Tokyo | Kyoto | Nara | Nihon | Mt Fuji | Hakone | Nikko
As the Japanese say – “A wise man climbs Fuji once, and a fool twice.” I didn’t even try to be part of either one. But yes, Fujisan is definitely a must-visit place in Japan.
Mt Fuji, known to be Japan’s highest mountain peak, is also one of the most active Volcanoes in Japan. The temperature in winter goes as low as -40 degrees at the top. The other way to witness this beauty, if you do not wish to hike on foot, is to go to Mt. Fuji 5th station, which is easily accessible via road/train. If you are lucky, it is also visible while traveling here. But on most days, it is very cloudy and is not visible from a distance.
I was lucky to see this from a distance while going to this place. We went here around Christmas-New Year time, which is an off-season for climbing, and usually, it gets quite cold. I love traveling during the off seasons; it not only is less crowded, but it also gives some privileges on many things like special treatment, good deals on hotels, etc. I have been fortunate never to miss anything – be it missing a spot due to closure, bad weather, etc.
We started our journey to Mt Fuji from a pickup point of the Hato Bus terminal, which was near our Hotel in Tokyo, and then further proceeded to another Bus Terminal, Hamamatsucho, which was the main starting point. It took roughly 2hrs to reach the first stop – Fujisan World Heritage Centre, which is a research center cum museum. The view of Mt Fuji from its observatory on the first floor was spectacular. The snow-capped top was clearly visible, and the warm sunlight here was such a relief from the cold weather.
My next stop was the 3rd station of Mt. Fuji, as the 5th station was closed due to heavy snowfall. The view from this point was very nice. Fujisan was looking giant from here.
There are no specific activities other than hiking on foot to reach the top and see sunrise or sunset. And I certainly didn’t miss going to the fifth station, as my only objective was to see the active volcano mountain.
The half-day ‘Mt Fuji Tour’ ended with an amazing Japanese lunch. There could not have been a better ending to this tour. The food was delicious. Being a vegetarian, I was a little worried about what I would get to eat. But the food and the hospitality amazed me. Japan is a heaven for non-vegetarians. You get so much variety to eat and enjoy.
Fujisan is absolutely a must-go place if you are in Japan.