Note that this photo is a posed shot. You are supposed to cycling anti-clockwise around the lake! Haha If you are deciding between taking the train to Kawaguchiko or driving, you can check out the car rental prices at https://www.nipponrentacar.co.jp/english/user-guide/reservations.html and train prices at http://www.hyperdia.com/ It depends on whether you’re staying overnight at Kawaguchiko and the number of people travelling. Remember to add toll fees of about ¥4200 one way. We decided to rent a car but forgot about the toll fees so it ended up being more expensive. I’d say if you’re staying for one night and there are at least 3 of you, renting a car is a good option. If there are two of you and you want more freedom to move around (such as going to neighbouring places like Oshino Hakkai, Chureito Pagoda, Yamanakako etc) it is also better to rent a car. You should also be warned that traffic is congested upon leaving and arriving at Tokyo. We parked our car at ou...
After a brief drizzle, the sun came out and we ascended the rope way to be greeted with the splendor of Mount Asahidake. The hotel staff told us the course is 難しくないので、子供もできる (it's not difficult, children can do it too) but I found it rather challenging. Going down the rocky steps can be rather dangerous! The round trip takes one hour if you keep going and do not stop. We had to stop at every viewpoint (there were 5 in total) to ooohh and waaaah and take lots of photos so we took a total of 3 hrs 30 min (we left the hotel at 0830, walked there and returned at 1200). Definitely recommend this place!
The sign in the ropeway station toilet
1st Viewpoint
2nd Viewpoint
3rd Viewpoint
4th Viewpoint
5th Viewpoint
The easier path.
夫婦池 Meoto Ike (Husband and Wife Lakes)
The steaming hot Mount Asahidake
Never too young. If this girl can do it, so can we!
Never too old!
These shoes were sufficient for me. Hiking shoes are not really necessary for this path. Just be careful of the loose rocks and steps.
On the way to Sounkyo, we stopped by the Hokkaido Ice Pavilion to experience what it's like in Hokkaido in Jan and Feb. Here's a video of our fun experience:
We checked into Sounkyo Choyotei. The onsen is quite nice with a variety of tubs like rectangular pool, round porcelain, square wooden and rocks but the meals really need improvement. I had the worst nabe ever in Japan (I've been to Japan more than 10 times and stayed in a variety of accommodations such as ryokan, hotels, pensions). I think they tried to do a fusion nabe of European vegetable and sausage soup but they failed badly. The cast iron pot over charcoal flame looked impressive but don't be deceived, the taste was horrible. I was expecting some fish, pork or wagyu but no, the Japanese waitress put two SAUSAGES and assorted raw vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, carrot, mushrooms) and pre-cooked onions into the soup. I started getting suspicious so I asked her whether sausages are Japanese (of course they are not) to which she replied, no it's German. Ok thanks. The onion soup was way too peppery and the charcoal flame was so slow that the nabe didn't boil at all so the vegetables were not cooked but we were told that they are ready to be eaten. I was so shocked that I forgot to take photos. Will not recommend this ryokan.
（すみません、 日本語があまり上手じゃない。） A 2-hour drive from Yamanakako brought us to Shuzenji onsen, a quiet onsen town that has not been invaded by international tourism so it was really a relaxing time for us. This chateaux relaix brand hotel truly did not disappoint. Service was impeccable from the moment we made the reservation. They emailed to check whether we had any allergies or food we don't eat. Once our car was spotted, a staff came running out and greeted me by name. How they know who I am baffles me (we noticed that there were only 3 other groups of guests after us). We were shown to our room, Akenobo, immediately and served tea and mochi. I am reminded that the mark of a really top notch establishment is that there is no need to stand in line to check in. Once we were settled and refreshed by the tea, we filled in the check in form in the room. No passports were required, unlike in most other establishments. We changed into yukata and hung around the ryokan for a while, taking in th...
Note that this photo is a posed shot. You are supposed to cycling anti-clockwise around the lake! Haha If you are deciding between taking the train to Kawaguchiko or driving, you can check out the car rental prices at https://www.nipponrentacar.co.jp/english/user-guide/reservations.html and train prices at http://www.hyperdia.com/ It depends on whether you’re staying overnight at Kawaguchiko and the number of people travelling. Remember to add toll fees of about ¥4200 one way. We decided to rent a car but forgot about the toll fees so it ended up being more expensive. I’d say if you’re staying for one night and there are at least 3 of you, renting a car is a good option. If there are two of you and you want more freedom to move around (such as going to neighbouring places like Oshino Hakkai, Chureito Pagoda, Yamanakako etc) it is also better to rent a car. You should also be warned that traffic is congested upon leaving and arriving at Tokyo. We parked our car at ou...
A really easy dish to make on a lazy day =) Add whatever you like! Basically, you just need a balanced serving of vegetables and meat/seafood. Ingredients (for 2 pax): 1 small packet (about 200g) of boneless chicken thigh, kurobuta pork belly or seafood such as prawns/squid (cut into bite-sized pieces). 1/4 small cabbage (cut into strips) 1-2 bunches of xiao bai cai or cai xin (cut into 2-inch lengths) 1/2 small carrot (cut into flowers or strips) 3-4 button/shittake mushrooms (sliced) 2 packets of yakisoba noodles with sauce 1 tsp sake (optional, for seasoning) 1 tsp soy sauce (for seasoning) oil for frying Available from cold storage or Japanese supermarkets, the noodles come in a pack of 3, with sauce. Use 1 pack per person (2 packs is enough for 2 adults and 1 kid if the adults are small-eaters). Method: 1) Season chicken/seafood with sake (optional) and soy sauce. 2) Remove noodles from packaging. Put sauce aside. Rinse noodles in tap water and try to loosen as much as p...
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