©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo Why Go? Mt Fuji .........................147 With ancient sanctuaries, hot springs, mountains and Fuji Five lakes ............153 beaches, the region surrounding Tokyo is a natural foil for the dizzying capital. Really, you couldn’t design it any better Nikkō ..........................157 if you tried. gunma Prefecture .... 164 Authentic country ryokan, regional cuisines and cedar- Mito ............................167 lined trails are all within two hours of central Tokyo, as well Takao-san .................. 168 as the symbol of Japan itself, alluring Mt Fuji. There’s his- oku-Tama Region ...... 168 tory here too, including an old medieval capital and ports that were among the first to open to the West. These are, Hakone .......................169 for better or for worse, well-visited places and you’ll find izu Peninsula ..............174 transport and communication to be a comparative breeze. y okohama .................. 184 The Izu Islands and World Heritage–listed Ogasawara, k amakura .................. 190 island chains that trickle some 1000km south from Tokyo, are the exception. Though they’re technically still part of the Narita .........................195 capital, you’ll find many Tokyoites are only vaguely familiar ogasawara with them – so much the better for those looking for total Archipelago ................ 196 escape. Best Onsen When to Go ¨¨Jinata Onsen (p183) Kawaguchi-ko °C/°F Temp inches/mm ¨¨Urami-ga-taki Onsen Rainfall 40/104 16/400 (p184) 30/86 ¨¨Takaragawa Onsen (p166) 12/300 20/68 ¨¨Sai-no-kawara (p164) 8/200 10/50 4/100 0/32 -10/14 0 Best Culture J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Hakone Open-Air Museum (p172) Apr & May Jul & Aug The Sep–Nov Pleas- ¨¨Tōshō-gū (p159) Experience the official season for ant temperatures flush of spring in Mt Fuji climbing and fewer crowds, ¨¨Kairaku-en (p167) the mountains and beach-hop- save when the ¨¨Kenchō-ji (p190) north and west of ping around the autumn leaves Tokyo. i zu Peninsula. blaze red. 147 MT FUJI AREA BUS Frequent keiō Dentetsu (p152) and Fujikyū 富士山周辺 Mt Fuji ( ; Fuji-san; 3776m), Ja- Express (p153) buses (¥1700, one hours and pan’s highest and most famous peak, is obvi- 50 minutes) operate directly to kawaguchi-ko ously this region’s natural draw. In addition Station, and Fujisan Station in Fuji-yoshida, from to climbing Fuji-san, visitors can hunt for the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (% 03- precious views of the sacred volcano, and get 5376-2222). outdoorsy around the Fuji Five Lakes (Fuji Coming from Western Japan, the overnight go-ko) with plenty of camping, hiking and bus departs from osaka’s Higashi-Umeda Sub- lake activities. way Station (¥8500, 10.15pm) via kyoto Station (¥8000, 11.18pm) to kawaguchi-ko Station T¨Tours (arrives 8.32am). M gUiDED ToUR Discover¨Japan¨Tours¨ TRAIN T (www.discover-japan-tours.com/en) Reputable JR Chūō line trains go from Shinjuku to Ōtsuki Fuji & Around Tokyo tour company running guided group tours (tokkyū ¥2980, one hour; futsū ¥1280, 1½ of Mt Fuji from Tokyo (¥10,000 per person hours), where you transfer to the Fuji kyūkō for groups of two or more), specialising in line for Fujisan Station (¥990, 45 minutes) and less frequented routes. Private tours also kawaguchi-ko (¥1110, 50 minutes). available. Fujiyama¨Guides¨ gUiDED ToUR 富士山 (%0555-23-7554; www.fujiyamaguides.com) Mt Fuji Delve into the rich history of the moun- Of all the iconic images of Japan, Mt Fuji tain with a three-day pilgrim tour; price is the real deal. Admiration for the moun- tain appears in Japan’s earliest recorded lit- M To depends on group size (private tour/per T urs person for two ¥116,000/¥61,000). It also erature, dating from the 8th century. Back F offers two-day off-season guided climbs then the now dormant volcano was prone uj of Mt Fuji (June to October, weather per- to spewing smoke, making it all the more i A mitting; private tour/per person for two revered. Mt Fuji continues to captivate both rea ¥65,000/36,000). Japanese and international visitors; in 2012, some 318,000 people climbed it. It’s current- 8 Information ly under consideration to become a World Heritage Listed Site. All of the following have English-speaking staff The Japanese proverb ‘He who climbs and brochures on climbing and sights. Mount Fuji once is a wise man, he who Fuji-Yoshida Tourist Information Center climbs it twice is a fool’ remains as valid as (%0555-22-7000; h9am-5pm) inside Fujisan ever. While reaching the top brings a great (Mt Fuji) Station. Has all the info on climbing, and brochures and maps of the area. sense of achievement (particularly at sun- rise), be aware it’s a grueling climb and one Kawaguchi-ko Tourist Information Center (%0555-72-6700; h8.30am-5.30pm Sun-Fri, that’s not known for its beautiful scenery or until 7pm Sat) At kawaguchi-ko Station, with being at one with nature. It’s often packed maps and brochures. with trekkers, and its barren apocalyptic- Shin-Fuji Station Tourist Information Center looking landscape is worlds away from Fuji’s (%0545-64-2430; h8.45am-5.30pm) on the beauty that’s viewed from afar. 1st floor of the shinkansen (bullet train) station At the summit, the crater has circumfer- in Tokyo. ence of 4km. As expected, views are spectacu- lar, but be prepared for it to be clouded over. 8 Getting¨There¨&¨Away The highest point (3776m) is on the opposite The Mt Fuji area is most easily reached from side of the crater, and there’s a post office if Tokyo by bus or train. The two main towns on you want to send a postcard back home. the north side of the mountain, Fuji-yoshida and Mt¨Fuji¨Climbing¨Guide (www.mountfujigu- kawaguchi-ko, are the principal gateways. it’s ide.com) and Climbing¨ Mt¨ Fuji (www17.plala. also possible to bus in straight from Tokyo to or.jp/climb_fujiyama/index.html) are both excel- the kawaguchi-ko Fifth Station on the mountain lent online resources with all the info climb- during the official climbing season. ers need. The Climbing Mt Fuji brochure, Coming from Western Japan (kyoto, osaka), available at the Fuji-Yoshida Tourist Infor- you can take an overnight bus to kawaguchi-ko. mation Center, is also worth picking up..