There was a break in posts due to some technical difficulties. I'm also looking into the lag in loading photos as well But we should be able to go ahead full speed from now on!
On my previous trip with our family we were unable to see Mt. Fuji due to poor weather conditions. I know you can do a day trip to see Mt. Fuji/Five Lakes region, we decided to stay overnight to ensure that we get an opportunity to see the glorious mountain.
Mt. Fuji is viewable from a whole range of places but we chose Kawaguchiko for our stay as my research told me that it was most developed area in the Fuji Five Lakes region which would be relatively easier for us to carry and store our luggages around.
There was a slight hiccup that occurred the night before. I had planned for us to take the bus from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko Station via the Gotemba Outlets (which is somewhere in between), which only costs ¥1,650. However, about 2 minutes after reserving and paying for our bus tickets, I was reading the terms & conditions of the tickets and found that they had a luggage restriction against ALL BAGS WITH WHEELS....which would meant that our suitcases could not be taken with us on the bus. I instantly refunded the tickets which meants I lost ¥100 per ticket but that was acceptable. The problem was that I had to figure out how we could get to Kawaguchiko the next day to prevent larger loss (note that it was 9:55pm already). Leaving our luggage at our hotel in Tokyo was not an option as we were going straight to Osaka from Kawaguchiko.
Doing some speed searching I found out that we could catch a train to Kawaguchiko but it would cost a lot more. From memory it was over ¥2,000 per person and the trip would take about 3-4 hours on the local train. As our time was limited, I chose to purchase the limited express ticket as well for an extra ¥2,100 per person. This express pass would get us there in just under 2 hours and was the more comfortable way of getting to the area with our luggage. Also, this limited train only runs twice a week AND all seats are reserved so you must get in early.
Here's the catch. The Ueno Station Ticket Reservation place closes at 10pm. I had to be there ASAP to check if there were tickets available on the train, and if not look for alternatives. My biggest fear was that there were no train tickets and the bus wouldn't let us on either. Then all our plans would go to ruins.
So I sprinted to the station (thank goodness we were staying close to the station) and got in just as they were closing up. Luckily they were nice and let me in. But either way this trip ended costing us just under ¥20,000 (there goes our budget...FML). Lesson learnt: do more thorough research next time.
ENOUGH RANTING!!! We still got there smoothly so all good! We were even blessed with a view of Mt Fuji from the train. It would have been better if we were seated on the left hand side of the train as the mountain was mainly visible from the left. Here are some shots from the train.
After arriving at Kawaguchiko Station and being stunned by Mt Fuji for a whole 10 minutes we decided we would go for lunch before calling for the hotel shuttle pickup. Off to lunch we go!
We found a small family restaurant just off the main street. There aren't many big restaurants around except a famous houtou (hotpot) place. Also, pulling a luggage around isn't that convenient either...
The interior of the restaurant really gave off a home-y feel and it really was run by a middle-aged couple. There was only one other couple in the restaurant when we got there just past 1pm.
The menu wasn't small but was very common dishes like ramen, curry, rice bowls etc. We didn't expect anything amazing as we were only looking to fill our stomachs before going to the hotel (from Google Maps, everything looks very isolated and I was afraid that we wouldn't find food near the hotel).
Mum and Dad opted for the daily set lunch, which was fish tempura. I didn't try it but apparently it was surprisingly good. The boss lady was also very observant and told us that it would taste even better with their special sauce.
I opted for the oyako-don as part of my venture to not have the same thing twice during our trip. It was so delicious I just quietly ate my way through the whole bowl without making a comment to avoid sharing with the family....HAHAHAHAHA
Biggest surprise was Jellybao's dish again! This yakisoba was amazing - the flavour was very present and there was so little oil in the dish that we even questioned if it was possible to make the noodle dish without the oil.
I then headed back to the train station to the tourist information desk to call the hotel for a shuttle pickup. The lady at the information was very efficient and promptly called our hotel - Hotel Regina Kawaguchiko. It was not yet check in time but they were still okay with coming down to the station earlier to pick us up even though our room was not yet ready.
