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After leaving Mishima Taisha, we also said a temporary goodbye
to Shizuoka Prefecture. Why temporary? Because in a couple of
days, we'd be back again in the city of Fujinomiya (富士宮市) to
visit Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝) and Sengen Taisha (浅間大社)! The may
seem a bit roundabout, but that's mainly because of tonight's
accommodation – Shuhoukaku Kogetsu
(秀峰閣 湖月). |
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Kogetsu is often said to be the most popular and hardest-to-book hot
spring hotel by Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖). The hotel says its
official website
opens bookings three months in advance, but some Japanese online agents
like Rakuten,
Ikyu,
JTB,
Rurubu, and
KNT allow bookings up to six months ahead.
The biggest challenge? Local residents in
Japan can book up to a year in advance by phone, which makes it
even tougher for overseas visitors. You might spot rooms available on
international booking platform, but Kogetsu says
it
doesn't partner with foreign agents and has received complaints of
bookings being paid for but never actually made, so whether to use them
is UP TO YOU. |
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Main entrance of Shuhoukaku Kogetsu |
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As I only began planning this trip in September last year, both the
official website and all the major online agents were already fully
booked. The only option was to keep refreshing the sites and hope for a
cancellation. I started checking daily from 7th September. Thankfully,
on 16th September, I finally spotted a room available on Rakuten for 7th to
9th January. I clicked 'Book' immediately, without even planning the
route, and had to pay in full at once, no option to pay on arrival. |
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This meant adjusting our itinerary around the accommodation, making our
time in Izu a bit rushed. Do I think this booking system is unfair to
foreign visitors? Not really. It makes perfect sense for locals to be
prioritised, just like how it wouldn't feel fair in Hong Kong if
everything catered first to outsiders (especially from mainland China).
In the end, we saved Fujinomiya for after our Lake Kawaguchi stay, which actually
worked out well, we ended up making a full loop around Mount Fuji and
got to admire it from various angles. |
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Private footbath on the balcony |
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The drive from Mishima to Lake Kawaguchi took just over an hour. The
closer we got, the colder it felt, even with the car heater on. After
leaving the motorway, we noticed a thin layer of frost on the road,
which was a bit worrying, but thankfully there were no issues. We
arrived at the hotel exactly at 17:00, the stated latest check-in time.
What happens if you're late? I'm not sure, but I imagine if you ring
ahead to let them know, it should be fine. |
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As soon as we pulled in, a member of staff came over with a guest list
and ticked off our names, also noting down the car's registration
number. That way, they wouldn't need to stop us every time we came or
went. I sneaked a peek at the list, looked like two other groups hadn't
yet arrived. The car park is right in front of the main entrance, very
convenient. If you're not driving, Kogetsu provides a free shuttle
service between Kawaguchiko station and the hotel, available from 14:30
to 18:30. You just need to call once you arrive at the station. |
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Every room offers a view like this of Mount
Fuji, no wonder it's so popular |
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Our balcony gave us an even broader view |
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Once we parked, a staff member brought over a luggage trolley and help
us unload, then led us to reception. Another staff member briefly
explained the hotel facilities, including a complimentary 'Happy Hour'
served between 15:00 and 18:30 (more on that in tomorrow's post). After
check-in, the porter took us to our room, and shortly after, our
attendant (nakai) arrived to introduce the in-room amenities and began
filling the footbath for us. |
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Why is Kogetsu so popular? Mainly because every guest room, the large
public bath, and the private open-air baths all offer clear views of
Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji. Under certain weather conditions, you can
even see the rare 'reverse Fuji' (逆さ富士, a reflection of the mountain on the
still lake surface). |
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This was my first time staying two nights in the same hot spring inn.
