How can one claim he/she have been to Japan (specifically Tokyo) without visiting Mount Fuji? Mount Fuji is actually still an active volcano and is located about 100km southwest of Tokyo. It is Japan’s tallest peak at 3,776m.
I took the train from Yokohama (my business trip location) to Gotemba Station in Shizuoka Prefecture which is one of the viewing spot of Mount Fuji. From Gotemba station, I walked for about 30 minutes before arriving at Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park (Gotemba Peace Park). Gotemba is totally different from Yokohama or Tokyo as the streets were very quiet and less busy.
I entered the park before the operating hours since there doesn’t seem to be anybody guarding the place. I walked around the park and found the Mount Fuji viewing platform thanks to the voices of other tourists there. Unfortunately, the view of Mount Fuji was spoiled by the clouds. I couldn’t get a perfect view of Mount Fuji from the viewing platform even after spending an hour at the park. According to internet sources, it seems that the best time to get a perfect view of Mount Fuji is during winter when there are fewer clouds. Perhaps, I will visit Japan again someday during winter.
The park was quite eerie as there were basically no tourists at all. It was quite a big park but you will not see anybody for most of the time. Tour buses will come and go very quickly as they will just drop the tourists at the viewing platform for about 10 minutes and then they will leave. Other than the come-and-go tourists, I could only spot some professional photographers waiting for a perfect Mount Fuji view.
Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park (Gotemba Peace Park)
Address: 3422, Higashi-Tanaka, Gotemba, Shizuoka
Operating Hours: 8.00am to 6.00pm (Daily)
Next, I went back to Yokohama to take my luggage from the hotel and took the train to Tokyo. I checked in at ENAKA Asakusa Central Hostel where I will be staying for the rest of my Japan trip.
All of my family members, friends and colleagues that have been to Japan claimed that the best ramen restaurant is Ichiran. I visited the Ichiran branch at Shinjuku Kabuki-cho and I was lucky since there wasn’t any queue. The staffs at Ichiran can speak English and were very attentive. There also have very clear instructions at the vending machine in English, Chinese and Korean. I ordered the ramen (JPY890) and half-boiled salted egg (JPY130) for a total of JPY1020. The broth and salted egg were really delicious. Now, I know why everyone recommended me to try out Ichiran. Click here for a more detailed blog post of my Ichiran experience.
After my lunch, I decided to just walk around Shinjuku area. It was a very very crowded place since it is a large entertainment, business and shopping area. Its train station, Shinjuku Station, is one of the busiest railway stations in the world.
Next, I took the train to Odaiba, a shopping and entertainment district on man-made island. There used to be a large Gundam statue in front of one of the shopping malls but it was removed just a month before I arrived in Japan. From Odaiba, you can also enjoy the view of the Rainbow Bridge form the walkway just outside the shopping malls. Just like its name suggests, the bridge will glow colorfully in a few different colors. Unfortunately for me, it was just pure white when I visited it.
My dinner for the day is Taco Bell. I knew it was a fast food brand from USA but I didn’t expect I would get to eat it in Japan. I ordered the Fajita Burrito for JPY821 and it was delicious.
Since I was staying in Asakusa, I had the opportunity to visit the Sensoji Temple at night too. And Japan's tallest tower, Tokyo Skytree, was nearby too.
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