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The last thing we did as a whole group was a day trip to see Mt. Fuji. It is possible to climb Mt. Fuji, however the season is very short, only during the height of summer, so instead we visited one of the Fuji Five Lakes. They are a series of lakes in the area from which you have a nice view of the mountain. Jesse did the planning and we visited lake Yamanakako.
As a fun aside, the name is made of three kanji, 山中湖. The first one (山-yama) means "mountain", the second one (中-naka) means "inside or among" and the last one (湖-ko) means "lake". So the place is literally named "lake in the mountains".
Getting there
Unfortunately Jesse and I don't yet have our international drivers licenses (we didn't realize we should have gotten them before leaving Canada) but Adnan got his so that we could rent a car if needed to get around while out of the city. To save him driving in Tokyo, we took a train an hour away to the smaller city of Takao, where we then rented a car for the remaining hour-ish of highway driving to Yamanakako.
Amphibus
When we arrived in Yamanakako, the plan was to rent bikes to ride around the lake. However, the bicycle rental shops were closed until early afternoon, so in the meantime we went on the hippopotamus themed Kaba Amphibus, which is a bus that can navigate on both land and water. After a short presentation which none of us understood that I think explained the hippo theme, we boarded the bus. A short drive on land to the boat launch later, we splashed into the water and "drove" in a short loop with a lovely view of Mt Fuji.
Overall the view was gorgeous, and while it was great that they provided audio guides they were a little difficult to use and some of our guides didn't work or were staticky. I learned a few things, like the average temperature of the lake is 9 degrees Celsius, and it used to freeze over in the winter.
However I don't know that I would recommend the overall experience. The guide was very enthusiastic and she talked animatedly throughout the entire trip. But since I didn't understand what was being said it just felt like someone was shouting at me through a loud speaker for the entire ride. And she had a hippo puppet that had pre-recorded lines and sometimes those recordings, complete with a background soundscape, were playing while the guide was talking and I found it very overwhelming when I would have loved to just sit quietly and admire the mountain for a few minutes. But 1000% worth it for the view.
Bicycle riding
After the amphibus, at least one of the bicycle shops was open, so we rented bikes. They were far from new, but did the job and off around the lake we went, after a very overdue stop for lunch. Jesse of course got lots of drone shots (I'm sure the rest of the post will be full of them) but this is one of my favourites from just before we split up for the afternoon's cycling.
We ended up riding with Mount Fuji at our backs as we went around the lake, but this had the benefit that each time you glanced over your shoulder or stopped for a break, the mountain's beauty could surprise you over and over again. It was so hard not to stare, and then take a million pictures.
It got cloudy later in the day, but in some ways this was a blessing as it softened the sun setting behind the mountain, so we could keep admiring the view without being blinded.
As we finished the loop around the lake it was getting chilly so Jesse and I found a small dessert and coffee shop to grab a hot drink and dessert. I got a hot chocolate and crème brûlée, but neither Jesse nor I remember what he ordered. All we remember was that everything was very good, and was a lovely was to finish the ride.
For supper we had a stew-type meal from a local restaurant that only had floor seating. This means that there are tatami mats and cushions on the floor for you to sit on while you eat. There was a large group table in the corner that I think had a recessed floor beneath it, so you would be sitting on the floor while being able to stretch your legs. The portions were absolutely ginormous, easily could have been shared by two people. They also included many seasonal veggies, which was lovely. And once we were all quite full we headed back to Tokyo via car and train.
Drone Footage
My personal favorite, the Drone Footage! I stopped a few times to pull out my drone, and got some decent pics and videos. Enjoy!
Mount Fuji Pictures
Around Yamanakako Pictures
A small collection of clips
Finally, here's a collection of scenic, relaxing Drone footage that I took throughout our few hours at Yamanakako. It's not riveting footage, but a nice peaceful view of the lake. Grab a tea or coffee, and enjoy!
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