Day 90-91 Upside Down Mt Fuji and a Giant Swan Ship
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One major reason why I wanted to cycle closer to Mt Fuji was to see Sakasa Fuji, literally meaning, Upside Down Mt Fuji. Mt Fuji has many different nicknames, depending on the way the clouds cover the mountain, or by how the sun shines from behind her. The mirrored reflection of Mt Fuji appears on the surrounding lakes, only when the water is dead flat. This seems easy to come across, but the weather conditions have to be just so.
Waking up by Lake Kawaguchi, I walked across the bridge to catch Mt Fuji in the early morning haze. It was near perfect in its faint appearance, as if it were a huge water color painting in front of me. No, there was no blue sky, nor a clear definition of the mountain, but it felt just right.
Not only was I lucky with Mt Fuji being in a good mood, the wind in the morning decided to wait just until I was done with my morning walk. Twenty minutes later, I could not longer see the mirrored Mt Fuji on the lake.
Moving on from the dreamy images of Mt Fuji, let me show you unreal in another way. This is called yakisoba pan. It is stir-fried noodles in a hotdog bun. Yes, noodles sandwiched in a bread. Confused? Is it totally wrong? It’s actually not as bad as it may seem, plus it was a perfect carb loader for someone about to cycle over the hills.
Up, up on the quiet green road I go.
In the clouds you see (or don’t) is Mt Fuji. She was finally hiding from me, but the swans were out and about in Lake Yamanaka.
Just when I was admiring these pretty swans, I saw something coming from afar in the lake, getting closer and closer to me.
Can it be…?
Oh, it IS.
It’s a GIANT swan SHIP!!
Really, this ain’t no ordinary two-seater duck boat. Isn’t this so… Japan?
Being surrounded by the green tunnel feels so good even in the uphill.
Marking my record speed of 57km per hour on the downhill with a huge adrenaline rush, I took a break by the river with crystal clear water. There I found a rather cute statue of kappa, the Japanese water monster, said to live in rivers and ponds. These mischievous monsters are known to drown children in the river, making them not so cute in its act. I think this folklore may have been a way to warn children to be careful when they swam in the river.
It was not just the monster that was sitting by the water. Japanese water iris was in full bloom in bright purple and yellow.
If you have been to Japan before, but only to the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, you still have a lot to see in the rest of the country. Majority of Japan is far less crowded and full of nature, just like these rice paddies, with countless mountain hiking trails with see-through rivers to cool you down. Hiking is one of the major activities that many people love in Japan, followed by a long dip in a hot onsen bath to relax the muscles.
Cycling between the quiet, peaceful rice fields with birds chirping is a time to cherish.
This village looked like it came right out of an old storybook.
Tempura dinner seized the day as I entered Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture. I was finally in Kanto area (the center region of Japan). Well, that only took 3 short months. Go figure, I can cycle more than just two hours!
This post is also available in: Japanese
About the Author: Sachi
2 Responses to Day 90-91 Upside Down Mt Fuji and a Giant Swan Ship
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I am envious. Good food, good sights and good times. Food and drink never tastes so good as when you have suffered for it. To be able to really work up an appetite by biking and experiencing new sensations around each corner is to really have enjoyed new territory. Another great set of photos.
Many thanks for your nice comment. Indeed, food tastes much better after some effort!