Shion in Japan #4/5 - Mt Fuji & Kamakura

The third phase of our Dec 2013/Jan 2014 Japan trip began with us Otaku Trio picking up our 4th travel companion JY from Narita Airport and heading straight to the Fuji Five Lakes region. (We also picked up a lot in tolls along the way. Around $100.)

Day 12: Kawaguchiko (河口湖)

Again, we all had an early start. Picked up the rented car, crammed our goodies (from our fruitful toy hunts in Tokyo) and baggage and ourselves into it, and picked up JY, before we headed for the Fuji Five Lakes area.

Fuji Onsenji Yumedono, Kawaguchiko (also on IG)

It started snowing as we drove closer to Kawaguchiko, and when we arrived at our ryokan, Fuji Onsenji Yumedono (河口湖温泉寺夢殿), it was still steadily snowing. It was rather exciting for us, but it was not pleasant to be out in the snow.

Fuji Onsenji Yumedono, Kawaguchiko

It was a relief to check in, shut the shoji screens, turn up the heater and scuttle under the kotatsu. We booked a two-person traditional Japanese room with a private onsen. (Well, we booked 2 of such rooms.) The room is fairly large and comfortable. I wouldn't mind staying there for an entire week.

Lazing under the kotatsu at Yumedono (also on IG here and here)

I love the kotatsu. Save for summer, I could sit in one all year round. Caramelaw and I pretty much parked ourselves there and refused to budge. Caramelaw's Highlighter and Shion huddled under the kotatsu and promptly fell asleep.

Our rotenburo at Fuji Onsenji Yumedono, Kawaguchiko (also on IG)

Hubby and I did rouse ourselves at some point and stepped into the onsen. Yeah, so we got the room with the private onsen in the garden. Okay, I admit, it's expensive to get a room with a private bath, but it's my quirk. I can't get naked in front of strangers. I find it weird myself. I can watch porno flicks and adult films without batting an eye; and I am comfortable and happy with my body the way it is... But I just can't get naked and share a bath with a bunch of strangers. Heck, I can't even do that with family and close friends. Hubby still gripes about going to an onsen hotel in Noboribetsu with me back in 2010 and having to pay a bath tax for me even though I never stepped into the bath. (I made it past the curtained doorway, fled and never went back.)

At dinnertime, we were invited to have our kaiseki dinner at the ryokan's dining hall - usually, dinner is served in the room, but we had requested to dine together with Caramelaw and JY. The mid-winter kaiseki dinner (夢殿味覚歳時記 仲冬, as printed on the menu) was prepared by the ryokan's master chef Numazaki-san.

Zensai: kaki furai (appetiser: fried oyster) - 前菜: 牡蠣フライ (also on IG)

Sakizuke: ankimo (monkfish liver) - 先附: 鮟肝

Suimono: Crab with small turnip - 吸物: 小蕪摺り流し蟹

Mukozuke: bluefin tuna (hon-maguro), flounder (hirame) - 向付: 本鮪、鮃

Yakizakana: yuzu-grilled coley fish - 焼肴: 黒魚柚香焼

Aburamono: tofu dumplings (hand-made) - 油物: 豆富

For the main dish, we get stone-grilled sirloin steak. The anticipation and the aroma of the cooking beef just makes my mouth water!!!

Shiizakana: beef steak - 強肴: 牛ロースステーキ (also on IG)

Shokuji: salmon cha-zuke - 食事: 鮭茶漬け (also on IG)

Dessert: La France pear, strawberry, kabosu jelly, apple crepe -
デザート: ラフランス、苺、かぼすゼリー、りんごクレープ

Comfortable futons! (on IG)

