Surrounded by Lake Kawaguchi on one side and Mount Fuji on the other — Li Fangyu’s birthday trip to a hidden gem she fell in love with
▲ Breathtaking views with Lake Kawaguchi on one side and Mount Fuji on the other.
Text & photos byLi Fangyu
Everything wonderful started with this hotel. Over the weekend, I’m here to share my recent Saitama birthday trip. Actually, half a year ago, after seeing a Japanese TV show featuring Fuji Ginkei, a hotel located by Lake Kawaguchi, I was completely captivated by the breathtaking view of soaking in the onsen with Lake Kawaguchi on one side and Mount Fuji on the other — and that’s how I began planning this birthday getaway.
▲ Grilled persimmon at Fuji Ginkei | Image placeholder/question mark unclear
In addition to its open-air bath, every room at this hot spring hotel offers views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. Coupled with professional, traditional service and impeccable kaiseki cuisine, the highlight was definitely the surprise they prepared for my birthday even though I never mentioned it — the entire stay can only be described as totally worth it!!! So heartwarming!!! I wholeheartedly recommend it!!
▲ % Image placeholder unclear / strong
Also, here are a few extra photos from our trip — Lake Yamanaka, which sees even fewer foreign tourists than Lake Kawaguchi. The room we stayed in at Laforet Yamanakako was really spacious. Compared to the breakfast and dinner we had elsewhere, the value here was great. You can get a private onsen experience for just around ¥6,000, which is such great cost-performance. Recommended for family trips. Lake Kawaguchi, close to Tokyo, has a train station and the hotel even provides pick-up service. So you don’t always have to go to Hakone for onsen (to be honest, I don’t like Hakone — too many people). With Lake Kawaguchi on one side and Mount Fuji on the other, its charming appeal is well worth the trip.
▲ Lake Yamanaka
#Yuyi’s Busy Day – Back in Tokyo
Let me share a bit about Tsukiji Market, soon to be demolished and often referred to as the “kitchen of Tokyo.” We went there for breakfast, and of course, had seafood. Since it used to be a fish market, we tried two places and the seafood was super fresh, so if you visit, just eat freely — you probably won’t hit any bad spots. Now, what should you eat if you don’t consume raw fish? I recommend Inoue (Tsukiji Outer Market), which has a connection with the Tsukiji retail market. It also has a great selection of grilled skewers. The grilled chicken thigh I had wasn’t just delicious but incredibly juicy. There were also omelets with perfectly golden layers and just the right seasoning — also a must-try.
▲ % Image of Tsukiji Market experience / strong
Now for the not-so-great part — since it was my first time at Tsukiji, I wanted to try everything, which led to a situation where we’d go into the places we were excited about and wait outside for ones we weren’t as interested in. My elder family member sat down to rest beside a parked motorcycle, and a staff member from one shop came out yelling angrily. We immediately apologized and stood up, but he was so awful he actually tried to lift up the seat cushion to make us trip and kept shouting aggressively: “Get out of here!” I was absolutely furious, but we figured we were somewhat in the wrong initially, so we held back. But once I calmed down, I couldn’t let my family be treated that way. Even with my broken Japanese, I stormed over to the shop, pointed at him, and yelled: “Do you think I’m a foreigner so you can bully me? Is this fun for you? What the hell are you doing? Get lost!!!”
In conclusion — Tsukiji Market has a lot of unfriendly Japanese people, and even if it’s a must-visit spot, you don’t have to go. But people like that shouldn’t give all Taiwanese a bad name — we’re not pushovers. Also, we visited Saitama’s famous wine region (Kofu), went straight to a farm to pick fruit. During this season, you can pick grapes and peaches. The pros go straight for the Emerald grapes that sell for $3,000 per bunch in high-end supermarkets in Taiwan — this variety is also the most expensive in Japan. We picked two bunches for just ¥2,800 — what a steal!!
▲ % Image of grapes being picked / strong
Li Fangyu’s Facebook: Fangyu FiSha Lee
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