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After enjoying a hot spring bath at the hotel, we set off for today's
journey. Since we are staying near Lake Kawaguchi for two nights,
today's activities are all within the vicinity, making it the most
relaxing day of the trip. |
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The first stop today is Fujisan Yôhaijo (富士山遥拝所),
more commonly known as the 'Torii Gate in the Sky' (天空の鳥居). Located on
the
back mountain of Kawaguchi Asama Jinja (河口浅間神社), it's about a 10-minute drive
from our hotel. While you can drive directly up the mountain, the road
is quite narrow, just a single lane. You'll need to be cautious of
oncoming traffic and hikers, so it's important to drive slowly. |
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There are signposts directing you after parking |
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There is a
car
park near the Yôhaijo, and after parking, it's about a 5-minute walk
uphill. However, the car park can only accommodate 5 to 6 cars. Fortunately,
when we arrived, there was still space. If it had been full, we would
have had to park at the shrine's car park at the foothill (if you
continue driving past the Yôhaijo, there's a junction where you can turn
around). The shrine has three car parks (Fire
Brigade Post,
Asama Plaza, and
the
South car park), which can park up to 50 cars. It takes about 30
minutes to walk to the Yôhaijo from the shrine. |
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The term 'Yôhaijo' refers to a place where one prays for something from
a distance, and in this case, the Yôhaijo is for worshipping Mount Fuji.
Why worship a mountain? In Shinto belief, everything can be a vessel or
embodiment of a deity, and Mt Fuji is seen as the dwelling or
incarnation of Konohanasakuya-hime. The Yôhaijo is popular not just for
religious reasons but also because of its view, offering a perfect frame
through the torii gate to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji's grandeur. |
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The path to the 'Torii Gate in the Sky' |
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To enter Fujisan Yôhaijo, a JP¥200 fixed price 'donation' is charged,
which is not too dear for visitors. Generally, religious sites like
shrines and temples don't charge an entry fee, which piqued my
curiosity. I decided to check whether this place is officially
affiliated with the shrine, and I'll share the answer later. The Yôhaijo
has two 'Torii Gates in the Sky' and a small shop selling Mt
Fuji-related souvenirs. Additionally, the area is home to many cherry
blossoms, making it a popular spot for photos during the blooming
season. |
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The Yôhaijo is relately new, having been built in 2019. It was initially
free to enter, but in July 2022, a JP¥100 'donation' was
introduced, later increasing to JP¥200. Visitors should note that
photography is only allowed in certain areas, and tripods are generally banned.
If you want to take professional photos (such as wedding, religious
ceremony, or maternity shoots) or hire a photographer, you need to apply
for permission and pay an additional fee, which can be arranged at the
shop. Taking professional photos without permission will incur a
JP¥10,000 charge. |
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The Torii Gate in the Sky |
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Although Fujisan Yôhaijo is located on the back mountain of Kawaguchi
Asama Jinja, many people assume its is owned and managed by the shrine.
This is not the case. The
shrine's website
doesn't mention the Yôhaijo, and the Yôhaijo has its
own
website. While it's not entirely accurate to say the two are
unrelated, in fact, the Yôhaijo is on private land, and according to its
website, it is operated by Asamasha LLC (合同会社浅間社),
found by NAKATA Susumu (中田 進). |
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So who is Nakata? According to the website of Yamanashi Prefecture Shrine
Association (山梨県神社庁), Nakata is the Chief Priest of Kawaguchi Asama Jinja. It
seems likely that the Yôhaijo is located on privately owned land
belonging to Nakata. Although the shrine and the Yôhaijo are not
officially connected, they have a close relationship, which is why
visitors are advised to park at the shrine's car park. But honestly, who
owns the Yôhaijo isn't really important for visitors; it's just me being
overly curious! |
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The torii gate with Mt Fuji in the background |
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'Asama' and 'Sengen' are same written '浅間'
in kanji (Japanised Chinese character), and both Asama Jinja and Sengen
Jinja refer to shrines of the same nature. Kawaguchi Asama Jinja is one
of the few that retains the pronuciation 'Asama', while most others
pronounce it 'Sengen'. 'Asama' in ancient Japanese means 'volcano'. |
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Another 10 minutes up the mountain from the Yôhaijo is a waterfall spot,
Hahanoshirataki (母の白滝,
literally 'the Fall of Mother'). This is indeed within the shrine's
grounds, and there is a small Hahanoshirataki Shrine dedicated to the
mother of Konohanasakuya-hime's husband, Niniginomikoto (瓊瓊杵尊).
This is where the waterfall's name come from. However, we didn't make
the hike to this spot today. After visiting the Torii Gate, we headed
down to another location and stopped by the Kawaguchi Post Office to
mail the postcards we bought this morning. |
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Mt Fuji Panorama Ropeway (Kawaguchi Kohan
station) |
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Signboard for Kawaguchi Kohan station |
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The cable car is arriving! |
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The platform at the summit station, Fujimidai |
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The second attraction of the day is the
Mt Fuji Panorama Ropeway (富士山パノラマロープウェイ).