We managed to get all the paperwork sorted even though the room was not yet ready. Contrary to the new hotels in Tokyo and Osaka, the hotels here are more vintage (?). They do carry more of the old-fashioned style of doing things -- access to our room was still by key and lock, everything is handwritten and the lifts are old too. But the welcoming feel is still present and the atmosphere is very enjoyable.
We leave our luggage with the front desk (who were actually really nice and brought our luggage to the room whilst we were away) and headed off to see if there was anything in the nearby area - walking back and forth from the station was not an option as it takes 30 minutes one way.
We find a shopping centre down the road and a few restaurants along the way as well. We decide to kill time and Jellybao and I even manage to find a game centre and played on all the claw machines. We only managed to get one toy but it was seriously so fun!
Having fully explored the centre, we headed back to the hotel with a new friend - Minion-san.
We stopped numerous times to take photos with Mt Fuji as the sun was gradually setting. I also managed to capture a dancing chilli sign advertising J-BBQ and sushi train :D
We were given a room on the top floor with mountain views so of course, we had to take more photos with the glorious Mt Fuji! We had to be quick because the sun was setting quickly. Once the sun had fully set, the entire area became entirely pitch black - a very interesting change from the forever blinking lights we saw back in Tokyo.
Our room was also very interesting as it was more like a mini apartment with no kitchen. Each side of the room had it's own balcony that faced Mt. Fuji. As I said before, the hotel was quite old-fashioned - serious Tasmanian vibes!
We decided to head back to the shopping centre for dinner as the only restaurant in the hotel was quite expensive and reservations were necessary. We saw a Sukiya in the carpark for the shopping centre. Haven't yet had gyu-don yet, we excitedly headed out in the darkness.
I opted for the classic gyu-don set with oden. At first I was just going to get the rice bowl by itself, but it was like why not? I haven't had oden yet. Taste was satisfying, especially in the cold. However, I do think Yoshinoya is more rich in flavour. Sukiya does run a close second though.
No prizes for guessing who ordered fish! It was done well, as in line with our expectations. Really loved the broccoli in the salad though! Haven't had veggies in so long!
Jellybao satisfied her Korean food cravings with additional kimchi to her beef bowl. Side note: POTATO SALAD IS THE BEST!!!
Dad got the bowl with a whole bunch of spring onions. Didn't get to try but I think it must've been amazing!
This warm meal concluded our night and we headed back to the hotel, where I planned out our activities for the next day and how we would be going back to Osaka! This area is really good for relaxing, but if you're interested in the night life then good luck, there really isn't any. The only thing that is open 24 hours is Sukiya and a supermarket...
See you guys in the next post~
I then headed back to the train station to the tourist information desk to call the hotel for a shuttle pickup. The lady at the information was very efficient and promptly called our hotel - Hotel Regina Kawaguchiko. It was not yet check in time but they were still okay with coming down to the station earlier to pick us up even though our room was not yet ready.
We leave our luggage with the front desk (who were actually really nice and brought our luggage to the room whilst we were away) and headed off to see if there was anything in the nearby area - walking back and forth from the station was not an option as it takes 30 minutes one way.
We find a shopping centre down the road and a few restaurants along the way as well. We decide to kill time and Jellybao and I even manage to find a game centre and played on all the claw machines. We only managed to get one toy but it was seriously so fun!
We were given a room on the top floor with mountain views so of course, we had to take more photos with the glorious Mt Fuji! We had to be quick because the sun was setting quickly. Once the sun had fully set, the entire area became entirely pitch black - a very interesting change from the forever blinking lights we saw back in Tokyo.
This warm meal concluded our night and we headed back to the hotel, where I planned out our activities for the next day and how we would be going back to Osaka! This area is really good for relaxing, but if you're interested in the night life then good luck, there really isn't any. The only thing that is open 24 hours is Sukiya and a supermarket...
See you guys in the next post~
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