Unfortunately this was our last full day in Fujiyoshida. Our first stop on this day was the Chureito Pagaoda. When we hopped on the local train to head over to the pagoda we boarded a super adorable train. It was covered from head to toe in Thomas the Tank Engine and friends. It was adorable. I love Japan’s commitment to cuteness and I wish the U.K would have stuff like this.
After we had disembarked from the adorable train we headed over to the pagoda.
We reached where the pagoda is located and were met with many tori gates followed by a small shrine. It was quiet up at the shrine and I paid 100 yen to get myself an Omikuji which is a Japanese fortune. The fortune has both Japanese and English on it so tourists can join in the fun with these more traditional parts of Japan. I received an unlucky fortune so I decided to pay another 100 yen in hopes of changing my fate in the next fortune. Second times a charm in this case as I then pulled out a very lucky fortune.
We then climbed over 300 steps to reach the pagoda which was exhausting. If I have learnt anything from my time in Japan it’s that Japan is the land of stairs. I say Japan installs some escalators but what does this lazy otaku know.
The Chureito Pagoda is famous for being particularly photogenic as it had an incredible view of Mount Fuji in the background. The day we went however Fuji was clouded over so it was a little underwhelming when comparing the sight to travel book photos. The view was still fantastic though as we got a massive overview of Fujiyoshida and Fujikawaguchiko with the misty mountains in the background. It’s amazing to see how much the Japanese can fit into these areas as they cram in as much as they can.
We met a lovely tourist information officer who recognised my parents from when she met them in the station the day we arrived in Fujiyoshida. She was so sweet, happy and enthusiastic to talk to us.
After climbing way too many stairs and having a chat with the lovely lady we made our way back down to the station. The station had a cafe named Shimoyoshida Club where we decided to grab some food. I got this amazing giant pancake covered in cream and maple syrup which was absolutely delicious which I had with a hot chocolate which was equally as amazing.
One thing I learnt from my time around Fuji is that if you’re a foreigner with really bland, unadventurous taste buds it’s very difficult to find food in certain areas of Kawaguchiko. Some areas had barely anything around in terms of cafes or restaurants so I recommend eating when you find something you’ll enjoy as well as taking a snack.
As it was a rainy day we headed over to the Konohana Art Museum. We took the red line bus to around the lake to the museum. The museum held an exhibition dedicated to Dayan the Cat. The outer exterior of the museum had a very whimsical look to it and reminded me of the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo.
We paid 500 yen each to enter the exhibition. The museum was filled with gorgeous watercolour and pencil paintings of this cat and his friends. Although there was no English we figured out ourselves that this Dayan the cat was similar to Peter Rabbit. There is a whole series about him and his adventures. It’s a sweet little museum which is perfect for a rainy day if other outdoor activities don’t work out.
The last part of the day was spent wandering around Fuji-Q Highland again. Just outside the entrance to the park there is a French themed shopping area called La Ville De Gaspard Et Liza. The whole shopping area is dedicated to these two characters who originally come from France. Apparently the Japanese really loved Gaspard and Liza and made a Disneyland like area dedicated to them.
As it had been grey and misty all day the amusement park was also covered in mist. Many of the rides had their peaks covered and faded looking and it made the whole park look like something out of a photo or a film. I’ve never been to an amusement park that has been able to get covered in mist before so it had this beautiful eerie vibe to it which made it ten times cooler and photogenic. It reminded me of photos you see on tumblr that you think look amazing but you’ll never see in real life.
Until next time thanks for reading and I hope you’re having a great day!
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A Nerdy Perspective 
I loved this. I wish the US was as cute as Japan haha
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Thank you and yeah same here with England haha!
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Nice post… 💖 It’s an amazing place and summer time is the best to view Mt Fuji 🗻 I posted many of its pics in past year and hope to visit again. Explore Japan 🇯🇵 is always amazing. One must ready to walk and climb endless staircase 😅 cheers. Look fwd to read soon.
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Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed reading! Japan really is so amazing! Yes, I think I’ve become accustomed to all those stairs now haha!
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🌹🌷😄🌞🌻🌺
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