to the summit at daybreak. The weather in the mountains is usually wet and windy. So, unless you are a serious hiker in search of a full-on expedition experience, you will want to stick to the lake trails.

Two of the more popular (and easy) hikes will take you to the Fugaku Wind Cave and the Narusawa Ice Cave.

There are five lovely lakes to the north of Mt. Fuji, offering all manner of water activities from water skiing to fishing.

INSIDER TIPS

Fall is a great time to visit Fuji because the spring and summer crowds of families are gone. The weather tends to be sunny and dry. The air is cool and crisp. And it’s still warm enough to hike, bike, and play in the water. Plus, you get the incredible Fall colors as the trees begin turning.

Book your visit to Fuji at the last minute when the weather forecast is for sunny and clear skies. You may pay more for booking late, but that’s better than getting a good deal and not seeing the sacred white snow cone.