Elizabeth's Japanese Autumn #4/4 (Part 2) - Fuji Five Lakes
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| Mt Fuji, from the Subaru Line 4th step |
So after a relaxing soak in the onsen and a really good sleep last night, Hubby and I woke up relatively early...and feeling like we were human beings again....
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| Mt Fuji, view from our room at Bessho Sasa |
Over breakfast, Hubs and I decided to drive up to the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station today. If we were turned away - which happens sometimes due to bad weather - we could always head to the other sights, and try the 5th Station again the next day.
To get to the 5th Station, we drive up the Subaru Line, which begins at Kawaguchiko and goes up on Mt Fuji's northern slope. Along the way up, there are several rest-stops, with observation decks from which to view the Fuji Five Lakes area.
The temperature got progressively colder as we climbed in altitude. When we started at the foot of Mr Fuji, we didn't need to turn on the heater in the car. But I think around the 2nd step, we were starting to really feel the chill. And as we progressed further up, there were occasional snow flurries. The sky also looked closer, probably because we were getting closer to the cloud level.
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| Mt Fuji, from the Subaru Line 4th step |
Finally, we stopped at the Subaru Line 4th step, to catch a breath, stretch our legs, and take in the view of the Fuji Five Lakes area below. In hindsight, I think we should've just stayed in the car. Because F**K, IT WAS FREEZING COLD. And here we were thinking autumn was such lovely weather. Down below, sure, but up where we were...it was definitely sub-zero. It was also incredibly windy, the kind that cuts right through you and smacks every exposed area with a scythe made of ice. If it weren't for our Northface Gore-Tex windcheaters, I think I wouldn't have lasted out there for 10 seconds.
I tried getting a decent picture of Elizabeth with the summit of Mt Fuji in the back, but it was really tough. Light conditions weren't great, Fuji's summit was shrouded, and the wind was so cold my hand trembled and my fingertips froze within seconds. Plus Elizabeth couldn't stay still anyway - not with my trembling, and the wind buffeting her.
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| View of the Fuji Five Lakes region from the Subaru Line 4th step |
The view of the Fuji Five Lakes region and the surrounding mountains were, I admit, quite impressive. So I can almost imagine how amazing it would be from Fuji's summit. It was at that moment, I actually felt a real urge to climb Mt Fuji.
Anyway, we did not stay out long at the 4th step. Hopped back in, and drove on, and finally arrived at the the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. Of course, it was still cold and windy. In fact. Colder. Windier.
("Windier" is a word. Looked up the Merriam Webster dictionary, the National Geographic, the New York Times, just to be sure.... No entry in the OED and Cambridge Dictionary, but it was used by the UK MetOffice, The Times, the BBC ("windiest").)
The Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is also called the Yoshidaguchi 5th Station or Kawaguchiko 5th Station. The station is around the halfway point of the Yoshida Trail, the trail that begins at the Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine (which we have visited) at the base of Mt Fuji, to his summit. For that reason, it is also popular as the starting point among climbers during climbing season.
So, inside one of the buildings at the 5th Station was a signboard about there are no water and power lines on Mt Fuji, and the costs each day for the supply of water and electricity.
Tried taking a timelapse video of the clouds scudding past the summit of Mt Fuji...it was painful business because of the windchill! I would've liked to make a longer one, but it was really too cold for my hands.
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| Houtou noodles, Fuji 5th Station |
We grabbed lunch at one of the izakaya in the buildings. The cold and windy weather definitely calls for a hot soupy meal - so I pick houtou noodles served up in a steaming miso soup and loads of fresh vegetables. The cast iron pot kept our noodles (and us!) warm.
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| Mt Fuji, view from Fuji 5th Station |
After our quick lunch, we got a slight lucky break when the clouds shrouding Fuji's summit cleared. For a few minutes, but enough for us to grab a few shots. Not that we got to stay long anyway because the staff got a weather report and
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| Lake Motosu |
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| Cloud-covered Mt Fuji at Lake Motosu |
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| Cloud-covered Mt Fuji at Lake Motosu |
We stayed for quite some time, hoping that the clouds covering Mt Fuji's summit would clear. No such luck, but I did manage to take a timelapse video I'm quite happy with (below). (We also went back again the next day, when Fuji's summit was clear.)
This timelapse video is one of the first few I've taken, using the iPhone 7 camera app. There were wooden poles with flat tops at the observation point, so I propped my iPhone against my GF1 camera, and pretty much left the timelapse recording go on for about 45 minutes.
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| Mt Fuji, view from Koyodai |
Before the sunlight completely faded, we made a quick drive to Koyodai - we did get lost along the way. In the end, we found the dirt track leading up to the Koyodai and it was pretty worn and scary.... Of course, we knew that it ws the wrong time since peak autumn had long passed. But Mt Fuji looks great even without the autumn foliage.
