017. Lake Kawaguchi & Mount Fuji
We love Mount Fuji!
There. I said it.
We spent six days on Lake Kawaguchi (in the relative foothills of Fuji) and it was the BEST.
Maybe it was the best because our modern ryokan (Japanese guesthouse) was excellent, or maybe it was the best because we were out in the countryside. Perhaps it was because how funny the hoards of TikTok tourists outside that Lawsons were, or perhaps it was because we had our own bikes and could pootle around town to our hearts content. Or maybe it’s because Fuji is magical and waking up every day to see him does something to you. Who knows, but it was excellent.
Outside of just bathing in Fuji-san’s glory, we went to our first Onsen, where we bathed ourselves like boiled shrimp in natural hot springs and we both felt a little uneasy at public nudity. We also cycled around the whole of the lake, ate excellent pie en route, and completed a side quest of looking for an old lady’s little dog who had escaped and done a runner - as a reward for our efforts we were welcomed into her lake house for ice coffee and the most incredible peach we’ve ever eaten, and had a sweet conversation via Google Translate.
We also had a head spa and shiatsu treatment, watched X-Files, did our work, went on Swan boats on the lake, visited Monchhichi Jamboree (50th anniversary bonanza) at the local toy museum, and lost our minds in Fuji gift shops.
Sigh.
Everything was excellent and we miss him already.
