Fuji Lakes, Lisa Burke Simon

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Lisa

This was our busy day wandering Fuji’s five lakes!

After a pre-breakfast walk around Lake Kawaguchiko, we headed over to Chureito Pagoda. Climbing uphill, we saw not only the terrific pagoda but also the magic rabbit. When one rubs the rabbit, one prays for wisdom, cleverness, and strong legs. I’m not sure how successful the rabbit’s spirit is, but I reached out to it – just in case!

Next, we rode the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, seeing a slight bit of Mt. Fuji through the clouds.

Exploring the various lakes in search of better views of Mt. Fuji, we ultimately walked around the thatched houses, small craft shops, and scenic views of Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba. While at the top of the hill, we noticed the ghostly view of, yes!, Mt. Fuji!

More driving, more lakes, more fall colors…not much more of Mt. Fuji!

For dinner, we ended up at a little local place walking distance from our hotel where we had a delicious meal and great conversation with a couple from Australia and their very sweet nine-month old girl. I, no surprise, went into “nana mode” and held the baby so her parents could eat. 😊

The gazebo at our hotel, Fuji View Hotel

Lake Kawaguchiko

Chureito Pagoda

The Magic Rabbit

Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba

Fixing a thatched roof at Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba

Can you see Mt. Fuji in the background?

Autumn!

Fuji Lakes: Hakone

Posted on October 22, 2026 by Lisa

For more freedom and flexibility, we decided to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Odawara Station and rent a car for a couple of days. On the train, I glimpsed Mt. Fuji for, what it turned out to be, my best view of this iconic mountain.

Kayla, who as a Brit is used to driving on the left, was our designated driver. She drove like a champ to gorgeous Hakone shrine, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Open-Air Museum. The shrine was busy with people posing for multiple shots with no regard to the many people waiting for their chance to capture the moment, something we discovered at many photo opportunity locations. The lake, however, was beautiful! Autumn colors began painting the scene. Furthermore, the outdoor sculptures at the open-air museum delighted my creative and photographer senses!

After the Hakone Open-Air Museum, we followed the long and slow line of cars up to Owakudani for views of Fuji and the volcanic landscape, reminiscent of Iceland’s interior. At one point, the clouds cleared enough that we could kinda sorta see the tip of Mt. Fuji!

At our hotel, we enjoyed the onsen, our first public bath experience. There, I learned how to shower sitting down, tie up my hair, and soak in the various hot baths. This hotel, too, had the wine vending machine, so we of course had to try it!