富士山語子 Mount Fuji Five-Lakes (Fuji-San Go Ko)

It's the start of autumn season in Japan. My friend Katy and I took an extended 4-day weekend in search of autumn sights and smells. We headed up to the Mount Fuji area- the five lakes and surrounding foothills. Two of the four days- we had rain and heavy fog/cloud cover, but on the other two days, we had some incredible views of mount Fuji- basically from everywhere you looked!







So, here are the photos to show our successful discovery of Mount Fuji views and autumn leaf color :)


Day one was rainy and cold- so we decided to find an onsen in the woods, where we treated ourselves to a 60-min full body massage! Totally painful, and totally worth it.

Day two: walking around the main lake: Kawaguchiko 河口湖 The fall color was just starting, and Fuji-san was visible from all around!

We even decided to give it a 30-min paddle boat, for more great views.

Day 3: A 14-km Mitsutoge-yama hike (1,768 meter ascent). For more incredible fall color and some neat scenic views...

Probably my favorite fall photo of Fuji san...

On night three there was a autumn leaf viewing festival with a line of trees along the lake-side all lit up! We even caught enough light at dusk to see the fog-covered Fuji.

 Day 4: rain again! From this temple, you are supposed to see Mount Fuji sitting majestically in the background- alas, this day was not to be today!!

Lunch Date

To my left is my student, Tsuneko, and to my right, her husband.

One of my favorite students surprised me with an invitation to have lunch with her and her family. We chatted about logistics in our most recently class session- she carefully wrote out directions and then explained them to me: which train station to get off at, which bus number to take, and then which stop to get off at too. Then I was to call her and she would pick me up. I also asked about the family. I would be meeting her husband, Takuso, her son, Takeshi, his wife, Yumiko and their kids, (her grandchildren), Kazusa (boy, 7) and Tamami (girl, 4).

We planned the lunch date for Monday, the 14th- a holiday for everyone. At the train station, I found a fancy cake topped with exotic fruits. All the travel pieces worked out smoothly. Right at noon, I was in Tsuneko-san's car with her and her granddaughter on our way to her house. She lives in a really lovely neighborhood, she has a two-story house, with a front garden, which she enjoyed showing me. Inside was a large entryway, living room and dining room. We all sat down for a multi-course meal that kept on going! Tsuneko-san outdid her self and continued to bring dish after dish. It was all delicious! The conversation ebbed and flowed, haltingly at times. My Japanese is next to zero, but I am getting better and better at guessing and interpreting ideas by stringing together individual words that I understand. All the adults' English levels were about elementary and rusty, at best, but we did our best and enjoyed each other's company. Later on they brought out photo albums to show me and we were able to talk about topics like: family, jobs, holidays, travel... Kazusa worked on a craft project during lunch, and gave me one of his paper cutting creations.
Lunch included: potato salad, cabbage salad, persimmon with cream cheese and prosciutto, stewed beef wrapped in cabbage leaves, lasagna, and yakitori (fried chicken skewers). Itadakimasu! *bon apetit.

Dessert included coffee, freshly sliced pear, the cake I brought, and jello/pudding topped with azuki beans and pineapple.

We all took a walk around the neighborhood, and then Tsuneko-san dropped me back off at the train station.

We are standing in front of their house. 

4 Seasons...

Summer Gardens

Autumn color near a temple

My neighborhood on a wintery walk to work

Spring cherry blossoms in a park