Japan in Autumn - Fujikawaguchiko

I have been lucky with Mt. Fuji, able to see it every time I visited, in spite of the notorious fickleness of mountains.  This time is no exception.  I could see it even from the train heading north.  It took a couple of hours even on the Shinkansen and then we have to catch a limited express bus from Mishima to Fujikawaguchiko, the town surrounding Kawaguchiko, the biggest of the five lakes at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

We rented a car for the two days we were here and was able to catch the sunset at least on the first day.   It was a lung-burning exercise attempting to climb the more than 400 steps to tbe top of the Arakura Sengen Shrine in under 15 minutes in order not to miss the sunset.  But the iconic view of Mt. Fuji with the Chureito Pagoda in the foreground is totally worth it.  It would have been a nice spot for sunrise too but I didn't think I could do those steps again in the dark, so was relieved that the forecast was for the possibility of rain the following morning.

The rain was short-lived and Mt. Fuji presented itself in different manifestations throughout the day.  The mountain is considered sacred in Japan and I can understand why - I can't help but be mesmerized every time I saw it.  So you will see a lot of the mountain in this collection with red leaves generously interspersed.  The stunning red leaves are mostly from the Momiji Corridor, a 150 metre stretch of red maple trees.  We also visited Lake Shoji, the smallest of the five lakes, a half hour away from Fujikawaguchiko, but the clouds rolled in and I couldn't get a clear shot of the mountain other than the top.

Fujiyama from the Shinkansen - kudos to the amazing iphone

Fall colours at peak at the lake

The start of the 400+ steps up to the Chureito Pagoda

Half way up 

Near the top

With the pagoda

Hotou, a thick chewy noodle, is a local specialty we tried at a farm to table restaurant.  I love chewy noodles! 

Early morning at the lake

Fujiyama with fall grasses in the foreground at Oishi Park

The start of the Momiji (Red Maple Leaves) Corridor 

The north end of the red corridor

There are some rich browns in the fall colours in Japan that I haven't noticed in Canada

We drove to Lake Shoji, the smallest of the five lakes - it was just a half hour drive but we missed the golden hour.  Still it was great sitting by the lake to watch the last of the light disappear as the mountain top performed its elusive appearance and disappearance act.  It was a lovely end to this autumn tour of Japan.

The Last Supper - a fabulous grilled eel dinner for me and sushi and sashimi for my travel companions

The following morning we took the bus back to Tokyo.  And as luck would have it, our bus drove by what I thought must be the Meiji Jingu Gaien Gingko Avenue and I was able to catch a quick shot of the golden Gingko trees in fall colours.  It was on our original itinerary but we didn't visit because there was little colour change when we first arrived in Tokyo two weeks ago.  What luck to at least see them from afar.

This wraps up our Autumn in Japan trip.  Thank you for coming along.

Japan in Autumn - Osaka

We arrived in Osaka around lunch time and with only half a day, we focused on two areas unique to Osaka - Shinsekai and Dotonbori with their bustling, quirky atmosphere.  Shinsekai (New World), a vibrant, retro entertainment district,was a blaring blur of colours for the senses even during the day, I can well imagine what it would be like at night.   

I was in Dotonbori last year but in the day time so reserved this revisit for the evening to catch the neon.  As expected, it was dazzling at night, vibrant with sounds and sights both on the streets and along the canal.   It was an immersive experience hard to reproduce on paper but take a look at the images and use your imagination.  

We had dinner at the Douraku restaurant known for the big crab at its front.  I had expected it to be loud and touristy, but it was a nice surprise that it turned out to be low key with many locals at the tables.  The set menus included crab sashimi but also crab cooked in different ways.  While I still prefer my crab plain boiled, it was a novelty experience nevertheless.

Shinsekai (translates as "New World") main intersection

We noticed a big building with "Maruhan" on it and went inside just to see what it was.  Turns out to be a casino (with a snazzy ceiling)!  We were quickly shooed out when they saw my camera.

Pedestrian-friendly streets

Sumo wrestling themed restaurant?

Tsutenkaku Tower

Eateries advertising their specialties in 3D

A Shooting range

Looking up and down the Dotonbori canal

The famous Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel, the first oval ferris wheel in the world, also the first to have a 4 seater cabin that rotates horizontally.  The ride is 15 minutes but there are long lineups for it.  You see here, the entrance to the Don Quixote Store, a famous discount store.

Everyone here has to take a picture with the Glico running man - Osaka culture

Entrance to a covered shopping street

The main intersection in Dotonbori

The shop front of the Douraku restaurant

I've lost count of the multitude of ways crab was served but here is a sampling.

We were told not to touch the mystery pot for 30 minutes - turns out it was rice

One of many street corners in Dotonbori - this one seems to be promoting a wrestler?