Lake Kawaguchiko

24th July, 2007

We caught a bus from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko which is one of the ‘Fuji Five Lakes’ where you can see Mt Fuji. I have been dying to see Mt Fuji since I got here and now I was finally able to see it. Once we dropped off all our luggage we headed to the Lake. It was very beautiful and was surrounded by many mountains. Once we went for a bit of a wander we caught a bus up to the 5th Station to get a better view of Mount Fuji.


It was fantastic up there. This is the place where people begin their hikes up the mountain.



It is said to take 10 hours up and back. We managed to hike between the 6th and 7th stations. The whole mountain is 3776m high and the 6th station is 2390m high.We were not prepared to do the hike at all as we were not wearing suitable shoes or clothing and so we had to stop here and go back. It was a very hot day today and when we began the mountain climb it got colder the higher you went up. We were so high up that it felt like we were in the clouds. You definitely need good shoes and warm clothes. Seeing many people climb the mountain and hearing their stories made me want to climb the mountain right to the top. If I get a chance to climb it I will definitely give it a go!! By the time we came back down it was quite late so we went to Lawsons (a convenience store) and bought a variety of dishes to share. We were staying in a Japanese style room with tatami mats and futons to sleep on. We ate around a table sitting on cushions. t sure was an experience especially when the showers were communal (I didn’t realise that when I booked it). It was just like “Big Brother” where everyone showers together. Mum and Dad really are getting a taste of the Japanese ways.