"If you never visit the Fujisan, you simply have never been to Japan"

Mt. Fuji or Fujisan is one of the most notable destination for visiting Japan. As you might know, or might not know, Fujisan surrounded by five lakes which are Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanakako, Shojiko and Motosuko. Each of them have their own unique view of Fujisan.

In this thread, we will talk specifically about the Lake Saiko, its village,and its view. Since all of them, when combining together, creates one of the most tranquil and magnificent scenery I’ve ever seen.

Group of fishermen by the lake at the entry of the village

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First of all, how do I get there?

They are basically two ways of doing so.

The road map of Fuji five lakes

1. By buses.

Buses are great for tourists with no car or someone who love to watch sceneries along the way. First, you have to take a train to Kawaguchiko. Then, catch the Omni Green Bus at the Kawaguchiko station that takes around 50 minutes to get to Saiko Lake.

PS. For further useful and detailed information about sightseeing bus, sightseeing routes and its timetable please visit http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/heritage-tour/detail/id/1/

2. By rental car or private car.

As it is somewhat not as popular and developed as the Kawaguchiko lake, it has no train station or trains that travel to. You have to drive there and have to be careful since the road traverse along the surface of mountains and the lake. However, this isn’t so far from Tokyo, it takes you roughly around 2 hours going through express ways and 2 hours 30 minutes using normal road.

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Now, let’s take a walk.

When you first came to the place. There will be a parking lot in the middle of the village where little shops of local souvenirs and restrooms settled. You start by walking up along the canal that runs through the heart of the village.

Canal that runs through the heart of the village with a peak of Fujisan

The view we were witnessing is simply peaceful yet so gorgeous!

Moving on, you will find several Sakura blossoming at that time of the year and soon you will find a preserved village, the Iyashi No Sato.

Basically, this is the entrance area of the preserved village

It’s kinda like an open air museum where you walk to different houses to explore different aspects or practices of traditional living. Typically, it opens at 9 am to 5 pm but there might be some changes depend on the season or holidays. The entrance fee is 350 yen. Make sure to have at least an hour or so to explore.

The houses and roads that you are seeing are parts of the open air museum zone

A lovely cafe in a traditional building

Since the village is literally very small, we could easily explore it in an hour or so making this a very good place that fits nicely to a 1-day trip. However, it can be a decent long stay if these kinds of activities or lifestyles are what you love. If you love waking up in the morning with a stunning view of tranquility of the nature. Seeing fishermen swing their fishing rod and waiting still for their fish. There are several hotels along the road to the village that placed just right at the side of the lake that allows you to have all of the above mentioned view. In addition, this isn't as popular as the Kawaguchiko lake making it uncrowded. Person who seek nature and tranquil will get in love with this place for sure.

I'll be leaving you with small sample photos taken. Peace!

PS. This is a family trip.

A family trip should have a photo of family members right?

or perhaps a nice portrait with white cap Fujisan? Assuming that Fujisan wore white cap :)

Last but not least, this taken by the time we were leaving the place

Farewell, Saiko.

These are just some glimpses of what you would find, I encourage “you” to explore more for “yourself”.

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This is one of the good mobile application that helps your Japan trip easier, “Japan Travel” works on both Android and IOS systems.

For Andriod: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navitime.inbound.walk&hl=th

For IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/japan-travel-route-map-jr/id686373726?mt=8