Why two nights? Simple, I didn't want to miss out on the stunning view
if the weather turned bad. With two nights, you get two chances. If both
days are cloudy, well... that's just tough luck! |
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Rooms at Kogetsu generally fall into three categories: standard rooms,
rooms with a private footbath, and rooms with an open-air bath. Ours was
a Japanese style 12.5 tatami mat room with a footbath (filled with hot
spring water). As mentioned earlier, we were lucky just to get a room,
we had no choice of type. This room didn't include a private open-air
bath, but there was a tub inside with hot spring water, good enough for
those who really don't like bathing with strangers in the large public
baths. |
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Footbath rooms come in different styles: some Japanese style with a both
(like ours), some Japanese-Western hybrids with beds, and others without
a tub. If you get a room without a tub or book a standard room (either
Japanese or hybrids), you'll need to enjoy a hot spring bath in the
large public bath or hire a private open-air bath (JP¥3,300 for 50
minutues). |
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Dinner was served at 18:00. Smaller group (2~3 people) dined in their
rooms, while larger groups were seated in private rooms within the
dining hall 'Kachôfûgetsu' (花鳥風月).
Our attendant arrived right on time. As she cleared the table, she
noticed a little origami doll folded from a napkin, a keepsake from the
lady at the pork cutlet restaurant in Shimoda, and was genuinely
delighted! Dinner featured 11 items in total, including an apéritif
(pre-dinner drink) and two starters. |
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Apéritif: Umeshu (sweet plum wine), there was a
little white rabbit in the wineware. Adorable! |
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Starter (1): Yuzu kudzu jelly with wasabi and
bonito sauce |
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Start (2): Snow crab roll with shiso-marinated
cucumber and Yukishita carrot in vinegar |
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Entree: Grilled yuba in saikyô miso and prawn
in yellow miso, with seared baby corn, Kurume Hatchô miso,
pinenut-shaped arrowhead, and sanshô leaf miso |
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Soup: sea bream, mooli radish (daikon) and
bamboo shoot tips with hon-shimeji mushrooms in white
miso-flavoured stock |
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Sashimi: Local tuna, Oshino trout and winter
yellowtail, served with lemon-sliced scallop, grated yam with
squid roe, kanjac, celery and garnish |
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Hotpot: Wagyu beef shabu-shabu with assorted
veggies, sesame vinegar dipping sauce, and condiments |
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Simmereed dish: Braised wagyu beef with yam,
winter melon, taro, squash and greens |
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Steamed dish: Crab and chrysanthemum
chawanmushi with creamy radish sauce, edamame and ginger |
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Staple: Rice in sea bream dashi stock, served
wuth assorted pickles |
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Dessert: Apple pudding with strawberry,
kuzumochi, melon, whipped cream and mit |
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We were slightly worried we'd be served the same meal again the next
day. But even before we asked, the nakai assured us that since we were
staying two nights, tomorrow's menu would be different. That was a
lovely gesture, and very thoughtful service as always. |
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Japanese hospitality truly excels in attention to detail. It makes you
fell so well looked after as a guest, but when I put myself in the
staff's shoes, it must be incredibly demanding. That's one reason why,
when considering places to live, I've only thought about the UK and
Taiwan. Some friends ask, 'You love Japan so much, why not move there?'
Well, first of all, immigration into Japan isn't easy. And while it's
perfect as a travel destination, actually living there with that level
of precision and perfectionism isn't something everyone could handle day
in, day out. |
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Beauty salon (across from our room) |
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Entrance to the large public bath |
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Lavender left beside the pillow after the bath |
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After dinner, we rested a bit and then went to enjoy a hot spring bath.
