# Day 7 - Lake day ## Leaving Tokyo behind First thing in the morning we said our farewells to Tokyo, and boarded a train toward Kawaguchiko where we would play our luck at seeing the elusive Mt. Fuji up close. Thankfully we didn’t have to hold our breath for too long, because as we rolled into the station and looked out our window, there she was in all her glory—massive and breathtaking. The iconic volcano seemed close enough to reach out and touch. ![[day 7 - 9.jpg]] We were picked up at the station by our hotel: Hotel Asafuji, a traditional-style Japanese inn known as a ryokan. Our room, which had a beautiful view of Fuji over Lake Kawaguchi, was set up in the traditional style—a single tatami mat room with a low table that would later be transformed into a sleeping space with side-by-side futons. ![[day 7 - 1.jpg]] ![[day 7 - 2.jpg]] ## Hoto Ready for lunch, we caught the local sightseeing bus to a homey restaurant called Momiji-tei Hoto. We ordered their specialty, a local dish called hoto—thick noodles in a miso broth typically served with pumpkin and other vegetables or meat in an iron pot, which is said to have been eaten by a regional warlord and his samurai before going into battle. The noodles were delightfully spongy and the broth—made from a miso culture passed down to the owner by her grandmother—was rich with umami goodness. ![[day 7 - 4.jpg]] ## Fuji fanatics Though a multitude of tourist attractions surround the lake, we found we could not tear ourselves away from the one true attraction: volcano-gazing. We spent the rest of our afternoon admiring Fuji-san from various points, ending up at Oishi Park. ![[day 7 - 5.jpg]] ![[day 7 - 6.jpg]] ![[day 7 - 7.jpg]] ![[day 7 - 8.jpg]] ## Food and drink Near the park we enjoyed some afternoon beverages at the most aesthetically pleasing cafe we’ve ever seen, after which Manu purchased a neat little fold-out coin purse made of traditional Japanese washi paper to store all of our yen coins. ![[day 7 - 10.jpg]] Finally, we caught the bus back into town for dinner at Shaw’s Sushi Bar & Dining for some yummy dinner sets (Manu got a tuna sashimi set, and Sophia got a tofu/veggie set) and some truly delicious local sake. ![[day 7 - 11.jpg]] ## Time for a bath We closed out the night with a visit to Hotel Asafuji’s onsen (communal baths in Japan are called “onsen” when they are filled with natural hot spring water, and “sento” when they have regular tap water). Onsens are meant to provide a number of health benefits, but best of all they are the perfect way to prepare oneself for a good night’s sleep.