Today was a Mount Fuji day. We had been assured when we arrived at the Hakone Hotel that we could see Mount Fuji from our rooms, but with torrential rain and mist, it stayed resolutely hidden – something which it apparently does much of the time. The next morning though, the elements obliged and the iconic peak of Mount Fuji was visible in the distance poking above the other hills across the lake.
After breakfast we headed off in a coach for a closer look. We headed round to the Mount Fuji 5th Station. This is the highest you can go by road before starting a trek up Mount Fuji and the route started well ….. for 20% of the way. At the 1st station though we were stopped. The weather of the previous day had caused landslides and blocked the road, so it was shut. Back in the bus again …..
The next stop was at the Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre for an exhibition and film about the mountain and a closer view from their rooftop viewing point.
Then we headed round the other side of the mountain for a view from the western side (so far we had seen it from the south, east and north) to get a full set. This view was from Oishi Park.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains” along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. These are mountains which are revered in Japanese culture and considered holy places. It is an active volcano and is 3,776 metres high – the highest mountain in Japan, but its real draw lies in its symmetry. Somehow, it just looks like a volcano should though it was actually formed by three different volcanoes erupting.
So now, we have seen Mount Fuji from all angles and the bus carried on to our hotel in Matsumoto.