On day 3 of our Japan Travels, we finally got a chance to visit Mount Fuji! During this visit, we also visited the scenic Lake Kawaguchi, the famous self-BBQ restaurant – Sanrokuen(山麓園) and views of Mount Fuji from our own room at Fujizakura Inn!
How to get from Tokyo to Mount Fuji – Japan Travels Day 3
To get from Tokyo to Mount Fuji, we took a bus from Tokyo Train Station to Kawaguchiko Train Station in the vicinity of Mount Fuji. The ticket costs about $30 for a one-way ticket per person and the journey takes about 2 hours. There are 2 main stations that you can take from – Shibuya and Tokyo. Kate chose Tokyo station because orientation seemed to be easier. That’s what she thinks…The challenge? Getting to the bus stop at Tokyo Train Station for the departure at 7:40am! :O
After arriving at Tokyo Train Station, we knew that we had to head towards Yaesu South. We followed the sign and started our “journey”. For the start of this walk, we were still able to see signs with “Yaesu South” written. Suddenly, at an underground mall, we lost the direction! There was only signs for “Yaesu Central”. As there were not many people around, we asked an uncle who was doing cleaning in the mall. Thankfully, he was helpful (as with most Japanese). He pointed in the direction where the sign said “Yaesu Central” in the underground mall and we continued our walk. Soon, the sign “Yaesu South” came back and we finally exited the “underground labyrinth”. The entire walk took about 10 minutes. So do cater time for this walk through the underground mall at Tokyo Station.
There’s a JR counter when you arrive at Yaesu exit. That was where we headed to confirm the bus bay for our departure from Tokyo to Mount Fuji. Once we identified that it was Bus Bay 8, we went to Baru Rice (next to Bus Bay 8) to get a mixed rice ball (饭团) for 200 yen and a coffee for 100 yen…
The bus departed promptly at 7:40 am and soon we arrived at 9:40am, 7 minutes before the scheduled time. Perfect timing as always with Japanese public transport – clockwork. (Note: No toilet onboard. Make sure you make a visit before your board!). Just before the stop at Kawaguchiko station, the bus stopped at Mount Fuji Amusement Park where we overheard a little girl say,”终于可以到小丸子的家了!” (Translated as: We can finally visit Chibi Maruko-chan’s home!). 🙂
At Kawaguchiko Station, you’ll be able to have a meal or do some souvenir shopping. That’s where we got our magnet and cute Mount Fuji biscuits.
Things to do at Mount Fuji Area
We would be staying for 3 days (2 nights) at the Mount Fuji/Lake Kawaguchiko area. For our first night, we stayed at Fujizakura Inn. That was where we headed after arriving at Kawaguchiko Station – to drop off our luggage. Check-in at most Japan hotels and inns are at 3pm. Hence, we had about 5 hours before check-in. The walk from Kawaguchiko Station to Fujizakura Inn is about 15 minutes…
[embedded content]Enroute, you’ll pass by Sanrokuen (山麓園) – a self-BBQ restaurant over hot burning coals. While dropping off our luggage at Fujizakura Inn, we also booked our transfer back to Kawaguchiko Station the next morning. As we left the hotel, a staff came along and offered to drive us to where we were headed to. Sanrokuen – that was where we headed to for lunch. We arrived at 1045am and it was just a short wait before the doors was opened at 1055am.
Where to eat in Mount Fuji Area – Sanrokuen 山麓園 BBQ Restaurant
We wanted to try out Sanrokuen because of the self BBQ over red hot charcoal – a new experience for us altogether.
This time, we had the Fuji (富士) set (4000 yen) and the Hida (飛騨) set (2000 yen).
The Fuji (富士) set consists of
Char
Beef
Boar
Shrimp
Duck
Vegetables
Quail or Squid
Green Onion
Scallop w shell
Salad
Jelly Potato and
Japanese Noodles in Miso Soup
The Hida (飛騨) set consists of
Rainbow Trout
Fried Tofu
Vegetables
Corn
Chicken
Jelly Potato
Quail or Squid
Dango (made from cornmeal) and
Japanese Noodles in Miso Soup
The big question for dining at Sanrokuen is
“Is there a particular way to do your BBQ at Sanrokuen?”
The answer is YES!
Right next to where you’re seated, you’ll see a jar of special sauce. For BBQ at Sanrokuen, you’ll first lightly grill your meats (etc.) on both sides, dip into the sauce, then grill again. This is the same process except for ingredients that have been lightly salted such as the trout and prawn. For these, you’ll just have to BBQ right away. Do note that you need to pay special attention to the food over the hot charcoal. Otherwise, you may have a couple of chao ta (burnt) foods…yikes! For the quail especially, use low heat (by placing slightly away from direct heat) over a longer time to get the best results!