For our dessert, the waitstaff explained that they used La France pears that were produced in Fujikawa itself. The Yamagata Prefecture is the main region that produces La France pears in Japan; however, it seems a small number are produced in Fujikawa, Yamanashi Prefecture. La France is a misshapened but delicate, juicy and fragrant pear that is considered the Queen of Fruits in Japan. The La France pear originated from France, where it is named the Claude Blanchet, after its founder. (Wikipedia and Chef Del Cook's Apple Wasabi helped me out here.) Kabosu (カボス) (Citrus sphaerocarpa) is a citrus fruit closely related to the yuzu, and is a popular ingredient in Japan. It originated from China in the Edo period, and is now produced in the Oita, Ehime and Miyazaki Prefectures - Oita being the main production region. Apparently, in other parts of Japan, kabosu is considered a delicacy. We spent the night relaxing in the onsen and then having a great night's sleep on comfortable futons and fluffy blankets.

Day 13: Mt Fuji (富士山)

Mt Fuji, Kawaguchiko (on IG)

Hubby and I went for an early morning walk to see Mt Fuji. We then returned to breakfast at Yumedono.

Breakfast, Yumedono

Pretty much every dish was handmade... I'm not usually a fan of fishcake, but their handmade fishcake was delicious! Like our first time at Yumedono, breakfast ended with a fruit dish and a choice of tea or coffee.

View of Mt Fuji from Mt Tenjo (see also IG)

We took the Kachi Kachi Ropeway to the observation point on Mt Tenjo, then made a short hike further up Mt Tenjo for a view of Mt Fuji. It was truly a splendid view, and the weather was great for viewing. In 2013, Mt Fuji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About time, since Mt Fuji is an iconic symbol of Japan, and is pretty much inextricable from Japanese history and culture. (In hindsight, our trip seemed like a UNESCO World Heritage sightseeing + toy hunting trip.)

A little shrine and toasty mitarashi dango on Mt. Tenjo (on IG here and here)

We got back down to the observation point with some difficulty because the pathways were sleek with ice and snow. JY had taken a tumble a few times too many and was beginning to throw a temper tantrum. When we got to the shrine, it was a relief to see amenities, hot drinks and snacks. Hubby and Caramelaw tried the Mt Fuji mitarashi dango (みたらし団子) and both promptly declared that freshly made dango hits the spot after the short hike up the icy path.

Kosaku, Kawaguchiko (on IG)

For lunch, we went to Kosaku (小作), a restaurant known for a Yamanashi Prefecture specialty: hoto (ほうとう)! Hoto is a Yamanashi regional dish consisting of thick, flat udon noodles, vegetables and other ingredients stewed in miso broth in an iron-cast cooking pot-bowl.

Hoto noodles, Kosaku, Kawaguchiko (on IG)

Apparently, the dough is prepared in a dumpling-style, and so the Yamanashi locals don't think of hoto as an udon dish. The dough is kneaded and stretched out to dry; then folded over and cut with a knife into large pieces. As for the broth, apparently, pumpkin is added and stewed until the pumpkin dissolves into the broth. The hoto's rich broth was delicious and so warming - perfect for the cold winter day. My mouth waters just remembering it. Wikipedia gives a short explanation of the vying theories of hoto's origins and preparation. Hoto noodles remind me a little of Chinese ban-mian (板面) - in fact, the preparation method and texture of the cooked noodles is highly similar. (Hence, I think the Chinese origin theory holds some weight.)

Mt Fuji and the Chureito Peace Pagoda (see also IG)

Was a little tired from the morning's short hike up Mt Tenjo, but just had to go up the gazillion 400ish steps of the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine (新倉富士浅間神社) to catch another classic view of Japan - Mt Fuji with the Chureito Peace Pagoda (忠霊塔) in the foreground. Unfortunately, not the best time to view this view - wrong time of the day, and wrong season (best time is in Spring because the sakura trees would be in bloom).

Day 14: Kamakura (鎌倉)

We next went on a day trip out to Kamakura, which was described as the de facto capital of Japan during the Shogunate and the Shikken in the Kamakura period (1185-1333).

