Kawaguchiko

Even though we’ve been back in Marin for over a month now, we thought we’d keep sharing the rest of our trip with you!

So, with only a week left in our stay in Japan, we definitely had to visit the area near the famous Mount Fuji. The rural region we decided to stay in is known as the Fuji Five Lakes region because of the five major lakes that ring the volcano on the inland side. It is a very popular Japanese vacation destination due to the combination of scenic lakeside, beautiful mountains, majestic forests and, of course, great views of Mount Fuji. We stayed at Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the bigger lakes. Though known more for cherry blossoms in spring and brightly colored maples in autumn, it was still quite magnificent in the off season! We even got to see the first snow of the year cover the peak of Mount Fuji!

Please enjoy some pictures from our wanderings around Lake Kawaguchiko!

A long, meandering lake, Kawaguchiko is impossible to capture all in one shot.

First snow on Mount Fuji!

Mount Fuji from Ubuyagasaki Shrine

Usagi Jinja (Rabbit Shrine) at the top of Mt. Kachi-Kachi, dedicated to a character in an ancient Japanese moralistic story

The cleansing fountain at Tenjoyamagokoku Shrine

Another local Shinto shrine dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten

The Momiji Corridor is the site of a Fall Maple Festival when the leaves turn color

A relic from the not so distant past

Mount Fuji before the snow

Yep, that's an amusement park with rollercoasters in the foreground

OK - no idea what's going on here....

This Japanese octogenarian made the best Chinese food in his cramped galley kitchen! So much fun to watch him create from our front row seats!

Gotta keep the Sake flowing with this delicious sashimi dinner