Our journey to Mount Fuji involved leaving Kyoto in the early hours of the morning, and getting a combination of four trains(!) to reach there. Worth it, for a look at probably Japan’s most recognisable landmark.

The train journeys weren’t at all that bad. Trains in Japan had been very comfortable and these journeys weren’t any different. Of these, the final train was the most interesting.

The Fujikyu Railway takes you on a short journey from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko, and is itself a quirky little train with two carriages designed in a vintage way.

The scenery is brilliant, and it was on this journey that we were actually able to get our first glimpse of Mount Fuji. Due to the time of year, the view isn’t the greatest with the clouds out, but we did get a glimpse of the top at least!

I think there are a few trains that do this route, and another company’s exterior design beat ours hands down, with its cartoon versions of Mount Fuji all along the outside.

There are actually a few ways and locations to go and see Mount Fuji, including visiting from Hakone, and even a day trip from Tokyo. We stayed in Kawaguchiko, as the views of Mount Fuji are quite good from here, and as it was also our 1st Anniversary today, it’s also where you can find quality places to stay, including at a Ryokan (traditional Japanese-style inn/house), where we opted to stay to relax for a day.

The views of Mount Fuji unfortunately weren’t great during our stay there, but with visibility pretty poor twenty-five days out of thirty during that time of year, it was always going to be hit and miss. Nevertheless, the views of Kawaguchiko Lake and the surrounding areas were pretty cool.

And we got to stay in a pretty cool place!

Dinner at this place was fabulous, with another Kaiseki-style multi-course affair. And we wore the traditional Japanese robes of course!

Although the stay was short, and luck wasn’t completely on our side with the views, we had a great stay and experience in Kawaguchiko. Next was the final destination in Japan, and the most anticipated. Tokyo!