The Morning I Woke Up Beside Mount Fuji | EP06

The Morning I Woke Up Beside Mount Fuji | EP06

Good morning, guys. So, it is the first morning that I’m waking up in the camper van and um this is officially the first night that I could sleep properly as well. Um I was awake quite often, but um yeah, I just forced myself, kept my eyes closed and just forced myself to fall asleep again. And actually, for the first time, it worked since I’ve left home. So, I feel quite a bit more rested than what I did yesterday, which is good. But guys, just experience this quickly, Mount Fuji. Yo, guys, I’m still so sleepy, though. Um, my eyes feel fat. But, um, yeah, obviously I just had to come take a photo of Mount Fuji with my classic camera that I’ve bought. Um yeah, but I think I need to get somewhere where I can um just wash my face and put some water on my hair and those kind of things. Oh, this is amazing. I didn’t even see this, guys. like so close to um where I’m parked. There is actually a public bathroom. [Music] So that place guys uh last night that round the round part the middle part of that building was all lit up from the inside at the top and the bottom there chandeliers and people were sitting there dining. So I’m assuming it’s a hotel or something. Um but it looks very very nice like super high glass and um the chandeliers just from the outside it it looks incredible. But yeah, guys, so today today is a lot of excitement again. We’ve got so much planned with the drive. Just so much to see, so many beautiful roads that we’re going to take. Um I’m actually quite excited for this. I I I spend quite a bit um just scrolling around on Google and specifically on this day because there’s this one road that I really want to try and drive with this car. um with the van and see if I’m able to because I think that might be very beautiful. And also guys, I’m actually on my way now. Um I’m going to be very early though, but I’m on my way making my way towards Fuji Speedway and um but that will be a separate video. Um it won’t be, you know, uh in this specific episode. Um that is something completely different again. But um yeah, so this day is action-packed, full full of things that’s happening. So yeah, don’t miss out. All right, guys. So, seeing that I’m busy driving, um I might as well tell you a quick story uh of what happened last night. Um so last night I ended up at one of the traditional onens and um obviously I need to shower somewhere in the whole situation. So, um I ended up Yeah. at the at the traditional onen is next next to a next to a resort basically. There’s also um a theme park. So, they’ve got rides there and um like a ferris wheel and the whole thing. It’s it’s it’s massive. Anyways, so um what happened was I arrived there and it’s a bird in the road. Doesn’t even my words. Just look at this view, guys. Sorry I’m so interrupting it all the time, but just I mean just look at this. So anyways, um I arrived there and I asked the people if I’m allowed in because obviously it’s a traditional onen and they said, “Yeah, no problem at all.” So you get there, you take your shoes off and um then you put them in a locker and you get a key and that key has another locker of the same number um on the inside closer to the onson. But yeah, so what happens then is you um you go into the locker room, you obviously undress and you then go to the shower area where everyone showers and from there you go into the onson but you have to be properly properly clean and wash yourself um like thoroughly and then from there everyone just goes into the onson and they’ve got four floors. The bottom one is with all the baths and they’ve got the cold plunge. They’ve got a sauna there. They’ve got an outside area you can sit on seating. Um, and also with more hot baths on on the outside of the building. On the second floor, they’ve got massage chairs. They got another sauna with massaging. There’s a restaurant. There’s there’s just so many things. A hammock room. There’s just so many things to do. It is absolutely crazy. So, um, they give you a towel. They give you literally um body wash and shampoo and everything that you need. Afterwards, there’s area where you have hair dryers and earbuds and creams and lotions and everything. It is mad. They give you the even the towels. And when I left um and I had to pay it was um 188 rand. I mean and you you can come in the morning, you can stay the whole day if you want. Um yeah, it’s it’s absolutely insane. I would love something like that, but um yeah, uh I must admit the Japanese know how to do that part. That is for sure. It was so relaxing. I ended up staying for like I think it was there for an hour and a half. Um it was just so much fun. somewhere in Japan. I’m waiting for you guys. This is the drive towards uh Fuji Speedway and it’s called the Fuji Panor Panorama Line if I’m not mistaken by the looks of it. Um, yo, this is absolutely gorgeous. I feel like I’m saying that 130 times a day. Not sure