Chasing Mount Fuji 🌸 富士山 🇯🇵 Japan travel vlog

Chasing Mount Fuji 🌸 富士山 🇯🇵 Japan travel vlog

Hi guys! We are taking the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Shin-Fuji. The Shinkansen ride will be about two and a half hours. We are so excited to chase Mount Fuji! But today Fuji-san is half shy. Having our ekiben lunch bought at Kyoto train station. Mrs is trying to explain what’s inside. 😂 Nippon Rent-A-Car is conveniently located near Shin-Fuji station. Fuji-san here we come! It’s a pity Fuji-san is very shy today. A famous Sakura viewing spot in Shizouka. We are too late to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms here,
and Fuji-san is still shy. A quick cafe break at Makaino Farm. Cheesecake while enjoying Fuji-san! Chanced upon this quiet FamilyMart which has a Mount Fuji view! The sun is setting. Stopping by a random spot along the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko. Peak shy Fuji-san. Weather forecast is clear skies tomorrow. Praying for the best. 🗻 Fuji-san and Sakura 🌸 Hoto Noodles look like udon, but are prepared like dumplings. Chicken or pork, with vegetables all in this hearty miso soup! Perfect for this chilly spring weather. Our guesthouse for the night is just 5 mins walk from the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko. The owner is very friendly and welcoming! He shared with us that Sakura flowers are in full bloom along the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko. Mount Fuji visibility is expected to be good tomorrow! So excited! Beautiful starry night at 3 a.m. This scene is too good to be true! Let’s go on a night photography adventure. View from our guesthouse! Hear my panting, it is a 398 steps climb up! Rushed here for a rare photo opportunity. This is the day where all the elements align! It’s 5:30 a.m. and there is already a crowd. It’s just so surreal. I can see why this is one of the most famous Sakura viewing spots in Japan! The other side of the hill is covered with Sakura trees in full bloom! Instead of walking back down the steps from the pagoda, turn left after exiting the pagoda to come here. Surprised it is not as crowded. Such rewarding views. All our research on Sakura flowering and weather forecasts really paid off! So happy to see a clear Fuji-san and full bloom Sakuras! Deeply moved by such beautiful scenery. Torii gate at the foot of the hill framing Fuji-san. We spent the rest of the morning walking along the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko. We drove towards Lake Saiko for this beautiful place. The village of Nemba was once called “the most beautiful village in Japan.” Nemba village was destroyed by a landslide during a typhoon in 1966. The peaceful lifestyle of the villagers was lost in an instant, and the village disappeared. Forty years later, the village was reconstructed, reviving the beautiful scenery of the original thatched-roof village. With Fuji-san in view, we can understand how beautiful and peaceful Nemba village is. Now it serves as an open air museum and traditional craft village. It will be lovely once the Sakura blooms in a few more days. Situated at the highest point of the village, it’s a beautiful place to admire Mount Fuji from here. Wouldn’t you want to live here? From where I am filming, a deep sense of peace overflows inside me. We hope you share that same peace as we do. We really thank God for such beautiful weather! The only convenience store located in Lake Shoji. It’s a very rural and out of nowhere location. Seems to be the perfect fit for the Netflix drama “The Hot Spot”. We need to stock up on some snacks and breakfast. “The Hot Spot” merchandise for sale here. Looks like some alien-looking food that was featured in the show. I am so curious to watch! Shop’s popular item, eclair with custard cream, and it’s really good! Highly recommended! We will be staying in this hotel that was featured in the Netflix drama “The Hot Spot”. We are thankful for such a beautiful sunset scene of Mount Fuji. The reason for booking this hotel is… Tadaa! Mount Fuji view from the balcony! Fuji-san does look very close from our room. We are still in time to order dinner from the hotel. Wagyu beef grilled on Mount Fuji lava stone! In the hotel’s photo exhibition room on the 3rd floor, you can see the hotel signboard “Lake Hotel Asanoko” used in the Netflix drama “The Hot Spot”. Good morning Fuji-san 😍 Inverted Fuji 😍 Fans of the anime “Yuru Camp” will know that Lake Shoji was featured in Season 3, episode 1. Lake Shoji’s Mount Fuji view is often known as “Fuji cradling a child”. Can you imagine the scene of a child being held in Mount Fuji’s arms? The iconic bench scene where the actors sat here in the Netflix drama “The Hot Spot”. We are too early for the Sakura blooms along Lake Shoji. It’s really peaceful here compared to Lake Kawaguchiko. Imitating the shot where Kiyomi cycles to work in the fictional Lake Hotel Asanoko. I am getting curious. Have you watched “The Hot Spot”? Spending quality time admiring this view from our balcony. View from the comics library in the hotel lobby. The hotel lobby doesn’t look the same as in the show 😆 Bought this cup noodle from the Yamazaki convenience store. Having Mt Fuji cup noodles in front of Mount Fuji. See you again Fuji-san, in Lake Motosu. We had a wonderful stay in Shoji Mount Hotel. Hoto for lunch, and this one has loads of pumpkin in it! A famous spot that is featured on the 1000 yen note. Let’s try to match the scene to the 1000 yen note. It is not easy to match the 1000 yen note to the actual scenery. Bringing it closer… Steady hands is a must! Almost there!! Got it! We ended up with a 1000 yen note with many folds 😅 Actual location featured in the anime “Yuru Camp”, where Nadeshiko was sleeping on the toilet bench. We met some travellers who came here because they watched the anime “Yuru Camp”. After our trip, we watched “Yuru Camp” and we are so in love with the laid-back vibe of the anime. Time to have coffee in this lodge featured in “Yuru Camp”, Season 1, episode 1. A haven for “Yuru Camp” fans! Rin and Nadeshiko. Kouan is full of cute “Yuru Camp” merchandise. We regret not buying any home 😢 These figurines look so good! Feeling so laid-back here ☺️ Next up, we will be heading to Makaino Farm. We are back at the FamilyMart with Mount Fuji view! A great alternative to the famous Lawson Mount Fuji view 😂 This farm resort offers many photo opportunities with Mount Fuji as the backdrop. Let’s go try the swing! There is information on how and where to take the best photo! You just need to place your camera at the suggested spot to take a nice photo with Mount Fuji. So many photo opportunities! Even a photo spot to take reflection shots of Mount Fuji! Thankful for some Sakura blooms too and a beautiful weather! This is one of the highlights that many are queuing up for. We have to climb up for this awesome view. Feels like we are in a sky cafe overlooking Mount Fuji. It looks really fun right! Left my phone camera at a designated photo spot for this angle. Highly recommend to come here when the visibility of Mount Fuji is good! 👍 Good job to both of us 👍 Thank you so much for watching our Mount Fuji vlog!