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| Kosaku, Kawaguchiko |
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| Houtou noodles, Kosaku, Kawaguchiko |
Hubby and I were starving, so we decided to share a bowl of Houtou noodles at Kosaku, before heading back to our ryokan hotel. Every time we are here, we always pop by Kosaku for a bowl of this Yamanashi regional dish.
We are such gluttons because even after enjoying our houtou noodles, we still had space to enjoy dinner back at the hotel.
As with the last time we stayed here, and last night as well, the dinner kicked off with an aperitif, today's was a locally produced Koshu grape wine. (Last night's aperitif was something else, a floral wine, which I drank up before remembering to take a picture.)
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| Sakizuke, Hassun |
The sakizuke was a delicious roast beef salad - thin slices of rare roast beef, with mizuna and a creamy wasabi and sesame dressing. For the hassun, Hubs didn't like the leaf-wrapped dumpling, but I loved it - it was a little sweet and sticky and fragrant chestnut mochi dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaf.
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| Mukozuke |
The mukozuke comprised of madai (sea bream), hokkigai (Arctic surf clam), maguro (Bluefin tuna), ika (squid) and my favourite uni, served in a hollowed-out cucumber. Very fresh and enjoyable, though I confess that after our rounds of eating at respectable and reputable sushiya, I was beginning to understand why some say that the flavours of the fish are not necessarily best when it is cold. That said, it is also because we'd been making the sushiya rounds that I appreciate the return to just enjoying the fish, without the shari or the brush of shoyu.
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| Wanmono |
This wanmono course was a very light, clear consomme broth with a hint of yuzu, and steamed cod, shrimp, daikon and greens. The broth looked watery but was packed full of flavour.
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| Yakimono |
The yakimono course was Koshu beef sirloin and foie gras, with a red wine sauce, fresh salad greens and cherry tomatoes. The sirloin was perfect medium and so tender, and the fresh salad and tomatoes helped with the richness. The foie gras was sadly cooked all the way through and had that slight metallic aftertaste. Wish the surface had been chippy and the inside that touch of wobbly pink, but no such luck.
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| Gohan, takiawase, konomono, tomewan |
According to tonight's menu, gohan was koshihikari rice, also locally sourced from Murakawa village in the Yamanashi prefecture. The menu clearly stated「山梨県武川村 コシヒカリ」, that is "Yamanashi prefecture Mukawa village koshihikari", unlike last night's maboroshi no kome. No furikake this time. There were also the standard konomono (takuan, kyuri-asazuke, and shibazuke). (I love pickles by the way.)
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| Takiawase |
Beneath the pretty lid that featured a red Mt Fuji, was the simmered dish of Japanese pumpkin and tofu. Unfortunately I don't remember the white item in the dish.... I was pretty stuffed by now, so I wasn't really paying attention anymore.
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| Mizumono - dessert, a Christmas-themed one |
Finally is the dessert course (the mizumono) - again, the menu simply stated 「鐘山苑パティシエによる特製デザート」, "Special Dessert by Kaneyama-en Patisserie". Anyway, tonight's dessert was Christmas-themed. The coffee-flavoured yule log cake was delicious with the berry ice cream and chocolate-covered nut crumble. The fresh strawberries were also very sweet. I even ate the chocolate-filled raspberry macaroon, even though I'm no fan of macaroons (as mentioned before).
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| Supper - shiratama zenzai |
Elizabeth's Japanese Autumn 2016
- I. Yokohama & the Miho Museum -
Chinatown
(Heichinrou, Yokohama Mazu Temple) ● Yamashita Park ● Zou-no-Hana ●
Osanbashi Pier ● Yokohama Red Brick Warehouses ● Miho Museum
- II. Kyoto -
Tofukuji ● Kiyomizudera ● Sohonzan Komyoji ● Eikando Zenrinji ● Manshuin Monzeki ● Iwakura Jissoin Monzeki ● Nanzenji, Nanzenin & Tenjuan ● Kitano Tenmangu ● Shugakuin Imperial Villa ● Sento Imperial Palace ● Kyoto Imperial Palace
- III. Tokyo -
Tokyo University ● Rikugien ● Tokyo Imperial Palace & the East Gardens ● Kotonoha no Niwa trip to at Shinjuku Gyoen ● Italian at Salvatore Cuomo Bros., XEX Tokyo ● Sushi Masuda ● Nishiazabu Taku (aka Sushi Taku) ● Sushi Nakamura (1st taste of Juyondai) ● Sushi Tokami (1st taste of tossaki) ● molecular gastronomy at Tapas Molecular Bar ● French-Japanese at La Paix, Nihonbashi
- IV: Fuji Five Lakes -
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