Visiting Mt. Fuji and Oshino Hakkai: A Day Trip From Tokyo
My first visit to Japan was in 2017. Back then, I was fascinated with Tokyo. We as a family of first-time tourists to Japan filled our itinerary with touristy stuff such as going to see the sakura in the local parks and taking part in their Spring Matsuri, visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, visiting popular restaurants, enjoying ourselves in anime theme parks, etcetera. At the end of our 12-day holiday, our morale were at an all-time high until we saw a big light-up billboard of Mount Fuji at Narita Airport with the caption "We hope you enjoyed your stay in Japan. Please visit us again soon."
During my second trip to Japan on February 2023, I made sure that I would never miss the opportunity to see Mount Fuji again. From Shinjuku Station, one can take the train or the bus to Mount Fuji. As for myself, I chose to take the Chūō Line Limited Express Fuji-Excursion 7 train towards Kawaguchiko. The problem with this option is that the ticket masters at Shinjuku station could not charge me the complete fare going to Kawaguchiko so they advised me to pay the additional charge and catch another train at Otsuki station which was halfway through the journey. Initially, the Chūō Line Limited Express Fuji-Excursion 7 train was not very busy-- until we heard the announcement that only the last 6 carriages of the train will be going towards Mount Fuji. Majority of the passengers apparently had the same travel plan as I did and we all scrambled towards the back of the train. The last six carriages of the train suddenly became a nightmare, packed with more people than it can probably handle; some were even sitting on luggage shelves and even in front of the toilet! Eventually, my stress won over me and I prematurely alighted at Hachioji station instead where I upgraded my ticket and paid the additional fare.
After briefly enjoying the fresh air from the train platform, I waited for the next crowded train to arrive with trepidation. However, I received the most pleasant surprise of my life when the next train to Kawaguchiko finally arrived. I smiled to myself as I sat in a roomy, crowdless Thomas the Tank Engine-themed train!
(Incoming Tiktok video of my trip to see Mt. Fuji in all its glory! If you like it, please consider liking the video and subscribing to my account! Thanks.)
@chanchantako Visiting the icon of Japan itself— the ever-so-majestic MOUNT FUJI! 🥰❤️ #BeautifulJapan #MountFuji #VisitJapanNow ♬ Married Life (From "Up") - Geek Music
My younger brother used to love the Thomas the Tank Engine series as a kid! Now, he's studying to become an engineer! 💓 Ganbatte, watashi no otouto-san!
(Related post: This famous Instagrammable teddy bear hotpot restaurant is so cute! Check it out!)
Hurrah! And it's practically empty!
It's Thomas the Tank Engine! And take a look at those pretty seat covers!
Enjoying the Japanese countryside.
Mount Fuji in the background!
I arrived at Kawaguchiko Station at around 10:00 AM and saw that there were other character trains in the platform, like Bleach and Naruto.
My travel plan for the day was as close to a tour group itinerary as possible-- admire Mount Fuji from the Kawaguchiko Oishi Park, visit Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja Shrine, stroll along Oshino Hakkai, and end the day with a shopping spree at Gotemba Outlet Store before heading back to Tokyo. From Kawaguchiko station, I took a 15-minute bus ride going to Kawaguchiko Oishi Park.
The marvellous view from my window seat! Yes, the views are quite extraordinary when you sit on the left-hand side going to Kawaguchiko Oishi Park.
Mount Fuji in all its glory.
Entrance to the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum.
Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum.
Car park, Kawaguchiko Oishi Park.
I. KAWAGUCHIKO OISHI PARK
As my visit was in February, it was winter time in Japan and there was a lack of blooms of any kind. However, during any other season, flowers would be lining the embankment to compliment Mount Fuji shots. According to this website, tulips, narcissus, and rape blossoms start to appear in April while in May, moss phlox appear as a pink carpet. From June to October, lavender and begonias are in full bloom and Japanese red cypresses change leaf colours.
Mount Fuji from Kawaguchiko Oishi Park. They say on a good day, the mountain's reflection on the lake is crystal clear and makes for great photo opportunities.
The flower beds are barren for now but what a sight it must be if there were tulips!
Oishi Park has a small café where drinks and milky, creamy Japanese soft cream (soft serve ice cream) of various flavours are being sold. Flavours such as grape, melon, and blueberry may seem a bit far off in other parts of the world but are pretty common in Japan. After a bit of pondering, I opted for the vanilla and blueberry soft cream which was absolutely divine.
The Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center.
Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center is right next to the café. Basically, it is a souvenir shop but it also has space for events such as their regular jam-making workshops. Scattered around the park are more small stalls that sell a variety of food and drinks.
