Mt. Fuji and Hakone
Today we left Tokyo and drove 50 miles south and west to the state park where Mt. Fuji is. We stopped at a lake where there is normally a great view of Mt. Fuji, but alas, today it was completely obscured by cloud cover! We could make out the lines of the slopes leading to the summit but mostly it was hidden by the clouds. It was a sunny day down at sea level, but the mountain was hidden. We had lunch in a lovely little French restaurant near the lake and then drove up to the "Fifth Station" on Mt. Fuji, which is the highest level any vehicles can go up Mt. Fuji. After that only hikers who are walking to the summit can go on to the higher stations. In the months of July and August, when the mountain is "open" only buses can go to the Fifth Station to manage crowd control. July and August are the only months that hikers can hike to the summit. For Japanese people, Mt. Fuji is a sacred mountain and coming to Mt. Fuji, even if one is not hiking all the way to the summit, is a religious pilgrimage. Shintoism is an indigenous religion in which nature is seen as divine, inhabited by divine spirits. Mt. Fuji is the most sacred space in Japan. At the Fifth Station there is a shrine where the pilgrims stop to pray and make offerings to the god of the mountain. On our way up to the station, our bus driver pulled over at one point to let us take photos as the summit became, briefly, a little bit visible! There were still clouds on it, but we could make out much more of the shape of the mountain and could see the top. I joined the many pilgrims at the shrine, stopping to make an offering and offer a prayer.
After we left Mt. Fuji we drove on to Hakone, a small town in the state park area that is known for its hot springs. We are staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan (inn). Our rooms are quite spacious, and are completely in the traditional Japanese style. There are tatami mats on the floor and we are not allowed to wear shoes in the room with the mats, which is the sleeping area. In the closets are futons for sleeping on the floor. While we were at dinner, our caretaker came in to the room and made up the futon on the floor for us to sleep tonight. Shortly after we arrived and got settled into our rooms, our guide took all the women into the hot spring spa. In Japan, one is not permitted to wear bathing suits in the hot spring public baths. You have to be willing to go naked or not at all! The ryokan issues us all a kimono to wear during our stay and the rooms are supplied with various sizes of slippers to wear around the ryokan. In the hot spring baths you go in and undress and go into the bathhouse where you first thoroughly rinse off sitting on low stools by hand held showers. Then you enter the hot tub, which is heated to 120 degrees. It was heavenly floating in the hot water after all the hours we have spent on the bus. Then after you soak awhile you shower again. They have bath gel and shampoo and conditioner and all the supplies one needs for cleaning up. Then you go back into the hot water a final time to allow your skin to benefit from the minerals in the hot springs. After the hot spring bath, I went back to my room and relaxed with a beer until it was time for our dinner.
We ate in a private dining room and it was a very traditional Japanese meal, beautifully prepared and presented. A lot of sushi, including vegetables, fish, shellfish and beef, with a pear compote to finish the meal. Most of us wore our kimonos to dinner, and, the banquet room, like our sleeping rooms, have tatami mats on the floor so shoes are not allowed. The whole experience is very simple, elegant and relaxing.
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