Exploring the Five Lakes region of Mt. Fuji.

Thanksgiving weekend found us on our third ITT tour.  This time to Fujigoko or the Five Lakes region at the northern base of Mt. Fuji.   The five lakes are Lake Yamanakako, Lake Kawaguchiko, Lake Saiko, Lake Shojiko, and Lake Motosuko.

It was a fairly long bus ride to the opposite side of Mt. Fuji, about 3 hours.  It's a big mountain.  Here's a shot from the bus, about half way to our destination.  It really is a gorgeous mountain.

The first stop on our tour was to the Shiraito Waterfalls.  It was a short walk to the falls with Mt. Fuji in the background.  Can't beat that.  I am hoping to return during the spring one year to see the Falls while the cherry blossoms are in bloom and also to take more photos after I improve my photography skills.

The walk from the bus parking to the falls wasn't that far but there were some decent stairs to climb.  However, it's worth it when you see the view.

On this trip we also had company. We welcomed the Marshall family to Yokota AB at the ending of October.  That last time we were able to see them was when Doug was still stationed at Shaw AFB, SC.  "A" was 1 1/2 years old.  It's great to be stationed here with old friends and "A" will have their daughter as a playmate.

After the waterfalls, we headed to Mt. Fuji View hotel for a lunch buffet.  The hotel is located in the Fuji five lake region.  Here is one gorgeous shot of the surrounding lakes from the observatory of the hotel.

The opposite view shows you Mt. Fuji.  This is a typical shot of Fuji hiding behind a haze.  If it's not haze it's heavy cloud cover.

After a great lunch, our last stop was to the Oshino Village, a small little village that boasts some of the purest spring water fed from the snowy slopes of Fuji. The ponds are so clear and the water very cold.  You can test your cold threshold by holding your hand into a stream of water.

It was a cute little village that had old fashioned thatched roof buildings that housed modern day tourist shops and eateries.  It was the first time I got to try Kusa (grass) mochi.  I have always loved sweet mochi but the freshly pounded, then lightly grilled Kusa Mochi was pure heaven.  Yet another reason for me to return to this area.

In all, it was another great trip.  We loved getting away from the Tokyo metropolis and seeing the beautiful countryside.  Until the next adventure.