Fuji-licious Views

Day 13- Mt. Fuji

The day started bright and early at about 6am so we could catch the 7am train to Fujikawaguchiko. The first train was easy to navigate, but the second train is where we ran into a few bumps in the road. To begin with, we did not have official seats for the train. We could sit anywhere that had not been previously reserved, so for about 3 stops we were all fine and dandy. Once the conductor came around, he made it clear we would have to move to the back of the train where non-reserved seats were located. The only issue with that was that all the seats were full. We then had to sit in the hallway for about an hour and a half since there were no seats. I felt like I was backpacking in Europe! After a while, an announcement came on over the speaker, and we thought it was telling us to get off the train and transfer to a new one. Because we are not total noobs, we asked the conductor who then told us we had to get back on the train we just left. We got on a different car, so our old seats were lost to us. There was even less room in the hallway compared to the previous one, but at least we were where we needed to be.

We finally made it to the train station, and I could immediately see Fuji in the distance. We completely lucked out with the clearest day possible; not a cloud was in sight. It was also insanely cold (about 20 degrees with the windchill), but I had thankfully brought my hat and gloves... my nose ran pretty much the entire day. I could deal with the cold as long as I had that beautiful view to look at.

In order to have the best view possible without actually hiking the mountain, we hiked up a park trail somewhat near Fuji. The wind was quite strong at parts, but the sun was out at least. After about 20 minutes, we reached a peak where we stopped to take pictures. Mt. Fuji was in full view and I was absolutely transfixed. How had I managed to be so lucky that it was a crystal clear day?? I called my parents to show them the view, and they were just as stunned (and slightly... okay, majorly, jealous). We remained at the plateau for about 20 minutes just walking around, looking at Fuji on one side and the lake on the other side. This was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Prettiest view in all of Japan

Deciding we were getting a little too cold, we continued up the hill to the top of the peak. Mt. Fuji stayed on the right side of us the entire way up. The hike was refreshing even if the wind felt as though it could pick me up and blow me away. Finally at the top, we took a cable car down to the bottom where we could see the lake side of the area.

Me with my boyfriend, Tom

Needing a pick-me-up, lunch was next. There were slim pickings with restaurants, so we stopped at the first place we saw, which was an Indian restaurant. Even though I had Indian food a few days prior, I was so down for having more. Again, the naan was about a foot in length and the butter chicken was creamy and savory. I also ordered some samosas that were packed with flavor. I left feeling quite full and satiated.

Indian food: good for the soul

My feet were feeling a little chilled, so we stopped at a 711 where I could buy a pack of socks to wear. Then, we headed over to the Fujisan World Heritage Center, which was about a 30 minute walk from the little town we were in. The center had a small museum area to learn about the history of Mt. Fuji. There was a 15 meter wide model of Mt. Fuji that was made completely out of paper hanging from the ceiling. It would change color every so often and would highlight certain areas in connection with a movie that would play. Interestingly enough, there have been several eruptions over the centuries that have transformed the land into how it looks today, with the last eruption of the volcano occurring in 1707. I may not have any particular interest in summiting the mountain (good on the people who do actually climb), but I still find the history fascinating.

We stayed at the center until closing time, and then hightailed it back to the town to watch the sunset. The sunset was a brilliant orange that softly spread over the tip of the mountain. I was certainly impressed by the view. We soon headed back to the hotel since it would take several hours to reach Tokyo. Dinner was bento boxes from a local restaurant, and we all dropped in bed for a much needed night of rest.