Now that we are a couple of posts into Japan, full disclosure, I was responsible for the planning of this part of the trip. For the most part, Melissa has been the driving force behind the reservations and transportation but she wanted me to take the reins on Japan.*
From Kanazawa we headed back across the country, through Tokyo and out to Fujiyoshida. At least, I thought we were heading to Fujiyoshida. As it turned out, that is not where our Airbnb place was. We were in contact with one of our hosts, Yuri, and she directed us to the station where she would pick us up. This was a good thing because their place was well out of the way of everything. We are used to taking public transit everywhere but it would not have happened here.
From the moment we met her to the time when we left, Google Translate was a constant third party. We spoke English and Yuri spoke Japanese and Google Translate managed the part where we found out what the other person was saying. I can only imagine that some of what we said was reimagined by Google.
Yuri and her husband 弦間正だよ (sorry, we don't have an English translation) made us dinner that night, explaining that it was part of their hosting arrangement. Subsequent meals would be 600 yen each, which is a screaming deal. They asked us what our schedule was for the area and, because of my excellent planning skills, we had none. They then begin to enumerate the things we could do in the area around Mt. Fuji.
Their suggestions were really great - biking around a lake, hiking up a mountain, seeing some temples - but we had no idea how we would do any of that from the house. Fortunately, I have amazing travel luck. I usually just trust that things will work out. Melissa seems to have poor travel luck so, sometimes it balances out.**
Anyway, we say that biking around the lake sounds great but we don't know how to get there. They tell us not to worry about a thing.
“Will dropping you at the bike rental place at 10 work?” they ask.
“Um, sure.”
“Great! We will pick you up at 17:00. You should be able to ride around the lake and the bike place closes around then. Let us circle some places you should visit on this map. Would you like the bath prepared for when you get back?”
“That sounds amazing.”
“Ok. It's a super hot soaking tub and you will feel great when you finish. How about dinner? Any plans?”
“Uh, no, not really.”
“Please allow us to make you an awesome traditional Japanese feast.”
“Yes please. You are amazing hosts and wonderful people. Arigatou.”
This was basically the interaction we had with them each day. Figuring out what we wanted to do and them helping to make it happen. They are super hosts of the highest order!***
The mountain was out at the beginning of our ride but hid for the rest of the day shortly after this.
We were dropped of at the rental place as promised and rode around Lake Kawaguchiko at the base of Mt. Fuji, occasionally stopping to take pictures and visiting a few interesting places along the way. First up was the Kawaguchiko Muse Museum featuring the work of Yuki Atae.
Yuki Atae is a world renowned doll maker and his work is really amazing. Each doll is about 7 to 10 inches tall and each one sits or stands balanced unaided. They are beautifully hand crafted, painted, and clothed. There is a softness and a serenity to them that is hard to describe. Some are arranged together in a scene, some sit alone. They are playful and funny and serious and we had the entire museum to ourselves.
There were several videos about the artist playing in the museum. In one video, it shows how he meticulously hand crafts each doll. Usually, he begins work on a doll late at night and then will not stop working on it until it is finished. At the end of that process, if he is not satisfied with his work, he smashes the doll to pieces. He then starts over on a new doll.
This is a much, much larger version of some of the dolls Yuki Atae created.
On the other side of the lake, we visited the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum. This museum is home to the incredible kimono work of Itchiku Kubota. In this, his former workspace, he dedicated the last 30 years of his life to re-discovering and recreating the long lost 16th century technique of kimono dying called Tsujigahana. He combined this technique with his own vision to create the “Itchiku Tsujigahana technique.” It was a very unique and satisfying museum experience. The craftsmanship and execution of textile dying was mind blowing in it’s complexity. His collection - Symphony of Light - is a sight to behold. It's simple premise was to show "the grandeur of the Universe.”
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside either of these museums. Sorry!
This is not a kimono. It is outside the museum, the design of which was partially inspired by Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.
The next day, we took another suggestion from our super hosts and went to a mountainside park filled with waterfalls. Now, it's not like these places are ten minutes from their house. This is a good forty minutes from them. He dropped us off and said he would be back to pick us up. Good people!
When we started walking, there was a sign at the beginning of the trail. Melissa snapped a Google Translate pic. This is what the sign at the trailhead in Yamanashi-shi in the Nishizawa Valley said:
"Forest therapy walking. Sedation of the brain activity."
I guess it was time to sedate our brains and walk in the forest.
It was a beautiful day for a walk so there were some other people on the trail. Several times during the day, we were passed by groups of much older people.**** Evidently we walk slow. Probably because the waterfalls were stunning. One after the other all the way up the mountain, just fantastic sights and sounds. Brains fully sedated, we headed back to home base, stopped by the gardens where our hosts used to work, and then grabbed some booze. It was time to get drunk with our new friends.
We laughed and thought this sign was warning of angry cheeto spitting triangles.
Sedating the brain some more.
Yuri and her husband used to work at this beautiful garden. One night over dinner, Yuri and Google Translate told us she hates flowers. Herbs are ok, plants you can eat, ok. Flowers, no.
It's a bit hazy but, as dinner went on, more and more alcohol was introduced including whiskey, shochu, brandy, sake, and several types of wine. Japanese television shows are amazing though. We remember that much.
Dinner party! The last night with our amazing hosts. We had such a great time!
We were not sure what was happening here exactly. I think it is a popular Japanese metal band. During many programs, peoples faces would pop up in little picture-in-picture windows (like the one in the top right) but I don't know why.
After another evening of delicious food - this time home made tempura! - we make plans to spend the day together seeing more sights around Mount Fuji. Luckily, we had already packed that evening and we were ready to get up and go the next day, our last in Fuefuki. This time, Yuri and her husband would be going out with us. They took us first to a temple that overlooks the valley to the northeast of Mount Fuji.
After viewing the mountain and temple we travelled to a small tourist village called Oshino Hakkai. There are a series of ponds in the village and it is renowned for its extremely fresh spring water. One pond is over eight meters deep and filled with the biggest carp I have ever seen.
Before driving us all the way across town again, to take us to the other train station because it will be cheaper to get to Tokyo, we stop at a sushi restaurant and stuff our faces. They wanted to continue our adventure together and go sing karaoke (one of my favorite things!) but we had a few hours of travel back to Tokyo so we had to call it a day.
Stuffed with delicious food and full of forest therapy, we sadly say goodbye to our amazing super hosts and make way for the train to Tokyo. We asked them to drop us at the closest rail station, about fifteen minutes from where we were, but they insisted on taking us to the better station with the cheaper train. This took us back past their house and another forty minutes out of the way. One last, amazing gesture from our hosts! We are very thankful to have stayed with such great people.
We boarded the train and proceeded directly to the heart of the main event - Tokyo!
*Melissa planned the entire first seven months of the trip. Since Ryan was so into Japan, Melissa thought "Great! You plan this part!"
**Melissa's travel luck = three hour flight delays for broken airplanes or being stuck in a small van traveling across Cambodia for eight hours with no less than three passengers vomiting, the entire time.
***This was totally Ryan's travel luck. 100%.
****The Japanese age very well. Some of the hikers who passed us on the trail could have been 45 to 50 years older than us. We walk super slow.