Japan & Korea – May 18, 2016

We began the day with a two-hour drive to Lake Kawaguchiko and the Kachi Kachi Ropeway.  This is a substitution for the usual tour to Hakone and a 20-minute ropeway from Togendai to Owakundani.  Unfortunately there has been volcanic activity around the Owakudani hot springs making it too dangerous for tourists in the Hakone area (and costing the local businesses a lot of money).  I was unsure what a “ropeway” was but found out it’s basically a gondola going up a cable and provides a scenic and safe ride.  The Kachi Kachi ride was only about 5 minutes rather than 20, but we got the idea and got great views of Mt. Fuji once at the top.

The first view of the iconic mountain came as the bus was driving down the road.  It provided great excitement largely orchestrated by our guide Hiroko who is always grateful when her tour groups actually see Fuji-San.

 We looked down at Lake Kawaguchiko from the ropeway and then got off to have great views of Mt. Fuji.

  

The last eruption of Mt. Fuji occurred in 1708.

We went to a nearby restaurant for a Japanese meal.  The room had tatami mats and we took our shoes off, but we sat on low chairs at a table.  Again too much seafood for me, but by trading with others, I managed to get enough to eat.

After eating, we drove up Mt. Fuji to Station 5, the highest level to which one can drive.  The rest must be hiked.

Fuji is meant to be seen from a distance.  Up close, it looks like a pile of coal with some snow on top.

The bus drove us to a nearby town where we were dropped off and caught a Shinkansen (fast/bullet) train for a one-station ride – just for the experience.  The bus drove quickly in order to get to Kakegawa to pick us up when we got off after about a 15-minute ride.  This train didn’t go as fast as the Shinkansen is capable of doing – but it was only going a short distance.  Still, it was a comfortable, quiet, ride.

Poor Hiroko was caught by my camera yawning as she and Mark discussed guide activities.  

We stayed this night at a traditional Japanese Inn, the Onsen Ryokan, which has a spa bath.  It is located across the road from a lake with an amusement park nearby. 

The rooms are traditional – no beds or chairs and a low table.  There was a bathroom, but it was hidden off the porch.  It was quite spacious – no furniture leaves lots of room.  The view of the lake was nice, marred only by the electrical lines which are everywhere in Japan.  (I mostly kept them out of the photo.)

 

We had a traditional Japanese Kaiseki banquet dinner to which we were supposed to wear the yakata available to (and worn by many) hotel residents.  I’m not much for eating dinner in a bathrobe but went along with the program.  A LOT of food – some of which I could eat.  Some was cooked at the table, some was eaten raw; actually, I like raw fish better than cooked seafood.  Once again, through judicious selection and some trading, I had enough to eat.

Then I retreated to my room where the maid had set out the sleeping mats and bedding.  I added four mats to the two she had put down, moved the chair from the low table to the bed for me to lean on when getting up and down, and added my own pillow.

 

I decided to take advantage of the spa so went to the top floor where there was an indoor and an outdoor hot tub on the roof.  Both were nice, but empty; I was the only one there.  It was quite pleasant, especially with the light show provided by lighting on the Ferris Wheel at the end of the lake which was easily seen from the hotel.