Day 1
It had been raining on and off for the past few days in Tokyo – before we headed to Fujikawaguchiko.
Our hopes to see Mount Fuji against clear skies were almost impossible.
Sure enough, the day we boarded our bus from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko Station – it was filled with gray clouds, rain and foggy roads.
It was almost 8am when we reached the station – it was a 2-hour bus ride. I noticed there are lesser tall building in here.
I love it already!
It was freezing cold and it’s raining – a really bad combination.
We managed to figure out how to get to our hotel and as I look around trying to find the famous Mt Fuji.
It was nowhere to be found. It’s hiding from us.
So on our first day we decided to go to Gotemba Premium Outlets because there’s no use to go around town when it’s pissing rain.
So we went to FujiQ-Highland Bus Station, hopped on a bus and off we go to Gotemba Station.
We bought some clothes and got some snacks and got back to the hotel.
First day was a bust to see Mt. Fuji.
Day 2
The second day was the most amazing day ever.
We saw Mt Fuji from our window!
I melted…
It looks like we’re staring at a poster pasted on the wall.
I’m a city girl, things like this really excites me.
We waited for this hotel to be available on our travel dates.
We were really fortunate to get a room here at a high floor with the view of the town and Mt Fuji.
We spent part of our morning just looking at this majestic view.
Later that morning, we managed to rent an e-bike and cycled around the popular spots.
My favorite part is Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba – a traditional Japanese thatched-roof village, then cycled around the other lakes like Oishi Park among others.
I think the best way to tour around the area is by cycling.
A DIY tour. Great exercise. Fresh air. Most especially when the weather is really great. Not too hot or too cold.
Okay… Well, it’s best to have gloves on. This is early May 2025, so the weather can be a little challenging.
Also cycling in Japan is crazy. Cycling on the main road 😮💨 I was hella nervous.
Also gotta be honest, I got hand sunburn. Lol.
Such a weird area to get a sunburn.
After the first day, I thought we’re gonna spend the rest of our trip stuck indoors.
I’m so glad that Mt Fuji decided to show up.
Day 3
It was a little cloudy. Mt Fuji got shy again and hid behind the clouds.
But it was still a nice weather to explore the place.
We went to Chureito Pagoda. We waited for a little while, hoping Mt Fuji would show itself. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
I was expecting the Pagoda to be a lot bigger but it was a miniature one apparently.
The view would have been really nice, overlooking the town with Mt Fuji as the backdrop.
Nonetheless, this is an amazing place to go.
The walk up here was a challenge. Its a workout!
Later that day we left FujiKawaguchiko and went to Odawara and saw the Odawara castle.
The sun was about to set soon and having it behind the castle was amazing.
Anyway, that ended our Fujikawaguchiko trip. Now, we’re off to Hakone where we did even more sightseeing!
Stay tune, more Japan highlights to come!
