Hidden gems of Mt. Fuji guided by travel experts【JAPAN TRAVEL】

Hidden gems of Mt. Fuji guided by travel experts【JAPAN TRAVEL】

Good morning, I’m Atsuko, currently at Kawagoe Station. Let’s go to Mt. Fuji using the Kawagoe route today!😉 The reason why I’m using this route is because all the buses departing from Tokyo area are full😅 Departure time from Kawagoe is 7:15 a.m.

If you’re unable to book seats on a bus from the Tokyo area to Mt Fuji, please check the availability of buses departing from regional cities. There might be vacant seats. Now it’s time to go! We will arrive at Kawaguchiko, the gateway to Mt. Fuji, at 9:05.

The bus seats were half empty! Lucky us. Let’s stretch our legs! Wow, we can already see Mt. Fuji in the distance. Lovely weather! It’s a perfect day to visit Mt. Fuji.😍 Good morning, Mt. Fuji! You look stunning as always.

By the way, if you’re taking a bus to Mt. Fuji via the Chuo Expressway, sitting on the left side will give you a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji. Kawaguchiko is just a short drive away once you get off the highway.

Oh, here’s a popular spot on social media where you can capture photos of convenience stores with Mt. Fuji in the background. We arrived at Kawaguchiko Station, which is as crowded as Shinjuku Station!🤣 Now, let’s take the next bus, the Green Line Bus, heading toward Lake Saiko!

There’s a beautiful trekking course near Lake Saiko! What’s more, the place is not crowded!😁 Is this the correct location for the Green Line bus stop? There’s a bus stop sign here too, right? Ah, here comes the Green Line bus. It looks like an attendant will be guiding us.

Let’s go! This Green Line bus goes to Lake Saiko via Lake Kawaguchiko. Wow, it’s cute! This is Lake Kawaguchiko. There are five lakes around Mt. Fuji, and this is the second-largest lake. This is Lake Saiko. Originally, there was a large lake called Seno-umi here.

However, due to the lava flow from the eruption of Mt. Fuji in 864, a significant portion of it was buried. The remaining unfilled portions became Lake Saiko and Lake Shojiko Now let’s get off at the Saiko Bat Cave. Oh, I was the only one who got off.😲

You can get a map of the trek at the building behind the bus stop. Be sure to get a map, as Google Maps will not help you on the trekking route you are about to take!😉 This is Aokigahara Jukai forest, a place known as a suicide forest.

It may sound like a bad image, but in fact, it is one of the most beautiful trekking courses in Japan. By the way, have you noticed anything about the trees? The trees in this forest are very thin. That’s because this forest has grown on top of lava.

In the eruption of Mt. Fuji in 864, this area was engulfed by a lava flow. Even now, there’s just a thin layer of soil above the lava, so large trees will fall over. To survive in this harsh environment, the trees diligently spread their roots horizontally to support themselves.

Wow, this tree is thick! Don’t fall over and live long! There are many cavities in the lava and holes everywhere along the trail. Actually, there are many caves in this forest! We have to be careful not to fall into the holes.

Wow, big hole, I wonder if there are any treasures hidden in it?🤩 When walking in this forest, be sure to walk along the trekking road. There are holes everywhere, and you may find something you don’t want to see!😅 Also, they say the compass is useless in this forest because of the lava…

Except for my compass.🤣It points exactly to the north. This forest is also a beautiful moss forest. Due to its high permeability, lava cannot retain rainwater. Therefore, trees rely on the water-retaining capacity of moss for their growth. Don’t you think it looks like the forest in Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke?

When you are trekking, check the numbers on the signs carefully. They are linked to the numbers on the trekking map. Oh, cute little Japanese maple tree. Beautiful😍 Good luck and grow up! Despite the challenging conditions for tree growth, this forest overflows with vitality and life. Hi😉 Mushroom-san🍄

Wow, a tree is growing on a stone board! This tree was bent once, but it is growing upward! 😲 To reach the shore of Lake Saiko, turn right here. This trekking road can also be accessed from Fugaku Fuketsu (Wind Cave) and Ryugu Doketsu (Lava Cave).

Walking through this vibrant forest, I feel like I gained energy and vitality as well. I hope you can experience this beautiful forest as well. If you ever have the opportunity, please come and visit. Number 22? I was trying to reach number 32.😨

Oh, thank goodness! The sign says number 32, It seems the number on that sign has nothing to do with the number on the map. Now, let’s walk along the Lake Saiko from here! Wow, I can see the lake now! amazing! Wow, so beautiful 😍And when you turn around…

Beautiful Mt. Fuji is right in front of us! They say that around here is the end of the lava flow. The types of plants growing here are different. We have arrived at Nenba Hama. Here, you can enjoy a stunning view of Mt. Fuji and the Aokigahara forest.

Fuji-san, your snow cap looks good on you😘 It’s surprising that the lava flowed all the way from Mt. Fuji, visible in the distance, to fill this lake. If you want to see Mt. Fuji at Lake Saiko, I recommend this Nenba Hama😉Hama means beach in Japanese!

If you go to this Nenba Hama by bus, please get off at No. 53 Nenba Entrance. There is a restroom near this Nenba-hama, which is very convenient, and the Japanese maple next to the restroom is beautiful! Next, let’s go to the place where you can enjoy the traditional Japanese scenery!

Nenba was once known as Japan’s most beautiful thatched-roof village. However, most of the buildings collapsed due to the typhoon disaster in 1966😢 Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba is a museum that reconstructed 20 thatched houses in the same place where the village used to be. Admission is 500 yen (≒$3.37)

Aren’t you hungry after walking so much? I’m starving Delicious-looking persimmons Let’s go to a restaurant first. This is a restaurant called Satoyama, where you can enjoy Yamanashi Prefecture’s local dish, Houtou Houtou 990 yen (≒$6.68) It looks delicious, but the size is small!😢

Soft-cooked pumpkin, fried tofu, and Shimeji mushrooms—Houtou is a nutrition-packed dish with a variety of ingredients The flat noodles are a distinctive feature of Houtou It’s delicious and warms the body Thank you very much for the meal. Next time, I’ll order the Houtou with tempura!!

Wow, I feel like I’ve entered the world of Japanese folktales! This thatched roof, known as Kabuto-Zukuri, is made from grass like Japanese pampas grass (Susuki). You can see the back side of the thatched roof in this house. These windmills are made of origami.

The hearth’s smoke dried and preserved the thatch, preventing rot and repelling insects. The weakness of thatched roofs is that they burn easily. This is a fire watchtower to warn people of a fire. Oh, that is Katsushika Hokusai’s famous Ukiyoe. Red Fuji. Amazingly, it is made of origami helmets!

This is Miharashiya. You can climb to the second floor. Let’s go and check it out!😁 Wow, it’s amazing. This is definitely one of the must-visit places in the museum. By the way, I heard that thatched roofs last between 15 to 30 years, but is it time to replace this roof?

Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba was a truly lovely place. There are some stunning weeping cherry trees, so I think I’d like to visit in spring next time The bus is supposed to arrive at 3:10 p.m., but it hasn’t arrived yet! The bus finally arrived! It arrived 7 minutes late!

I was planning to take a train from Kawaguchiko station to another station, but I wondered if I could get to the station on time. Unfortunately, the bus arrived at Kawaguchiko station more than 20 minutes late! Anyway, let’s escape from the crowded Kawaguchiko🤣

The train platform is also crowded with people. I wonder if I can find a seat. Oh, it’s the Fuji Excursion train! Here comes the Naruto train! Lucky🥰 And I was lucky enough to get a seat! Arrived at Mt. Fuji station, the second stop from Kawaguchiko station!

There’s an observation deck on the 6th floor of this station building where you can get a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji. However, I’m sorry, I’m quite hungry, so let me go to the restaurant instead of the observation deck.😅 This is Yoshida’s Udon Togawa.😁Yes, another udon restaurant🤣

You can add as many toppings as you like! This is Tenkasu, which makes the soup taste richer! This is ginger miso! Looks delicious! Let’s try😋 This is ground sesame. It’s good for your health, so I have to add it. Fuji-san Udon, served with Mt. Fuji tempura😋 840 yen (≒$5.66).

Yoshida’s udon has many toppings. I’d like to mix the noodles with the ingredients, but it looks like it will spill!😅 The Mt. Fuji tempura is incredibly crispy and delicious🥰 It is said that Yoshida’s udon is the hardest noodle in Japan! They are thick and very satisfying!

