Mt Fujiyama

 Mount Fuji

I was aware that my 14 days’ JR pass was expiring 2 days prior to my return flight. So it was useless for return ride on Narita express to Narita air port. I had already covered the cities according to itinerary using the pass fully, Ekdum Paisa Vasool! I knew that it’s valid for train to Mt. Fuji so I had planned to visit Mt. Fuji on a day tour from Tokyo, before it expired.

There is a direct train especially for tourists, known as Fuji Excursion train, valid for JR Pass, but as expected it was fully booked for next 10 days, it being ‘Cherry Blossom’ season!

JR Pass was valid up to station Otsuki on JR line but from Otsuki to Kawaguchi as it was another private line so you have to buy separate ticket. That’s the idiosyncrasy of Japan railways.

Train to Otsuki leaves Tokyo from Shinjuku station in West Tokyo. Now Shinjuku station is another story altogether.

It’s the busiest station not in Tokyo alone but all over the world in commuter turnover. Nearly 3.9 million commuters use it every day! With such a home-work, I was half petrified even before I stepped on the station. And my fears were not totally unfounded.

It has so many lines, so many platforms and so many exits one really can get easily lost. I too made several wrong turns, took few wrong exits but in the end with help of English speaking attendant reached the ticket office that I am sure, I would not find again if left alone! The booking clerk had some Dictaphone like gadget which on speaking into it translated Japanese into English directly. Good lord it made communication so easy.

He was unable to issue ticket from Otsuki to Kawaguchi as it was different company but he issued me a reservation on Kaiji Express up to Otsuki. It was another task to find the correct platform. Shinjuku has more than 50. Luckily all outstation platforms are either on the ground level or on upper deck. Kaiji express was leaving from the platform on the upper deck. Again making many mistakes I reached the correct platform. For a change it was not Shinkansen but usual train on par with Deccan Queen or Rajdhani!

And I again got travelling companion, again a girl in her early or mid twenties. Very talkative again! Her friend was Indophile so knew many things about India. Through her talk I felt, average Japanese man though is workaholic pays equal attention to his family. Japanese men are good fathers, husbands I don’t know. I am saying so because I saw many men with their child in pram/children and wife commuting on metros taking full care of their family, like helping wife to manage the youngest child, taking care of older children. This was so unlike South Korea which I had visited recently.  

It was sheer luck that I met two travel companions who knew at least something about India. Otherwise to look at their blank faces would have been painful.

At Otsuki it was ocean of humanity, so many people! Tickets were available only on the vending machine, naturally it required cash. Fortunately I had exact change Y 1350.

Japanese! Though there were people in hundreds everything was going on in most methodical manner. Attendant hardly had any work except to stand there and guide people. Otsuki- Kawaguchi train was local train stopping at all the stations so it got full within no time. The boy sitting next to me was Chinese from Hong Kong. He spoke really good English and we had gala time. He was with his girl friend so I asked him,

‘Do her parents allow you to take her out?’

Both laughed heartily. He said mischievously,’They love me’ on which his fiancé nodded. She blushed a little on accepting it!

Mt Fuji! Rather Fujisan for Japan. It’s the tallest mountain in Japan and is active volcano, which though erupted few centuries ago; to be precise in 1707-8 it is expected to erupt any time. It is cultural icon of Japan and is treated as Holy Mountain by both Buddhists and Shinto followers.

Its perfect conical shape which is exceptional with cap of snow that’s there at least for five months a year, has many followers from esthetic point of view. It has been icon of interest for many photographers, artists and sightseers.

Once you are in Kawaguchi it can be seen from anywhere even from the station itself. And like you say, ‘Ah…aaa Taj!’ on seeing ‘The’ Taj-mahal for the first time, here too it escapes your lips without your brain knowing about it. It’s from the heart!

