Hello Hivers! The trip to Japan had been postponed for some time already so I’m glad I visited and quickly flew to another country right before the relationship between China and Japan turned a little bit unsettling. I really wish for peace between all countries because small business owners always get hit the hardest when situation becomes unfavorable. When we were there, we were glad to meet other friendly Filipino and Vietnamese travelers. It was also our first time staying in a traditional inn, ryokan, for two nights.
The drive from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchi took around two hours. The weather could not have been much more perfect. It was bright, sunny, and just the right amount of chill. Just a week ago, we were told that it was so cloudy Mount Fuji decided to take a break and play the hide and seek game. The autumn foliage even along the drive were too beautiful for words. During this trip, Mount Fuji can be seen like an hour into the drive along the highway. What a spectacular sight to behold and a wonderful experience to treasure!
Before reaching our destination of the day, which was Lake Kawaguchi, we spent some time at Oshino Hakkai Village and Arakurayama Sengen Park. Needless to mention, these places are also stunning. Before arriving in Japan, I was afraid that my rusty Japanese might get us into trouble but much to our relief, many Japanese people speak good English. Also, Japanese peoples’ politeness shocked me. When I was lining up to take food at a breakfast buffet or lining up to wash hands in the toilet, elderly people will excuse themselves for taking a bit of their own sweet time. I was so shocked that I almost forgot to reply, “大丈夫だよ！” or “It’s alright!” It really made me reflect on the fine lines between sensibility and being too considerate.
Before arriving at the ryokan, we stopped by briefly at the other end of Lake Kawaguchi where the foliage had turned bright red, orange, and yellow color. This place is also known as the Maple Corridor. It is a very strategic place to take many snapshots with tallest mountain in Japan as the background. Some shots may have turned out much better than the 36 views of Mount Fuji by the famous painter Hokusai. Just kidding!
We absolutely love taking a walk around Lake Kawaguchi in the morning. It only took approximately two hours or roughly about 10,000 steps. There is a single word to describe the entire experience which is breathtaking. We woke up around five so that we could get back to the ryokan just in time for breakfast. The walk was very relaxing. We stumbled upon natives either jogging or fishing. We also stumbled upon a very cooperative swan.
After breakfast, we got out again to visit the Yamanashi Gem Museum which is within walking distance. There is also a nice little dessert shop offering delicious and juicy Fuji apple pies for those eager to rest their feet a little after a long walk. Shopping around for souvenirs too had been pleasurable. We were so glad to have embarked on this unforgettable trip. Hopefully, we have the opportunity to return one day. The ryokan staffs highly encouraged us to return to climb Mount Fuji next August. An interesting fact, back in 1950s, before global warming and pollution got in the way, Lake Kawaguchi used to be frozen in winter as there were pictures of people skating in it. It was satisfying simply basking in serenity as well as admiring the beauty of Mount Fuji from the ryokan’s balcony.
Thank you for reading! 💗
IN CHINESE
大家好！去日本的旅行已经推迟了一段时间，所以我很高兴能在中日关系出现一些不稳定因素之前，抓紧时间去另一个国家旅行。我真心希望各国和平相处，因为一旦局势不利，小企业主总是首当其冲。在日本期间，我们很高兴结识了其他友好的菲律宾和越南旅行者。这也是我们第一次入住传统的日式旅馆（ryokan），住了两晚。
从东京开车到河口湖大约需要两个小时。天气简直完美。阳光明媚，凉爽宜人。就在一周前，我们听说富士山因为云层太厚而“休息”了一会儿，仿佛在和我们玩捉迷藏。沿途的秋叶美得令人窒息。这次旅行中，沿着高速公路行驶大约一个小时后，就能看到富士山了。真是令人叹为观止的美景，值得珍藏的美好体验！
在抵达当天的目的地——河口湖之前，我们在忍野八海村和荒仓山浅间公园稍作停留。毋庸置疑，这些地方也美得令人窒息。来日本之前，我担心自己生疏的日语会给我们带来不便，但令我们欣慰的是，很多日本人都能说一口流利的英语。此外，日本人的礼貌也让我印象深刻。当我在自助早餐排队取餐或在洗手间排队洗手时，长辈们会主动表示自己需要一些时间。我当时惊讶得几乎忘了说《没关系！》（大丈夫だよ！）。这件事让我认真思考了明智与过度体贴之间的微妙界限。
在抵达旅馆之前，我们还顺道去了河口湖的另一端，那里的树叶已经变成了鲜艳的红色、橙色和黄色。这里也被称为枫叶走廊。这里是绝佳的拍照地点，可以以日本最高峰富士山为背景拍摄许多美照。有些照片的效果甚至比著名画家葛饰北斋的《富士山三十六景》还要好。开个玩笑而已！
我们非常喜欢清晨在河口湖边散步。全程大约需要两个小时，也就是大约一万步。整个体验可以用一个词来形容：令人叹为观止。我们五点左右就起床了，这样就能赶回旅馆吃早餐。散步的过程非常轻松惬意。我们偶遇了一些当地人在慢跑或钓鱼。我们还遇到了一只非常配合的天鹅。
早餐后，我们再次出发，前往步行即可到达的山梨宝石博物馆。那里还有一家精致的小甜品店，提供美味多汁的富士苹果派，非常适合在长途跋涉后休息一下双脚。逛纪念品店也很有趣。我们很高兴开启了这段难忘的旅程。希望有一天能有机会重返此地。旅馆的工作人员热情地邀请我们明年八月再来攀登富士山。有趣的是，在20世纪50年代，全球变暖和污染尚未出现之前，河口湖冬天会结冰，当时还有人在上面滑冰的照片。在旅馆的阳台上欣赏富士山的壮丽景色，享受宁静的时光，真是令人心旷神怡。
感谢阅读！💗
[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 35.51290 lat 138.77308 long Azagawa, Lake Kawaguchi d3scr))