Mount Fuji, Japan 🇯🇵 2024

Date: 19th October 2024

Travelled: Yokohama to Shizuoka  

Visited: Mount Fuji  

Stayed: Hatago Inn, Shizuoka  

Budget: 21 days @ $XX per day

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We manage an early walk before breakfast. Then the usual Japanese breakfast with one exception, bacon. A nice change from the breakfast sausage which is closer to a little boy or frankfurter. As I’m looking at the bacon I notice bread and a toaster so it certainly a morning of firsts.

Back on the bus once again our goal today is Mount Fuji.

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Fuji is an active volcano and Japan’s highest summit at 3776 metres. It last erupted in 1708. Located in the Fuji-Hakone-Uzi National Park, about 100 kilometres from Tokyo.

The traffic is bad as usual escaping Yokohama but we eventually get a move on. Some of the best views of Fuji are actually from the bus nearing the National Park. Once we enter the park it’s still another 20 minute drive and the views of Fuji are obscured by trees.

I won’t go into the various stations on the way but vehicles cannot go beyond station 5. There is a large carpark and a couple of large chalet style restaurants (pictured below). Serena makes her recommendation and like lemmings we follow.

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The crumbed pork fillet and volcano of rice is the house specialty. It comes with a curry sauce, it was surprisingly good. One was left wondering just how good this could have been with a wicked pepper sauce like they dish up at Swagman Hotel in Roma, Queensland.

The weather is passing very quickly, not rain but misty cloud. The best picture I could get of Fuji from station 5 appears below. The top of the volcano shrouded in cloud. I did manage a picture of the horses for rent and the shrine to walkers who attempt the climb on from here.

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There are some fabulous views of the countryside but the cloud moves so fast managing a photo is fluid. Stood up on a large rock to try for a better photo and a gust of wind almost blew me away.

As we made our way up Fuji we could see the autumn colours starting but at station 5 level the trees have turned and the colours very impressive. Serena tells us the first snow was last week explaining the brighter colour up here.

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Back on the bus once again it’s a long drive to Shizuoka, Arriving at the Hotel we just have time to go to the supermarket next door for a takeaway of this and that before dark. Dark is 5.30 so the days are shortening here.

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Michael + Pam