Since our room didn't have a private bath, we had to use the large
public bath. The beauty salon was just across the corridor and offered
face, upper body or full-body treatments at
prices similar to Hong Kong. |
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The large public baths are divided by gender – Aka Fuji (Red Fuji,
赤富士) for women and Kuro
Fuji (Black Fuji, 黒富士)
for men – named after how Mount Fuji appears at dawn and at night. Open
hours are from 15:00 to midnight and 05:00 to 09:30. Some hot spring inn
swap the male and female baths at certain times, but Kogetsu doesn't. It
turned out our room was directly above the men's bath! |
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After the bath, we returned to the room to find the futons already laid
out, and the staff had even placed a piece of lavender beside the
pillows. Lavender is said to promote relaxation and sleep. (Though after
a hot spring, most people would probably sleep well anyway.) Before bed,
I took one last look at the night-time view of Mount Fuji – what they
call Kuro Fuji. Against the deep blue night sky, the mountain stood tall
and black, with a clear crown of snow on the summit. My first time
seeing it in person, and it was genuinely awe-inspiring. |
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Night time Mount Fuji –the view described as 'Kuro
Fuji' |
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Morning Mount Fuji – the view described as 'Aka
Fuji' |
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I woke up around 06:00, still jet-lagged! After a quick wash, I stepped
out to admire the morning view. Having seen Kuro Fuji last night, now I
was treated to Aka Fuji – Mount Fuji tinged faintly red under the early
sunlight. I sat in the balcony footbath again. Once Todd woke up, we
headed to the restaurant for breakfast. |
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Breakfast was a buffet. We gave our room number at the entrance and were
shown to our table. The menu was mainly Japanese – rice or plain congee
(rice porridge) with pickles, cold noodles, hot dishes and salads.
Drinks include hot tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and chilled teas. |
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A highlight was the freshly mad tempura. You couldn't choose what you
got, each portion came with a king prawn, a slice of sweet potato mochi,
and a green bean, served with Himalayan rock salt. Everyone had a number
token – you placed it on the tempura chef's counter, and staff brought
it over when ready. You could reorder if you liked. |
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Terrace footbath 'Suigetsu', where I captured a
man-made 'reverse Fuji' |
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Lake Kawaguchi beside the hotel |
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Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji |
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After breakfast, we had a wander around the hotel, both inside and out.
Just beyond a glass door next to the restaurant is the terrace, which
features an open-air footbath called Suigetsu (水月).
What's special about it is the pond built in front of the footbath. At
first I thought it was just decorative, but once seated in the footbath,
I realised it's meant for photographing a man-made 'reverse Fuji'. |
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To capture a proper reverse Fuji, you need completely calm conditions.
But Lake Kawaguchi is so large that even a light breeze creates ripples.
The small, sheltered pool offers a more reliable reflection. |
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My best shot of the 'reverse Fuji' |
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Beyond the terrace is Lake Kawaguchi. A private path from the hotel
leads directly to the shore. The area isn't strictly private, but since
there's only one public path here, it's mostly hotel guest who wander
down. |
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Lake Kawaguchi
(sometime Kawaguchiko),
along with Lake Motosu (Motosuko,
本栖湖),
Lake Shôji (Shôjiko, 精進湖),
Western Lake (Saiko, 西湖)
and Lake Yamanaka (Yamanakako,
山中湖), makes up the
Fuji Five Lakes. It's the most accessible of the five, and the one with
the most developed tourism. Each season offers its charm: cherry
blossoms (sakura) in spring, lavender in summer, red maple leaves in
autumn, and snow-covered Mount Fuji in winter, like now. |
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Historically, Kawguchiko, Saiko and Shôjiko were once part of a single
massive lake, created 10~20 thousand years ago by a volcanic eruption.
Another eruption in AD 864 sent lave flowing into the lake, dividing it.
Of the three, Lake Kawaguchi is now the largest. |
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Mount Fuji above Lake Kawaguchi |
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Exterior of guest rooms |
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Name sign at main entrance |
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Hotel gift shop – Kaori no Mori |
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Finally, we had a wander around the indoor areas. In the centre of the
lobby is a self-playing piano – Todd called it the 'ghost piano' because
the keys moved on their own 🙄🙄! On the other side is the gift shop,
Kaori no Mori (かおりの森湖,
literally 'Fragrance Forest'), selling everything from local mascots and
skincare products to snacks and regional wines. I picked up some
postcards to send to friends and stopped by the front desk to collect
some fresh towels, time for one last dip in the hot spring bath before
we hit the road... |
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