It's about a 15-minute drive from the Torii Gate. There's a free and
large car park near the station at the foothill. The ropeway (cable car)
return fare for adults is JP¥1,000. There are also package deals,
including a V Coupon for the Kawaguchi Lake sightseeing boat for
JP¥1,700, and an R Coupon, which includes the sightseeing boat plus
bus-pass around Lake Kawaguchi, Western Lake, and Lake Motosu for 2
days, priced at JP¥3,300. |
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Operated by Fujikyu, the ropeway has two stations: the bottom station at
Kawaguchi Kohon (河口湖畔)
and the top station at Fujimidai (富士見台) in Tenjôzan Park (天上山公園).
The total length of the ropeway is about 460 metres, and the ride takes
around 3 minutes. It uses an aerial tramway system, which have two
carriages in the system, each holding 36 people. While this type of
cable car is used at many tourist spots in Japan, I personally think
it's more suited for commuting (like the Roosevelt Island Tramway in New
York). For sightseeing, a circular cable car system, like the London
Cable Car (formerly the Emirates Air Line), would be better. |
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The cable car coming down |
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Enjoying the view of Mt Fuji from the summit |
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Tanuki Tango (Grilled sticky rice ball 'The
Raccoon Dog') |
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Continuing to admire Mt Fuji |
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The aerial tramway carriage has large cabins that can carry many people,
and the ride is fairly quick. However, for sightseeing, it feels a bit
like squashed into a busy tube train, those in the middle can't see the
view, and those by the window can only see one side. You don't get much
time to enjoy the view before you have to alight, making the 'Mt Fuji
Panorama Ropeway' somewhat misleading in its name. The real panoramic
view of Mt Fuji is from Tenjôzan Park on the summit. |
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Aside from the scenic spot, there's also a Usagi Jinja (Rabbit Shrine)
and a Tanuki Chaya (Raccoon Dog's Teahouse). The most famous dish at the
teahouse is the grilled sticky rice balls, which come in two flavours:
savoury (soy sauce) 'the Raccoon Dog' and sweet (baked soy flour) 'the
Rabbit'. Although I found the grilled sticky rice balls a bit filling, I
bought a serving of 'the Raccoon Dog' to fit in with the atmosphere.
From the moment we entered the bottom station, we noticed many
decorations of rabbits and raccoon dogs. Why are rabbits and raccoon
dogs everywhere here? |
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Usagi Jinja (Rabbit Shrine) |
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A popular photo spot on the summit |
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Lake Kawaguchi and Mt Yatsugatake |
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The rabbit and raccoon dog are characters from the Japanese folktale
'Mount Kachi-Kachi' (カチカチ山).
Once, an old man caught a mischievous raccoon dog in the fields and
brought it home, asking his wife to cook 'raccoon dog soup' while he
went back to work. However, the raccoon dog killed the old man's wife
and cooked 'old man's wife soup'. When the old man came home and drank
the soup, he was heartbroken when he discovered the truth. So, the
rabbit decided to take revenge for the old man. |
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The rabbit set the raccoon dog's back on fire, then rubbed mustard on
the burn. Next, the rabbit invited the raccoon dog to go boating,
sitting in a wooden boat while the raccoon dog had to sit in a mud boat.
The mud boat sank, and the raccon dog drowned. The story's name 'Kachi-Kachi'
refers to the crackling sound of the fire on the raccoon dog's back.
It's said that the scene of the raccoon dog's drowning happened at Lake
Kawaguchi, with Tenjôzan being the setting of the story. Why do fairy
tales across the world have to be so gruesome? Even the original Grimm's
Fairy Tales are pretty bloody! |
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The cable car for foothill is approaching |
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The rabbit became a symbol of 'justice', and since Tenjôzan is the
entrance of Mt Mitsutoge, one of Yamanashi's top 100 mountains, a Rabbit
Shrine was set up for climbers to pray for safety and strong legs. It's
important to note that this is not a real shrine but rather a visitor
facility. The raccoon dog has long been seen as a sly villain in
Japanese folklore, but in Studio Ghibli's 'Pom Poko' (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ),
the raccoon dog was given a redemption arc. The 'bad' nature of the
raccoon dog is really something forced upon it by humans. |
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Even in 'Mount Kachi-Kachi', the raccoon dog didn't harm the old man's
wife first; it was the old man and his wife who first planned to kill
the raccoon dog! In the real world, there are many 'righteous' figures
like the rabbit, who only see the pitiable side of things and act in the
name of justice. There is a proverb in Chinese language 'those who are
pitiful must have something to hate; those who are hated must have
something to pity.' (可憐之人，必有可恨之處；可恨之人，必有可悲之苦。) |
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After taking the cable car down, I was immediately drawn in by the smell
of butter. Following the scent, I found the cookie shop, Fujiyama
Cookie, just below the station. The shop was packed with customers
buying cookies. The cookies come in many flavours, all shaped like Mt
Fuji, with some parts of 'summit' dipped in white icing to resemble
snow. My favourite is the plain one, without any icing or dried fruit!
But by the time I got there, only one piece of original butter, green
tea, and coffee flavours were left, so I bought the last three
pieces.😭😭 |
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| Nearby, there are a few souvenir shops, and we popped into
one. It felt like one of those places tour groups usually visit,
so we left after a quick look around. We then hopped back in the
car and headed for Fujiyoshida... |
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