Japan: Mount Fuji

If there’s one thing that Japan is famous for it’s Mount Fuji ((You lose points if you were going to say Sony or Toyota.)), which, despite its name, is actually a volcano. That meant that it had to be on the itinerary when on my first trip to Japan.

In order to get the best view I went to Kawaguchiko, which sits between Kawaguchiko lake to its north and Fuji-san to its south. When I first arrived I couldn’t see the mountain as it was covered in mist. I quickly found the lake instead.

October is out of climbing season so I couldn’t very easily get to the top of Mount Fuji, so I decided instead to cycle around the nearby lake.

The last two images show views either side of a busy road bridge that bisects the lake. I’ve seen uglier bridges but I didn’t have a huge urge to take many pictures of it…

The Japanese obsession with cute extends even to the boats, many of which were shaped like furry animals including a panda. I’m not sure how many of those animals are either native to Japan or, more importantly, good in water.

You’ll note that I’ve been talking a lot about the lake and not very much about the mountain I came to see. There’s a reason for that. This is the best view of Mount Fuji that I got the whole time I was in the area.

Not as spectacular as some of the more famous pictures of the area but clear enough that I now believe that there’s a mountain there! Until a few minutes before that I thought the five lakes were on a vast, flat plain…

Almost as a consolation there was a very beautiful sunset. When the lighting can make a supermarket look attractive you know you’re onto a winner.

After Mount Fuji I headed inland to the Japanese Alps, to a city called Matsomoto. That’s what I’ll be writing about next.