We loved the trout, prawn and scallops which were SOOO FRESH and SWEET!
The meal ended off with a large pot of Hontou (Hoto) noodles for 2. It is basically hand-made noodles (板面), except a little thicker. As we were about to leave, we noticed that the entire restaurant WAS FULL! An indication of how popular Sanrokuen is at the Mount Fuji area! A full meal – both in our tummies and spirits! After this hearty meal, we were ready to check out the views of Mount Fuji!
Walking around Lake Kawaguchiko for views of Mount Fuji
Initially, Kate wanted to just cross the Kawaguchi-machi new bridge for a view of Mount Fuji from across the lake. However, Tom wanted to take a leisurely stroll around the lake. The walk around Lake Kawaguchiko took us about 2 hours and these were some of the views that we enjoyed…
Speaking of views, there are several ways of capturing Mount Fuji. By itself (meaning no contrast with the land), with land in the fore ground or with lake in the fore ground. At Lake Kawaguchiko, you’ll be able to capture one of those scenic shots of Mount Fuji with a lake in the fore ground via the walking trail around the lake.
During the walk, we also saw some autumn leaves and had some snacks. The green tea ice cream (or ice creams for that matter) around Lake Kawaguchiko ARE BAD/LOUSY/ICY! DO NOT TRY IT! Instead, check out our next post to find out where the best ice cream around Mount Fuji area are…
After our 2 hours walk around Lake Kawaguchiko, we headed to Fujizakura Inn to check in!
One of the highlights of Fujizakura Inn is the unblocked views of Mount Fuji from its carpark. They even have a photo point where Mount Fuji is “properly framed” for a shot!
Next, we checked out our room. Somehow, we were allocated the best room in the house. The top floor, most corner room in Fujizakura Inn with direct views of Mount Fuji!
By now, we started to notice a trend. All the Japanese hotels that we stayed at had 2 things. Yukata (Japanese Cotton Robes) for guests to slip into and feel comfortable in. Also, a bath tub for those long warm baths and soaks. As the fog started to fade, we were treated to a marvellous view of Mount Fuji. At that, we thanked the Lord for His marvelous creation and for allocating this awesome room to us!
Since we had such a full meal at Sanrokuen during lunch, we decided to have something very Japanese for dinner…
Instant Noodles!
At Fujizakura Inn, you’ll be able to get hot water at the lift lobby of each level. Remember to “Unlock” before you dispense the hot water! Since, we’re having instant noodles, we decided to share another cool thing about eat dry noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, you’ll be able to drain completely (and quickly) via these drainage holes!
After enjoying the noodles, we decided to turn in early, while watching some Japanese variety shows. Suddenly, we heard some popping sounds outside. As Singaporeans, we immediately recognize those as sounds from fireworks!
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What a fantastic start to our Japan travels at Mount Fuji/Lake Kawaguchiko! Stay tuned for more of our travels and views of Mount Fuji in our next post!
Related Post
If you have just completed a post from our 12 days of travels in Japan. Find out more about this trip to Japan in the following posts below.
15 Travel Experiences and Things to do in Tokyo Japan!
Top 9 Things to do in Mount Fuji and Kawaguchiko Area!
Top 5 Things to do in Hida Takayama (高山)!
Top 6 Things to do in Nagoya (and food to eat)!
12 Days of Japan Travels: Tokyo Jimbocho and Imperial Palace Gardens Day 1
12 Days of Japan Travels: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Shinjuku Pablo and Shibuya Day 2
12 Days of Japan Travels: Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Sanrokuen and Fujizakura Inn Reviews Day 3
12 Days of Japan Travels: Lake Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center & Sightseeing Bus Tour Day 4
Konansou Mount Fuji Hotel Review (湖南庄) : In-Room Onsen and Meals with views of Mount Fuji!
12 Days of Japan Travels: Lake Saiko Wind Cave, Ide Brewery Mount Fuji and Bus Ride to Takayama Day 5
12 Days of Japan Travels: Takayama Morning Markets Jinya-Mae, Miyagawa and Takayama Hidagyu Day 6
12 Days of Japan Travels: Takayama Hidagyu (Hida Beef) and Bus Ride to Nagoya Day 7
Takayama Hidagyu Beef: All You Need To Know!
12 Days of Japan Travels: Eating our way through Nagoya Day 8
12 Days of Japan Travels: Visit Nagoya Castle and Overnight Bus Ride from Nagoya to Tokyo Day 9
12 Days of Japan Travels: Ichiran Ramen & Kamiya Pub Reviews Day 10
12 days of Japan Travels: Tsukiji Fish Market, Ippudo Ramen & Akihabara Tokyo Day 11
12 days of Japan Travels: Ueno Zoo, Ameyoko Shopping Street & Giga Butadon Day 12
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