From Tokyo we decided to spend a few days in Mt. Fuji to spend some time in traditional Japanese inn known as a ryokan. At ryokans you eat a set meal of traditional seasonal foods and bathe in geothermal hot spring baths known as an onsen. We really didn’t want to leave Japan without getting out of the city even just for a bit, and Mt. Fuji is so iconic how could we miss it? With the natural geothermal activity in the area, it seemed like the perfect time to stay in a ryokan as well. We chose the smallest of the lakes to stay at called Lake Shoji. This lake had a ryokan with a great room view of Mt. Fuji and onsens with the same view. It was also a little more off the beaten tourist path which did make it more difficult for us to get to, but also meant it was a quieter area.
The morning we headed to Mt. Fuji was definitely an adventure of its own. Its comical to think about and weirdly I want to do it all over again. Kind of a rush! We ended up running and hoping from train to train. Once we arrived at the last train, we realized we’d just stepped into a whole other level of train intensity with the JR line at peak hours. When the first train arrived it was more packed than I could believe. I wish I had a photo. A man was literally hands up and face smashed against the window. We missed the first few trains before we finally made our way to the front of the line (if you could call it that). When our chance to get on the train came, we were counting down the minutes thinking we must make this train, but it’s too full! We didn’t think we’d both fit with our packs so we hesitated, only to see another 10 Japanese people squeeze their way on. We now understood the way to play. As the next train arrived we seized our moment, PUSH! We pushed our way on only to have 20 more people push us on further. This train was so crowded you couldn’t even fall if you wanted to because there are at least four other bodies holding you up on all sides. The whole cabin swayed in unison as the train sped and slowed. In the most polite and organized culture I’ve ever seen, this is the moment when there are no rules. We finally made it to our bus outside with minutes to spare!
The fun didn’t end here! We arrived at Mt. Fuji and when we finally figured out which bus we needed to take to our tiny remote lake, we missed it! After a few hours and some beers we were ready for the next bus. Finally we reached out destination, but soared past it! Did I mention no one speaks English? Once we realized our mistake, thankfully we only had to walk about a mile back.
Glory! We were so glad to finally arrive at our accommodation. A small family ran inn right at the lake front. First things first, tea time. It felt like we never ran out of hot tea here. You leave to onsen and come back to tea, you leave for dinner and more tea, you leave for breakfast and come back to more tea. It’s brilliant! Here was also another new experience for me. They did have bathrooms ensuite, but not showers. There were separate communal men’s and women’s showers with one onsen indoors and one outside with a private view of the lake and mountain. After we arrived, we used each used our respective communal onsens, and then booked a private couples onsen for after dinner on the top floor. This was so relaxing and felt pretty damned deserved after our confused, adventurous mess of a day.
Morning and evening we received our set meals. They were great and way too much food. It’s all served in small plates so at first you think, “Yea, I could probably eat all this” and then you quickly realize there’s still more pots you haven’t even taken the tops off of and you’re already reaching maximum capacity. If we ever return to Japan, and I hope that we do, we are definitely going back to one of these. Besides dining and bathing we did manage to leave the ryokan for a trip to the Shiba-Sakura Festival. We did miss the Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, but we weren’t too late for Mt. Fuji! The cherry blossoms were in bloom and the moss flox that beautifully covers the landscape was just beginning to bloom. We did have another language barrier catching the bus back to our accommodation that resulted in another long walk. Hey, it’s part of the journey, right?
Our next stop was Kyoto!
Below is a gallery from our Mt. Fuji journey:
beautiful!
Isn’t it?! Love spring!
YOU GUYS!! The foliage and landscapes and food and accommodation are exquisite! I am so excited you were able to experience the speed bumps and the triumphs together. What spectacular photos of you both and of your lovely views. <3
Thanks, Justine! <3