In search of Mt. Fuji: Fujiyoshida

 

You've seen this same image countless times on social media. You know you have...

Of all the places we visited on this trip, there was only one I had never been to before. And that singular exception was the city of Fujiyoshida 富士吉田, in Yamanashi Prefecture 山梨県. I can't say with any certainty why I had never gotten around to at least spending a few hours there before, because it isn't a vast distance from Tōkyō 東京. In any event, in the late afternoon of Feb. 12th we arrived by train at Mt Fuji Station 富士山駅 (changed from Fuji-Yoshida Station 富士吉田駅 in 2011 in a bid to attract more money tourists). After dropping off our things at that night's lodgings, I went for a walk around the neighborhood and soon came across the Kanadorii Gate 金鳥居. Though its origins go back to 1788, the current iteration dates from 1956. No matter when it was erected, the gate beautifully frames Mount Fuji:

Finding somewhere open for dinner proved something of a challenge as many shops were closed, but we eventually succeeded in locating an open one in what was once apparently a lively entertainment district in days gone by:

For this night we did not stay in a hotel, inn, minshuku  民宿 or ryokan 旅館, but instead a house. Guest house Fujinoyado Akebono was actually a typically modern Japanese home - the upstairs having two tatami-mat 畳 bedrooms (pictured below), plus a toilet, while on the lower floor there was a living room (also tatami), a dining room, a kitchen, another toilet and the shower/bath. Having stayed in homes like this on a number of occasions, it was all very familiar, but for the girls it was a new experience:

And being a typical Japanese house, there was virtually no insulation to speak of, and a complete lack of central heating, meaning the place was chilly. But each of the main rooms did have an aircon with heating, and the low table in the living room came with a kotatsu 炬燵. Amber adapted quickly, though my long limbs and overall lack of flexibility made sitting at one much more of a challenge than it used to be (same when it came to getting up from the futon 布団 the next morning):

The view from the upstairs bedroom the following morning:

Guest house Fujinoyado Akebono. My name is Kaminoge, and I endorse this accommodation. The welcoming owner may have spoken only limited English, but he was able to explain all the important things to know:

Breakfast had been self-catering, courtesy of a nearby 7-Eleven. So I was still feeling a bit hungry when we got to the train station; fortunately, there was some time to kill before the train to Shimoyoshida 下吉田駅 would depart and there was a MOS Burger モスバーガー in the station:

With our bags safely stowed away in coin lockers at Fujisan-eki, we boarded the Fujikyūkō Line 富士急行線 for the short ride to Shimoyoshida Station. It was another gloriously bright and clear day, the results of which could be seen from the platform immediately after getting off the train:

Our destination was the Chūrei-tō Pagoda 忠霊塔, as it was for everyone else that morning, so we followed the crowd. On the way there was a good view of Mount Fuji 富士山 from a small field:

We soon reached the staircase leading up to the pagoda. It can't be seen from the following photos thanks to my superb cropping and framing skills, but the site was packed with visitors from everywhere, it seemed, but Japan. Although to be fair, this day was a regular weekday, so it was understandable if not too many locals were visiting. Still...:

The pagoda looks and feels historic, but it actually only dates back to 1963, when it was built to honor the souls of those from Fujiyoshida who died in wars from the mid-1800's up to the Second World War (and perhaps, just perhaps, to bring more visitors to the area):

It took some jostling and patience, but the reward is that classic view:

After taking some time to absorb the vista, we slowly made our way back down from the pagoda. Fujiyoshida city felt small in the neighborhood where we stayed the previous night, but from this vantagepoint we could see the sprawl of the nearly 50,000-person burg:

Paying our respects at Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine 新倉富士浅間神社 before returning to Shimoyoshida Station:

The train arrives, but the girls hardly notice. It was a good thing for them that I was along for the ride:

Once back at Fujisan Station, we headed off toward Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine 北口本宮冨士浅間神社, passing by this interestingly-named hair salon as we set out:

Shu-E found this snow-covered home to be charming:

The girls make their way uphill. It was a gentle slope up the road, but the shrine was still 1.9 kilometers/1.2 miles from the train station:

The views of the mountain made up for the effort being expended:

Many localities in Japan are noted for their manhole covers. Fujiyoshida is no exception:

We had lunch at Coco's ココス, an establishment the Japanese call a "family restaurant" ファミリーレストラン, but what in the States we might refer to as a diner, a la Dennys (which also has branches throughout Japan). Japanese cuisine, or Washoku 和食, is celebrated worldwide, but the Japanese take on Western food, Yōshoku 洋食, is also a cuisine worthy of enjoying:

The entrance to Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine:

The approach to the main shrine building 本殿. Notice anything missing? That's right, people. Unlike the Churei-to, this Sengen-jinja had only a small number of visitors (most of them Japanese, to boot), creating an atmosphere more contemplative than circus:

Approaching the honden:

One-half of the pair of Komainu 狛犬 guardian lion statues frequently found in Shintō shrines 神社:

The girls in front of the main shrine building. The kami 神 must have been listening to my prayers for safekeeping, because as I made my back down the steps, a large chunk of snow broke off from the roof and narrowly missed me:

In days of yore, before a paved road was constructed that went halfway up the mountain, those wishing to climb to the summit of Mount Fuji would start their journey here, after paying their respects to the kami:

Before my cardiac system turned on me, I used to contemplate doing the hike the traditional way. At Amber's suggestion, I imagined what it would like setting out on the climb...:

...and returning from the 3776-meter/12,388-foot high summit:

Of all the places we visited on this trip, Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine was my favorite. The buildings, the setting, the calm and the overall atmosphere all worked together in setting up that contemplative mood. For a brief respite, I was at peace with the world and myself:

Amongst the businesses making contributions to the shrine was the Fujiyama Beer Company ふじやまビール株式会社:

Leaving the precincts:

Glancing back at the mountain as we make our way back to Mount Fuji Station:

Passing by a neighborhood Shinto shrine:

Shu-E hadn't yet taken any photos at the Kanadorii, so time was set aside for that:

Our penultimate action before leaving Fujiyoshida was to go up to the sixth-floor roof of the Q-STA キュースタ shopping mall for the view. Off to the west could be seen the Fuji-Q Highland 富士急ハイランド amusement park. I've been there once, way back in the autumn of 1989, where I had the surreal experience of looking at Mt. Fuji while upside down on a roller coaster:

The main draw of the roof, of course, was toward the south, to have one last photo op of Mount Fuji in all her glory:

The last action was buying some Fuji-shaped castella cakes カステラ for our daughter to snack on before boarding the train:

We would spend the night in Machida 町田, a city of nearly 430,000 in Tōkyō Prefecture 東京都 that serves as a major transportation artery, with stations on both the JR and Odakyū 小田急線 Lines. Machida is primarily a bedroom community serving Tokyo and Yokohama 横浜, though the area around the two stations is a lively one, with various department stores, shops and restaurants spilling out onto the surrounding streets. Apparently, the city is also the location for mysterious cattle abductions by extraterrestrial visitors:

For dinner we had Indian food in one of the department stores. While waiting for my meal I pondered our options for the following day's itinerary in Hakone 箱根:

Japan is a treasure trove for vintage clothing, and this store near our hotel had an extensive range of apparel, including some items for those going for that Freddy Kreuger look:

Our stay in Machida would be a brief one. Join us in the next installment as we continue our pursuit of Fujisan in the Hakone region.