II. MT. FUJI PANORAMIC ROPEWAY
I haven't gotten enough of Mt. Fuji so I next headed to the the Panoramic Ropeway which is just a couple of bus stops away from Oishi Park. Round trip tickets are JPY1,000 for walk-in customers.
The ropeway's mascots, a racoon and a rabbit, depicting a scene from an ancient folktale where the racoon foolishly used a boat made of mud to a boat race.
Inside the cable car. It takes about two to three minutes to reach the summit.
Beautiful view.
If the weather permits, visitors are able to enjoy the view of the majestic Mount Fuji. I, however, wasn't as lucky.
Not so lucky.
Look at all that snow!
Racoon and rabbit mascots for the ropeway.
Statues of the ropeway's racoon and rabbit mascots were prominent all throughout the viewing area. As per the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway's official website, this is based off an old folk tale called "Kachi-kachi Yama". The tale is about a rabbit taking revenge on behalf of an old man whose wife was murdered by a racoon. It's a bit harrowing, but if you'd like to read it, you can do so via this Wikipedia page. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I love how incredibly creative this is!
For visitors who want a bit more adventure to get their blood pumping, there's a walking path.
Wooden ema.
A mini-torii gate.
Another mini-torii gate; however, despite how it looks, it is actually part of a mini-game.
"Kawarake" game. For an offering of JPY100 apiece, you can throw a round piece of ceramic into a target on the torii gate. If you are able to successfully throw the ceramic in the middle of the circle, you're bound to have great fortune!
Lunch spot and would-be panoramic view of Mt. Fuji.
Optional: There's a cookie shop that sells Mt. Fuji-shaped cookies close to the entrance to the ropeway! I was tempted to get a box as the air smelled of freshly-baked vanilla and butter cookies but I had to restrain myself. My blood sugar was on overdrive and I didn't want to make it worse!
III. OSHINO HAKKAI
When I made up my day's itinerary, I based it on places that tour groups would usually include, such as going on a cruise aboard the Hakone Pirate ship, stopping by Owakudani, paying my respects at the Hakone shrine, and visiting the Gotemba Outlet stores at the end of the day. Alas, such is the pain of travelling via public transport that most of my time had gone to the commuting before I had the chance to realise it. In spite of all the attractions that were close by that I could easily visit, I decided to go a few miles away to the beautiful village of Oshino Hakkai.
(Incoming long Tiktok video of my visit to Oshino Hakkai. If you like it, please like and subscribe to my account. Thank you.)
@chanchantako This is a rather long video detailing my trip to Oshino Hakkai, a very beautiful spa/resort town located at the foot of Mount Fuji. The melted snowcaps from Mount Fuji flow into the town and it’s clean, fresh, and drinkable. It’s a MUST-VISIT! #VisitJapanNow #OshinoHakkai #MountFuji ♬ original sound - Hana Carrera
Bus stop, Oshino Hakkai.
Oshino Hakkai, literally meaning "Eight Seas of Oshino", is a set of eight ponds located in the Fuji Five Lakes area on the site of a former lake that dried out several centuries ago. The eight ponds are fed by snowmelt from the slopes of Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through porous layers of volcanic rock over a period of several decades. This makes the mineral-rich pond waters remarkably clear and pristine. Oshino Hakkai is part of the Mt. Fuji UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, designated in 2013. (Information from the Official Travel Guide Yamanashi.)
Beautiful Mt. Fuji in the background.
The village is mostly dotted with little streams, ponds, and little bridges/walkways. There are water wheels that are fascinating to watch as they work, and a Mt. Fuji viewpoint (although there are loads of spots where Mt. Fuji is picturesquely visible). There are several cafés and a big central souvenir shop/covered market, inside of which is a natural rock with flowing where you can refill your own water bottles with fresh water from Mt. Fuji's melted snow caps! Plus, there is a market street where vendors sell all varieties of food and items-- from candied fruits and the usual takoyaki and okonomiyaki to quirky little Buddha statues and powered crystals!
Lots of food for sale. However, they don't come cheap!
A shop selling sculptures and antiquities.
The market street goes on and on!
But for me, the best way to enjoy Oshino Hakkai is to take a leisurely walk through the multiple tree-lined walkways, cross the little wooden bridges, take in the gentle tinkling of the water in the streams, and breathe in the cool, fresh air as you forget all your worries in life.
If you've made it this far, thank you very much and I hope you enjoyed this post! Japan is such a beautiful country and I'm glad I could share my experiences with everyone!
0 comments:
Post a Comment