if you guys can see there in the distance, but it is just dense, dense forest everywhere. Literally everywhere. I stopped in a little village now on my way to um to to Fuji Speedway and um yeah, this parking lot, as you can see, I don’t think it’s being used anymore really. Um but guys, just have a look at this. Everywhere I go, like anything away from tarmac, then you start seeing that. I don’t know if you can see the the spider webs. Um, but there is massive spider webs as in massive ones sitting there. And the spiders in there, they are also Yeah, they are monster sized. And um I’ve stopped at a few spots next to the road now. And then I just want to walk like a little foot path. I want to walk to see the the lookout points, but nope. They’re literally sitting across the road like from the one tree to the other or the one bush to the other. There is no ways. There is no ways. And then um seeing that this is JDM country, you will have a wheel at Toyota like a whole rim with a cap and a tire. Actually, that tire is in perfect condition. Just sitting here in a parking lot. Okay, that’s easy. No need to go buy one. Yeah. All right, guys. Um, my air con pump on this on this van is very, very noisy. I don’t know how long that one’s going to last. Well, let’s see. Anyways, um so guys, in a little while I’ll be arriving at a fuel station. I’m not sure what it looks like, but yeah, I need to put some fuel in again. So, let’s go find that filling station. Wonder if I can turn in that side. Probably not. Uh uh visa card. Oh, okay. You want the pin number? Uh pin number. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um full, please. Okay. I think. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Um guys, look at the that’s the fuel hose hanging from the roof. How different is that? Eh, but yeah, look at this little shop. My word, this is tiny. This obviously used to be a full-on workshop at some point. You can see um not much is happening here. And then this is the little little office. So, yeah, filling up this bad boy. So, then we can go quite far again. But, um, have a look at that building over there. So, it looks so old and it’s a very beautiful cemetery over there. Yeah, I think this is I think this is uh Subashiri, this town. I think so if I’m not mistaken. Um although this is maybe just a little bit on the outskirt. Um yeah, anyways, let’s play quickly. You see that military vehicle? That’s pretty cool. It’s like a Humvey, but is it a HMV though? I’m not sure. No, it’s probably not. Looks the same, but but different. Anyways, um all right, guys. So, it was uh 7,000 yen to fill up the camper van, which is 830 rand. Um, wow. How cool is that? Not sure how far I can go with the tank, though. Um, I didn’t really Oh my word, how beautiful is that? No, I can’t park. Can’t park there. Um anyways, um yeah. So I’ll need to check my kilometers that I can do, but I’m not going to drive it empty anyways. So um yeah, but check this uh town we’re in now. Guys, actually decided I’m going to turn around. I want to go to that to that to gate. Um yeah, I want to go stop there somewhere and see that quickly. I want to um we still have time, a lot of time left because it’s now only 25 to 9 and um yeah, we can explore. We can do whatever we want because um my appointment is only for 11:30 at Fuji Speedway and I’m not far from there. I’m 14 minutes away from there. So um yeah, I don’t know if I’m going to get traffic somewhere. According to maps, I’m not. But I don’t want to take the chance though because I only have this one session today. So I I can’t miss it. Um yeah. Anyways, let’s um let’s park here quickly and let me see what this is about cuz it’s beautiful. So this is uh what I saw when I drove past. So beautiful. The little bridge, the water running down here. Look at the waterfall. And then there’s a temple in there. Yeah, this is absolutely beautiful. Oh, just look at this tree. And then people put their like it’s notes or something they put on there. Oh, this is beautiful. So guys, I left the car running, so I’m not going to go in. Um, but I can see it’s it’s the same as the one that I went to in Tokyo by that park. Um, well, I mean, it looks the same like it’s the entrance building and then the temple on the back side with like the courtyard in the middle. Um, and then obviously the Tory gate at the front. Um, yeah. Yeah, it’s crazy how well it’s kept maintained. Just how beautiful everything is over here. Um but yeah, let’s head on towards uh Fuji and um I’m pretty sure we’ll see some more stuff along the way that um that’s worth stopping for. All right, guys. We are really going on an adventure. We’re in this neighborhood between the houses and just look at the little roads here. The roads I’ve been taking now like if you there’s more than one car on the road it’s like squeezing past each other. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Well, we made it. Look where that guy parks. This is a crazy part for me. It’s just how tight everything is over here. How small everything is. It’s tiny. [Music] Right. I just uh parked over here because look at this. in this little town. So, I’m heading down this road and um yeah, I came across this. Just look how perfect everything is. So well kept. No grass anywhere. No leaves, nothing. And um it’s obviously where um that’s a temple where everyone goes to to bow and I’ve seen him do it. And then there’s a statue up there. Let’s go a bit closer. Oh, this is beautiful. I love these standing everywhere. This is very cool. You can see the roof of the temple up there. There’s quite a bit of uh mist rolling in. Not sure if you guys can see it, but it’s coming in quite a lot now. Um for the Supra on Fuji, I wonder if I prefer it wet or dry because in the in the wet it slides easier the drifting. But um yeah, I think dry is going to be faster. So either or is going to be fun. All right, guys. And now we arriving in Kotimba City. Um I I’ve seen one building, Kotimba City. Um, yeah, I don’t see any other buildings here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are completely overgrown. [Music] Guys, I don’t know where I’m going to stop now. I’m very close to a big ditch over here. But I want to show you guys something. I saw it actually driving past. Um, just look at this forest over here, guys. Just look. I don’t know if you can see the amount of spiderw webs, but it’s literally everywhere. All the way up to those wires, all the way up to the top ones. And there are spiders literally everywhere. And they they are like this big. They are massive. They are massive. Especially this one here in the middle. I don’t know. Um, right over there. I promise you that with his legs open, that thing will almost cover the size of my hand. My word. And it’s it’s everywhere, guys. It’s literally everywhere. Even that guy up there on the pole agrees. He’s like, “Nope, this is no fun.” How do you guys like my parking though? No. One can tell me I didn’t try to get out of the road as much as possible. All right, let’s head out. I am still shocked. Sorry if you guys are not interested by those kind of things, but for me that is crazy the amount of spiders I see on this trip. So, I weren’t able to turn in now to turn off that main road or that main road, the mountain road that I was on. Um, but I came across just this all of a sudden in the clearing between the trees there’s this massive golf course, but I mean massive. When I drive past the parking lot, like in between the trees, by the big parking lot with a massive building. And guys, it is packed. Like, it is packed. Have a look at this. Now, this is a pole with with with a tree. And then there’s spiderw webs with spiders everywhere. But look at that guy in the middle. I mean, that does not even make sense to me. I wonder if that one is dangerous. I don’t know how to make it that way. You guys can see him better. Oh my word. Oh, it freaks me out. My word. Um, anyways, so this is the Fuji Cemetery and Gardens, and they’ve got a restaurant and a coffee shop over here. Um, but guys, just look at this view all the way up here. I assume you park I don’t know this is parking where I’ve stopped. It looks like maybe like more for buses or something. I’m not sure. Um, but yeah, but people drive all the way up there. But um I came from that direction where the truck is coming from and I’m going that way and I’m not far from Fuji Speedway. As you guys have noticed, I take quite a while to get there. I just keep seeing things that I want to stop at. Um, yeah, I probably don’t have to drive very far with this with this uh travel vlog because um yeah, I can stop every 50 m and there’s something that interests me. [Music]

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🌍 Episode 6 | Waking up to Mount Fuji, Hidden Shrines, and Village Roads

My first full morning in the campervan… and what a view to wake up to. Lake Yamanaka calmly in front of me, and Mount Fuji — peeking out through the morning mist. In today’s episode, I drive through dense mountain forests, pass through tiny Japanese villages on roads barely wide enough for my van, and stumble upon shrines tucked away in the trees.

I also tell the story of my first traditional Japanese onsen experience the night before — a true culture shock in the best way. Along the road, I encounter abandoned cars, an ancient fuel station manned by an elderly lady, roadside food stops, and so many spiders — perched on power lines, bushes, and even beside a few forgotten homes.

This is real Japan — quiet, hidden, and hauntingly beautiful.

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🙏 Huge thank you to Samurai Campers for the campervan.

0:00 Waking up next to Mt Fuji
1:54 And we’re off
3:34 Onsen story time
6:45 Fuji Panorama Line
9:48 Gas station experience
13:16 Beautiful shrine
16:29 Let’s explore a small village
20:54 Let’s hit the road again
21:39 Another spider bit 🙂
23:36 Cemetery and gardens
25:45 Outro