Route: Around 4 of the 5 Fuji lakes
Bicycle: 82 km
Train: 100 km
Total ascent: 595 m
Weather: cloudy, some sun, colder than expected, 12C
Day 2
Route: Yamanakako - Otsuki - Sagamiko- Hashimoto
Bicycle: 115 km
Train: 35 km
Average speed: 19.2 km/h
Total ascent: 695 m
Weather: sunny and warmer than expected, 18 C
Riding time: 5:57 h
Finally it has become cold enough to enjoy the outside. Per the weather forecast the entire weekend is supposed to be very sunny. So during last week I looked at some cycling route books I have at home to find some nice cycling destination. And decided to come to Mount Fuji to cycle around the five lakes that lie at its foot.
When I went on Friday evening to Shinjuku station to buy a ticket in the last row (so I can store the bike behind) of the Xpress train direct from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko, I found out that the all trains between 7:30 and 9:30, were sold out completely. I hadn’t expected that so many people were coming to Kawaguchiko, but it is really a nice destination, so why not.
So instead I came by local trains. I cycled to Meidaimae, close to home, packed up my bicycle and took my first train already before 7 o’clock in the morning. Another three trains would follow, but all the change of trains went very smooth. And on the last train the one from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko it was even allowed officially to bring “naked” bicycles onto the train. First time ever for me in Japan.
Once here, I dropped off my luggage at my hotel for the night, and then set out to Kawaguchiko lake, The first in a series of four lakes today. There is a fifth lake, but it is a little bit farther away, so I decided to make another separate day out of the 5th lake.
There are views of Mount Fuji from all four lakes, and quite different as some of the lakes are relatively distant.
For koyo it is still too early, but it must be beautiful for large extensions one can see only woods.
At one of the lakes there was even a toilet with a view:
One lake, Lake Shoiji, I even cycled around twice as the view was so nice.
On the way back I took the most direct road (as suggested by Komoot) to town, but I suspect that the road on around lake Kawaguchiko would have been better less traffic
As I didn’t cram in 5 lakes in 1 day, I had time to visit the famous pagoda with the view of Mt. Fuji. The pagoda itself is fairly new and actually relatively small, but has to admit that the view is great and by then also the sun had come out.
On the second day I started with lake Yamanakako, probably the biggest of all 5 and for most part it has a wonderful cycling path around it:
The weather was also absolutely perfect so a really nice ride around the lake. From there I had decided to cycle back to Hashimoto but there are two ways, on starts right at the lake goes a bit up and then down through the mountains (seems to be a good way to cycle to Mt. Fuji), but it’s in the middle of the mountains so I was a bit fearful if I am tired too early there is nothing to do but to go on. So instead I decided for a way through Otsuki which essentially is parallel to some train lines all the time. But obviously not so much in the nature and more through villages. Also the road from Otsuki to Sagamiko has more traffic than I would like and is quite narrow. So it probably wasn’t the best decision.
Anyway I made it all the way to Hashimoto, which was my first 100+ km ride since arriving in Japan in May. At Sagamiko I saw all these animal shaped boats:
