What I felt seeing Mount Fuji for the first time

Some places are so photographed that, when you finally see them in person, you're afraid of feeling less than you expected after so much anticipation. With Mount Fuji, the exact opposite happened to me.

We arrived in Fujikawaguchiko after a bus ride from Tokyo, with no guarantee Fuji would be visible that day. When we got off the bus and saw it whole, without a single cloud around it, it was a stroke of luck that completely changed the mood of the entire day.

The first thing that surprised me was its actual size. In photos, Fuji always looks like a perfect, somewhat abstract triangle, almost postcard-like. In person, it's enormous — far more than images convey, not even close.

We weren't there to take the photo and move on, we were there simply to see it, nothing more.

In the afternoon, from the Kachi Kachi ropeway, we got a completely different perspective. And at night, soaking in an onsen with mountain views, I closed the day thinking few images stay with you the way that one does.

How to organize the day in Fujikawaguchiko

From Shinjuku there's a direct bus to Kawaguchiko Station, about 2 hours. Leave early, around 8:00 or 9:00: if Fuji is clear, it's best to take photos in the morning, because it sometimes gets covered during the day.

One of the best ways to explore the area is to rent a bike. It lets you move at your own pace and stop wherever you want: the famous Lawson with Fuji views, fields and small shrines. For lunch, try houtou, a hot soup with thick noodles and vegetables; Houtou Fudou is very well known in the area and genuinely good.

In the afternoon

You have several options: a ramen class, which we highly recommend because there's little urban tourism in this area; going up on the Kachi Kachi ropeway, especially beautiful at sunset; a tasting at a sake brewery; or simply doing nothing. And to end the day, an onsen. If you want somewhere to sleep with direct Fuji views, see where to stay in Japan.