The seasoned egg has a rich flavor all the way through, and it’s incredibly delicious. Yoshida’s udon seems to use horse meat, but this restaurant uses pork! Thank you for the meal, I’m full😘 On the way back, I was lucky enough to book a bus to Ikebukuro!

The bus will go to Ikebukuro via Kawaguchiko Station. Thank you for watching until the end! If you like the Atsuko tour, please subscribe to my channel, hit the like button, and leave a comment 😘 If you do so, I’ll be delighted and erupt with joy.🥰

I post videos that are useful for your travels in Japan, so please check them out when you have the chance. Where shall we go together next? Please look forward to my next video. 🤗Until then have a lovely day and stay safe😁

Are you thinking about a trip to Mount Fuji? In this video, I introduce lovely places, some of which are not well-known, where you can experience the Studio Ghibli world around Mount Fuji. I also share a few tips on how to handle situations when you can’t book a bus to Mount Fuji and ways to avoid crowds

🌳About trekking in Aokigahara Jukai🌳
Wild bears and deer are living in this beautiful forest, so please be in at least a group of two people when trekking!
When walking through the forest, always stay on the designated trekking paths. The moss growing on non-designated paths weakens when stepped on. Additionally, the Aokigahara forest is designated as a natural monument and a specially protected area. Please keep in mind that damaging forest plants or taking lava home can result in legal consequences.

🚃About Kawaguchiko Station🚃
Kawaguchiko Station is the gateway to Mt. Fuji sightseeing, so it is very crowded, and the restaurants in the area are also quite busy.
If the bus you plan to use stops at Mount Fuji Station, it might be less crowded than Kawaguchiko. Boarding the bus from Mount Fuji Station could be a recommended option.

⬇︎💖I’d be delighted if you could subscribe to my channel.🥰
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjwOvl9p3yKobjBCKPmv-lg

★★PlayList★★
🍁Autumn Travel

🗻For Nature Lovers

🚌Bus Travel

#mtfuji #mountfuji #fuji #fujisan #kawaguchiko #lakesaiko #aokigaharajukai #aokigahara #suicideforest #worldheritage #studioghibli #ghibuli #princessmononoke #trekking #trekkingvlogs
#japantravel #japantravelguide #japanesefood #udon

⌚Time Stamp
00:00 Introduction
00:38 Kawagoe Station
02:52 Kawaguchiko Station
04:50 Aokigahara Jukai forest
10:44 Nenba Hama
12:57 Restaurant Satoyama
14:01 Saiko Iyashinosato Nenba
17:04 Kawaguchiko Station
17:58 Mount Fuji Station

🚌 Omiya,Kawagoe,Ikebukuro⇔Kawaguchiko Bus Timetable
https://www.seibubus.co.jp/sp/kousoku/line/line_kawaguchiko.html

🚌Highway bus reservation
https://secure.j-bus.co.jp/hon
https://japanbusonline.com/en

🚌Buses for Lake Saiko-area Green Line
https://kawaguchiko.net/greenline_bus/

🚌Kawaguchiko, Lake Nishiko, Lake Motosuko area 2DAYPASS
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/%E4%B9%97%E6%8F%9B%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85/id299490481

🚶‍♀️ Lake Saikoko Nature Center
https://fujisan.ne.jp/pages/363/

🗺Trekking course guide
https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/kokuritsukoen/jp/miryoku/hiking/course3.html

🏡Saiko Iyashiosato Nenba

トップページ

🏡Saiko Iyashiosato Nenba discount ticket

インターネット割引

🍴Restaurant Satoyama

食事処 里山

🍴Yoshida Udon Noodles Togawa
https://fujiyoshida.net/gourmet/119
https://tabelog.com/yamanashi/A1903/A190301/19008461/

🗻Fujiyama Station Shopping Center Q-STA
http://www.q-sta.jp/index.html

📸Picture quotes
https://www.ghibli.jp/info/013772/

🎵Music
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/my-peace-i-leave-you
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/you-and-your-smile
https://uppbeat.io/t/paint-the-skies/lost-and-found
https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/effulgence
https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/running-fields
https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/autumn-waltz
https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlight
https://dova-s.jp/bgm/play16669.html