We traveled from Tokyo for 1 full day exploring the areas around Mount Fuji! Shintō Shrines, Koshikirizuku Lookout, Cherry Blossoms, Local Park Picnic, Shiraito Falls, and Ideboku Farm for Ice Cream.

Getting to Fuji

Though we had some challenges booking the correct lines, we took the Shinkansen. We opted for the 1st class because I’ve had bad experiences in non-air conditioned trains while traveling in summer.

We took the high speed train from Tokyo to meet with our new friend Masaki-san from Fuji Sunrise, our guide that lives in the area and was recommended by Uncle Ken.

We’re so glad we had Masaki-san take us around for the day! He was kind, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun to be with!

Yamamiya Sengen-jinja Shrine

Our first stop was to a World Heritage site: Yamamiya Sengen-jinja Shrine. Here, we learned about Shintō, which is the older indigenous faith of Japan.

This religion which proceeded Buddhism, focuses on kami, the spirits or deities associated with nature, ancestors, and sacred places. Masaki-san said his people practice both, a cultural blend known as shinbutsu-shůgō. We walked through the beautiful trees to a place for offering prayers and rows of standing stones.

This area has a great view of Fujisan, perfect for worship from afar. Fujisan (Mount Fuji), has erupted repeatedly over the years and Mount Fuji is worshipped as a kami within the Shintō tradition. It’s feared and revered.

Koshikirizuku Lookout

We then drove to another spot that tourists usually don’t go to: Koshikirizuku Lookout. Here we put chains on our shoes, grabbed some hiking poles, and took a nice little hike through the snow to an even better view of Mount Fuji. It was beautiful!

Cherry Blossoms!

My wife was especially excited to photograph cherry blossoms blooming, so we asked to be shown some areas with flowers. We found many beautiful spots to take photos and enjoy this incredible time of year!

We had a picnic in a local park, and got to meet Masaki-san’s wife and children. Again, more amazing views of Fujisan.

We drove to see more beautiful flowers and views, and we even got to meet a cute hedgehog!

Shiraito Falls

We then were surprised by an area we didn’t expect to visit. Masaki-san took us to Shiraito Falls. Here we wandered around natural springs that flowed from the rock in the most stunning ways! Spectacular waterfalls! I mean, these were some of the most incredible waterfalls I’ve seen, and we’ve lived in Hawaii for decades! Mind-blowing beauty!

Fresh Mochi

Knowing we’re big fans of fresh mochi, Masaki-san walked us over to an old lady famous for hers. We bought some and were in awe of shops incredible views of the Shiba River and Otodomeno Falls.

Lake Tanuki

We then drove to Lake Tanuki, a beautiful lake with more amazing views of Fujisan. We walked around and enjoyed the serenity of this special place.

Kariyado-no-Gebazakura

Then we were shown the Kariyado-no-Gebazakura, an iconic cherry blossom tree believed to be 800 years old! It was right next to some very old traditional Japanese homes.

Ideboku Farm

We finished our exploration of the area by taking advantage of what is considered to be some of the best dairy in the world. Our ice cream at Ideboku Farm was oiishi to say the least!

Maruten Fuji

Our long fun day ended at Maruten Fuji for delicious local dishes. We said goodbye to our new friend and headed back to Tokyo. Make sure to check out our videos on Tokyo and Niseko in Hokkaido!