Day 16 – Chasing Mt. Fuji Views 🗻

 

We set out early for a full-day tour to see the iconic Mount Fuji, hoping for clear skies—and we absolutely lucked out.

Our first stop was one of the beautiful Lake Tunuki where the morning was calm and peaceful. Fishermen lined the shore, quietly casting their lines with Mt. Fuji rising in the background—it felt like a postcard come to life.

Next up was Shiraito Falls, a stunning cascade of delicate streams flowing over the rock face. It had such a zen-like atmosphere, the kind of place you could easily linger for hours just taking it all in.

Of course, no tour is complete without a few fun stops along the way. We popped into a souvenir shop for a couple of tees and baseball caps, but the real highlight? Fresh strawberries picked that very morning—¥700 and easily the best I’ve ever tasted. Seriously, nothing compares.

We made a quick stop at a local shrine with Mt. Fuji perfectly framed behind it. A young couple was taking photos, and I couldn’t resist sneaking in a few shots of my own—some moments are just too good to pass up.

Then it was on to sake tasting (because when in Japan…), and naturally we left with a beautiful sake set and a bag of sake almonds—grabbed just in time as the last one on the shelf.

Lunch was at a cozy little local café, where we shared a massive bowl of noodles that was way bigger than expected—but so good.

Our final stop was the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, where we watched a visual film about Mt. Fuji and experienced a unique spiral walk simulating the climb to the summit. At the top, I captured a photo of the mirrored floor reflecting the mountain—such a cool and unexpected perspective.

It was one of those perfect days—clear skies, incredible views, and Mt. Fuji showing off in all its glory… which, as we learned, doesn’t always happen. Feeling very lucky to have witnessed it like this.

Day 14 – Toba: When Plans Go Sideways

I had my heart set on visiting the Ise Shrine today—simple enough, just a quick two-train journey… or so I thought. Somehow, we ended up on the wrong platform after being pointed in the wrong direction and boarded a limited express train going completely the opposite way. Thirty minutes later, we realized our little detour.

With it being a Saturday, train options were limited, and the stations here didn’t have as much English signage, which made things even trickier. I asked a group of four girls for help, and they told us to get off and go three more stops—but at that point, we decided not to risk getting even more lost.

So, we pivoted.

Back to Toba we went, and instead visited the aquarium. To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite. Some of the tanks didn’t seem to be in the best condition, which made it a bit disappointing. But I did catch two walruses just lounging in the sun without a care in the world—definitely the highlight—so of course, I snapped a few photos. And a pic of a Capaberra just lounging on his back without a care in the world.

Toba is known for its pearl divers, and that’s a big draw here. We heard you have to pay about ¥1500 just to cross over to see them, which didn’t seem worth it for us. Instead, we wandered through some local shops, but it was more of the same—lots of packaged foods with no clue what they were, and nothing I really wanted to buy just for the sake of it. I’ve been on the hunt for some good t-shirts as souvenirs, but no luck so far.

Shimizu Port is our last stop, so fingers crossed I find something there… otherwise, it’s coming down to airport shopping.

Even with the travel mishap and change of plans, it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day in Toba—and honestly, that makes all the difference.