It’s said that you are lucky if you see Fujisan without any hindrance of clouds. And I was one of those lucky few. Sky was extremely clear without any cloud whatsoever and Mt Fuji was there in all its glory shining in lukewarm sun! Through the maze of electric overhead wires the age old icon of Japan looked absolutely serene, what a contrast between eternity and modernity!

The town of Kawaguchi is small and is inhabited around the lake Kawaguchi, one of five lakes that surround Mt. Fuji. It has service of Hop on Hop off bus for measly sum and it takes you around the town visiting many picturesque points. There are many vantage points to take ‘Darshan’ of Mt.Fuji Panorama-Rope-way Kawaguchiko is one of them. There was mile long queue for the rope-way. My most of the time in Kawaguchi was eaten up by standing in the queue. But it was worth it.

The rope-way takes you to the other side of mountain to a plateau from where the view of Mt.Fuji is most clear. And yes, it fulfilled the promise. You on the plateau, a huge valley in between and then Mt.Fuji standing majestically in front of you in its full glory satiating all your aesthetic senses!

I stood speechless for how many minutes I do not recollect but the view was so mesmerizing I did not feel like blinking the eyes even for a minute! The sky was absolutely blue, crystal clear without even a single naughty cloud obscuring the picture perfect! There is a Torii, few Cherry blossom trees and a huge bell mounted on ornamental stand to accentuate the picture perfect! Mt Fuji looked many times more gorgeous when it had the canopy of cherry blossom or Torii or when seen through the bell mount.

And then I suddenly realized why Fujisan is holy to Japan. It’s the only peak among-st the surrounding Dwarf Mountains, that stands erect like a victorious Samurai who has won his furiously fought last battle with flying colors!

It was very difficult to say adieu to Fujisan even after spending two hours on the top. But if the things have to be done, they have to be done.

As soon as I got down from the gondola I was engulfed by the aroma of freshly baked cookies that was buoyant on the air like mischievous mist playing hide and seek in the valley of flowers.

My legs drew me in the direction of smell without mind knowing about it. It was emanating from ‘Fujiyama Cookies’ famous for its Fuji shaped cookies for years together. I am of opinion that it’s always a marketing gimmick to sell this type of franchise but those cookies…... They were out of this world. So delicious, so soft just melting in the mouth I could not resist though they were steeply priced, very steeply! Rs 180 per cookie, approximately! But the crowd was unending and cookies were vanishing from the tray as if it was the last drop of oxygen ! And I went for that last drop of oxygen!

The pamphlet said that there is another vantage point somewhere on the banks of the lake from where you can take good picture of Mt Fuji. Unfortunately even after going around the lake in the bus I could not see the point. May be I missed it; it is on the northern shores of lake near Music Forest Museum [Photo from Archives, to increase value of blog!]

In Japan everything is commercialized so even the smaller station like Kawaguchi has good medium sized mall. They were offering locally made Plum Wine at a discount; I purchased two bottles at a bargain, Rs 1200 !

Another two places to have good look of Mt Fuji are Mt.Fuji station and Shimo-Yoshida station. Both are exactly opposite in direction. I preferred Fuji as it was on the return line while Shimo-Yoshida was further up. Shimo-Yoshida has beautiful pagoda Chureito but requires walk of 15 minutes from the station to reach it.

I was misguided by the guide at Mt Fuji station information center. Though the shrine, Kitaguchi Hongi etc etc was beautiful but it was far away from the station and did not offer any spectacular view of Mt. Fuji. I came out and roamed about and found a spot from where Mt. Fuji could be captured from a close range and the snaps came out really beautiful. Now after seeing the photographs of the pagoda I feel I took the wrong decision! It happens!

The return train to Tokyo was like usual local and I was confused. But it turned out, it was the correct one. One tongue in cheek trivia, the station just prior to Tokyo on main line is named KANDA!

It was quite late and it was time to face ‘The Mobs’ of Nishi Kasai local train. But now I was prepared so with the vigor of lad in his twenties I successfully got in the train!