Mt. Fuji, 01.05.24

Travelling day today. Destination Mt. Fuji or really the village of Fujikawaguchiko. They have some very cute trains in Japan especially the local ones are often painted with cartoon characters. Why not. Maybe the Japanese have a playful side to their character? With their trains certainly not as serious as the Swiss!

Our train to Mt. Fuji

Another train

Inside of train

It was obvious pretty soon that this train was going to a tourist destination. It was full of them with large luggage pieces and the majority speaking English. Astonishing that so many of them basically never look up from their cell phones missing all the lovely landscape outside. Granted it was rainy and cloudy but still the forests we travelled through were kind of magic. It is tragic! 

We arrived late afternoon in Kawaguchiko railway station. It was chaotic. People everywhere trying to get on buses and trains and taxis. Our hotel was too far away to walk to and besides it was far too wet. We queued for a taxi which arrived in good time. 

Hotel Mizno was the destination and one I did not know what to expect when I made the booking. But it turned out kind of fabulous. It was an art hotel and the reception area, the lounge, the library nooks and the cosy bar were full of artworks. Some of them very good pieces too. The bar was most attractive and not something usually found in Japanese hotels. 

Lounge in hotel

We were on the fourth floor and the room also was more than I expected. It had a large window and a balcony with views over the lake to the township and what would have been Mt. Fuji. Bit Fuji-San was hiding in the clouds.

As our arrival was a bit late, we decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was a surprise in its decor and furniture. Rather chic and fashionable in a European kind of way. We ordered a set meal of shabu shabu, fish for Christine and wagyu beef for myself. There were appetizers first and then they brought a pot over with a dashi broth and all the meat on the side. What can I say. The meat came in three thick slices and rather fatty. Probably just what wagyu should be like. Again an eye opener as to how much meat they eat in Japan! I cooked it and then broke it up into smaller pieces and ate it with rice. I just did not enjoy it. Too fatty, too meaty, too barbaric. I made a mental note to turn vegetarian! 

Christine in Yakutan for warmth!

Shabu Shabu

After the meal I went down to the bar and tried a Japanese whisky which was rather good. Smooth, rather light maybe, caramel flavours and a hint of sweetness. Lovely. The particular whisky I had was made in the northern island of Hokkaido by Nikka Whisky Distilling Company. They won at the World Whisky Awards in Glasgow in 2008 the title best whisky in the world!