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, Kamakura

First stop was Kamakura's most important Shinto shrine: Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu (鶴岡八幡宮), a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan. (Japan has applied for it to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.) The shrine was founded in 1063 by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (源 頼義), a military commander (to be precise, the Chinjufu-shogun) and then head of the the Minamoto clan, one of the four great clans that dominated Japanese politics in the Heian era. The shrine was originally built as a branch of the Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu in now Yawata. The shrine was then relocated to its present location by Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝), the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate. During the Kamakura shogunate, Kamakura was the seat of the government and Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was the primary shrine of the Minamoto clan. Although now a Shinto shrine, for centuries, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Tendai Buddhist temple...until 1868 when the Meiji government passed the Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order (神仏判然令). As a result of the shinbutsu bunri (神仏分離), many of the Buddhist-related artefacts, treasures and buildings had to be destroyed. As such, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu as it stands today is not a complete reflection of its original structure. The general architectural layout of the shrine is still that of classic Japanese Buddhist architecture.

Kamakura (see also IG)

We spent some time walking around the grounds of the shrine, lazily watched the ducks in the ponds. (Caramelaw has the same bird-chasing habits I have. Hahaha!) The two ponds at the shrine represent the Minamoto clan (pond with three islands) and the Taira clan (with four islands). (In Japanese language, "four" has the same pronunciation as "death".) The Taira clan were the Minamoto clan's rivals in Japanese politics and it was Minamoto no Yoritomo's victory over the Taira clan in the Genpei War that led to the decline of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.

Lunch! Sashimi platter and duck curry udon.

For lunch, we popped into some random restaurant. Sadly, I didn't take note of the name. All that I remember from it is: (1) many locals eat there, and (2) it is well known for its handmade soba and udon noodles. Caramelaw decided to take out the toy Kaonashi figures we bought in Tokyo. I remember how we dug through the container of Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli anime figurines for them! I had the duck curry udon noodles, which were delicious; the perfect thing for the chilly weather. (Also because the ducks paddling in the pond kind of made me crave duck.)

Kamakura Daibutsu, Kotokuin (also on IG)

After lunch, we visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura (the Kamakura Daibutsu), a bronze statue of the Amida Buddha in Kotokuin (高徳院) and a listed National Treasure of Japan. Kotokuin is a Jodo Buddhist temple, and is renowned for the Kamakura Daibutsu - which is also a Japanese icon. According to temple records, statue supposedly dates from 1252. At the time, the statue was gilded with gold leave. It is 13.35m in height (base included) and weighs about 93 tonnes. It is hollow and its interior can be viewed. The statue used to stand in a hall, but the hall had been destroyed and rebuilt a few times. Since the hall's destruction in 1498, the statue has remained in the open.

Hasedera, Kamakura

Next is the Kaikozan Jishoin Hasedera (海光山慈照院長谷寺) (aka Hase-kannon), formerly a Tendai Buddhist temple, now an independent Jodo shu Buddhist temple. Again, we are here in the wrong season - the temple is known for its hydrangeas, which bloom in June and July. Hasedera is on the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (坂東三十三箇所) circuit, which is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple houses a gilded 11-headed Kannon statue which measures 9.18m tall and is made entirely out of camphor wood. Apparently the statue is carved out of the same tree as the Kannon statue is enshrined in Nara's Hasedera. According to legend, in 721, a monk carved two statues of Kannon from a single camphor tree: one enshrined in the Nara Hasedera, while the other was cast adrift to sea. It was said to have washed up on the Miura Peninsula near Kamakura in 736, and was then brought to Kamakura, where a temple was built to honour the statue.

Hase-dera, Kamakura

Hase-dera is also a popular temple for people to place Jizo statues and pray for their lost offspring. Not surprising, as Kannon (in Chinese and Japanese beliefs) is regarded as the protector of children.

Shion in Japan (Dec 2013~Jan 2014)
- I. Kyoto, Uji & Nara
- II. Enryakuji, Hiroshima & Miyajima
- III. Kyoto & Tokyo
- IV. Mt Fuji & Kamakura
- V. Tokyo & Enoshima