Our guide picked us up at 5:30 a.m. We had a full day ahead and wanted to get ahead of the holiday traffic, but there was one thing an early start could not solve: the weather. Clouds were forecast throughout the day, and our guide warned us that our chances of seeing Mount Fuji were slim. With a cyclone affecting the region, the outlook for the following days was no better.

We decided to take our chances. Our guide had planned stops around Fuji and Hakone, each worth visiting in its own right. If the mountain stayed hidden, we would still have a day of lakes, temples, village streets, and volcanic scenery. But we kept watching the sky.

A Glimpse Across Lake Kawaguchi

Our first stop was Lake Kawaguchi, one of the Fuji Five Lakes. On a clear day, it is a favorite place to photograph Mount Fuji, sometimes reflected in the water. That morning, low clouds hung over the lake. Boats cruised across it, while others sat still with people fishing aboard.

We walked along the shore and took photos from several viewpoints. Nearby, Oishi Park was full of seasonal flowers and plants, with birds perched among them. Even without Fuji in the background, it was a lovely place to slow down and look around.

As we prepared to leave, the clouds began to part. For a few minutes, Mount Fuji appeared across the lake.

We reached for our cameras, but I also wanted to take a moment simply to look. After a morning of expecting nothing, that brief glimpse felt like a gift. Then the clouds moved back in.

Taisho-ji Temple and the Climb to Chureito Pagoda

Our next stop was Taisho-ji Temple in Fujiyoshida. After the excitement of seeing Mount Fuji at the lake, the temple gave us a quieter moment to take in the area’s history. Taisho-ji belongs to the Jōdo Shinshū tradition of Pure Land Buddhism and is one of three neighboring temples known as the Arakura Three Temples. Its origins trace back to a small religious retreat centuries ago, while its main hall underwent a major restoration in 2018.

From there, we traveled the short distance to Arakurayama Sengen Park. A red torii gate marks Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, where the climb to Chureito Pagoda begins. The five-story pagoda is a memorial to those who died in war.

The 398 steps gave us our morning workout. At the top, we found the pagoda overlooking Fujiyoshida—and,

once again, Mount Fuji peeking through the clouds. We stayed for a while, taking photographs and absorbing a view we had been told we might never see that day.

Then we made our way back down to meet our guide and continue the journey.

Fuji Above the Ponds of Oshino Hakkai

Our next stop was Oshino Hakkai, a village known for its eight spring ponds.

Water from Mount Fuji filters through layers of volcanic rock before emerging here, so clear that we could watch fish swimming beneath the surface. The springs also have a history as places of purification for pilgrims preparing to climb the mountain.

Then came one of my favorite moments of the day. Mount Fuji appeared behind a thatched-roof building and the pond, creating a scene that seemed almost too perfectly arranged. It lasted only a short while.

Clouds moved back in, followed by rain, but we were grateful to have seen it.

We wandered through the village in the light rain, stopping for a bite to eat and browsing the small shops for souvenirs before setting off on the roughly hour-long drive to Hakone.

Steam, Black Eggs and Lake Ashi

At Togendai Station, we boarded the Hakone Ropeway for Ōwakudani.

As we rose over the mountains, the landscape changed dramatically. Steam billowed from the volcanic valley, yellow sulfur marked the slopes, and the smell in the air reminded us of the hot springs at Yellowstone.

Our guide had hinted that something unusual awaited us there: Ōwakudani’s famous black eggs. Their shells darken as they cook in the area’s hot springs, and local legend says that eating one adds seven years to your life. Naturally, we got in line to try them. We were glad we had Japanese yen with us, since the shops we visited there required cash. With an egg each, we joked that we had just added seven years to our lives.

On the ropeway back to Togendai, we could see Lake Ashi below and a golf course nearby. We found ourselves imagining what it would be like to play a round with those views. Perhaps on our next trip.

A pirate ship-style sightseeing boat was waiting at the port, so we continued across Lake Ashi by water. By then, clouds and light rain had settled over the lake.

From the window, we watched the wooded shoreline pass by and spotted someone fishing from a boat in a raincoat.

In the distance, we also saw the torii gate of Kuzuryū Shrine Hongū and Hakone Shrine’s Heiwa no Torii, the “Gate of Peace,” standing at the water’s edge.

We disembarked at Motohakone-ko, where our guide and driver met us for the return to Tokyo. It was already past 4 p.m.; by the time we reached the hotel, it was nearly 6.

One Last Tokyo Evening

After a long day, we had dinner at KAKO in the JW Marriott Tokyo, enjoying Japanese dishes before heading out once more. 

A friend who had recently visited Tokyo had recommended Shinjuku Golden Gai, so we spent some time exploring its narrow lanes and tiny bars before calling it a night.

The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we walked to Shinagawa Station to board the bullet train to Osaka. We had heard about Japan’s bullet trains since childhood, and now we were finally about to ride one.

Our Mount Fuji day began with almost no expectation of seeing the mountain. Instead, it appeared three times—across the lake, beyond the pagoda, and above the ponds of Oshino Hakkai. Each glimpse was brief, which somehow made each one more memorable.

Next on Triyana Diaries: our first bullet train journey and the Osaka chapter. Subscribe to follow along.