Chasing Mount Fuji during the Cherry Blossoms season when all the elements align! We had a peaceful time discovering 4 out of the 5 Fuji lakes, away from the crowds. We also visited Netflix “The Hot Spot” and the anime “Yuru Camp” real life locations.

[ This video has subtitles. Tap CC to show subtitles. ]
🌸 Spring 15th – 17th April 2025 🌸
00:00 intro
00:32 Kyoto to Lake Kawaguchiko
03:06 Starry night Lake Kawaguchiko & Mt. Fuji
04:25 Chureito Pagoda 忠霊塔 Sakuras & Mt. Fuji
06:04 Sakuras Northern Shores of Lake Kawaguchiko
07:25 Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nemba 西湖いやしの里 根場
09:29 Netflix “The Hot Spot” filming locations
10:32 Lake Shoji & Mt. Fuji Sunset view + Shoji Mount Hotel
11:57 Good morning Fuji-san & Lake Shoji
13:41 Shoji Mount Hotel (Netflix “The Hot Spot” filming location)
14:39 Lake Motosu (Mt.Fuji 1000yen viewpoint & Yuru Camp holy site)
16:39 Makaino Farm Resort

This video is a continuation of our Japan Sakura vlog series, check out episode 3 here:

Very useful website to check for Mount Fuji visibility forecast.
https://fuji-san.info/en/index.html

📍GoogleMap ⛩️
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Gusthof Melange
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZPgjBxNDMyMUcL1a9
KANJYUKUYA Hoto Noodles
https://maps.app.goo.gl/U11VDcD9per5C2ccA
Chureito Pagoda
https://maps.app.goo.gl/phSar9DFfcLBH8Jy7
Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JRnzsoQHkyda5hC3A
Shoji Mount Hotel
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GxTrVQptkxfiacGF8
Kouan
https://maps.app.goo.gl/K3zLZbMrrpTpcP5k8
FamilyMart with Mount Fuji view
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LwayMZ7HSLdxUjQq7
Makaino Farm Resort
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HySXnUeTukrCgkjE9
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Music from Artlist
https://artlist.io/referral/f98310e2-88bf-4f80-b7a4-202b67d3b393

Equipment used:
Sony A7Cii
Sony Zeiss 24-70mm f4
Sony FE 35mm f1.8
Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8
Dji Flip drone
Dji Osmo Pocket 3
Insta360 X3
Sony Xperia 1V
Apple iPhone 14 Pro

#mountfuji #富士山 #kawaguchiko