2024 Japan Travel(2) - Mt. Fuji and Surrounding areas

Changde Wu    2025-01-26

Mount Fuji is a postcard of Japan and a must-see attraction on this trip. I did a lot of homework when making the plan, and found the viewpoints scattered around the area from the map. The travel plan was also ambitious, and I arranged a day and a half. However, I went to Kamakura and Enoshima (江の島) in the afternoon the day before, so I had to give up the planned Hakone Park, Hakone Ashi and Yamanakako. It was around 9 o'clock in the evening when I arrived at the hotel in Kawaguchiko.

One needs luck to see Mount Fuji, and the right season to see Mount Fuji wearing a white snow hat. Although this trip to Mount Fuji was not perfect, I was lucky. I tracked Mount Fuji from living cameras for nearly 2 weeks before departure. It had been raining around Mount Fuji, and Mount Fuji was completely hidden in the clouds and fog until the weather cleared up when we set off. In the morning, I had breakfast at the hotel in Kawaguchiko. Mount Fuji appeared outside the windows of the cafeteria, and everyone took pictures with their mobile phones. At this time, the sun came out, and wisps of fog slowly rose at the foot of Mount Fuji. I began to worry that when I took out the camera from the room after dinner, the fog might have covered the mountain. Fortunately, the fog moved outward along the ground, and when I took out the camera to take pictures after dinner, Mount Fuji was still intact.

After leaving the hotel, we came to the Mount Fuji Panorama Observation Deck (パノラマロープウェイ). It was still early, so we were among the first group of tourists to take the cable car. When we got to the mountain, we found that a white cloud was almost covering the top of Mount Fuji (Figure 5). The situation got worse and worse. When we came down from the cable car observation deck, there was already a long queue of tourists waiting for the cable car at the entrance. This is the benefit of early action. Then we went to the Churei Pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park. This tower was built to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. It has now become a popular spot for viewing and photographing Mount Fuji. But at this time, the top of Mount Fuji was completely covered by clouds, but the tourists were in high spirits and everyone stayed on the platform for a long time.

Next we drove to Oishi Park. There were not many tourists in this place. The car slowed down far away from the park and finally moved forward at a snail's pace. Fortunately, the parking lot was very large and we found a parking space quickly under the guidance of the staff. Here we should commend the surrounding areas of Mount Fuji, especially the Kawaguchiko area. There are staff directing and guiding in the parking lot, and parking is free. There is a reason why Oishi Park is crowded. It is one of the best places to view Mount Fuji. In addition, there is a garden here. Although the garden is not as good as Hitachi Seaside Park, there are still many flowers in it, and no tickets are required. It was already late in the afternoon when we left Oishi Park. We did not stop along the way and went straight to the last two stops, Lake Takumi and Shiraito Falls. There is no need to say what happened next, just look at the pictures.

P1 View of Mt. Fuji at sunset from the observatory on Enoshima Island

P2 Mt. Fuji under red clouds

P3 The town across from Enoshima at night

P4 Looking at Mount Fuji from the back of the hotel in the morning. Although the background is messy, this is the clearest photo taken at close range.

P5 Viewing Mount Fuji from the Torii gate at the cable car viewing point. The rising clouds are almost covering the top of the mountain.

P6 View of Mt. Fuji and Kawaguchiko Town from the cable car viewing point

P7 Arriving at Chureito Pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park, the top of Mt. Fuji has completely disappeared in the clouds.

P8 Arakurayama Sengen Park Churyu Pagoda

P9 View of Mt. Fuji from Oishi Park

P10 Viewing Mt. Fuji from the lakeside of Oishi Park

P11 Viewing Mt. Fuji from the last observation deck of Lake Takumi, Mt. Fuji

P12 Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝), located in the southwest of Mount Fuji, although not ranked among the three major waterfalls in Japan, but I feel it is not inferior to them.

P13 Main waterfall of Shiraito Falls

P14 The small waterfalls on the side of Shiraito Falls are like a water curtain

P15 A Japanese old lady taking photos in front of the main waterfall of Shiraito Falls. She looks very happy.

P16 There is another waterfall on the east side of Shiraito Falls, called Otoshi Falls (音止の滝)

P17 Looking back at Shiraito Falls before leaving

P18 You can also see Mt. Fuji from Shiraito Falls Park, and you can see the reflection of Mt. Fuji in this small pond. Unfortunately, at this time, Mt. Fuji was covered by clouds and mist, so you couldn't even see its shadow.

P19 Early morning view of Mt. Fuji and surrounding mountains from the seaside of Shizuoka City

P20 A few young Japanese people stayed at the beach the night before, and had Mount Fuji in their dreams.

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