Mount Fuji is always the first tourist destination in Japan because of its extraordinary beauty. I have visited Mount Fuji several times but I never really saw its beauty on a clear day. My first visit was cloudy and rainy, my second visit was also cloudy and this time it was clear!
This time I decided to visit the Chureito Pagoda, I never visited this place before. At first, I wanted to visit Lake Yamanaka but Mat wanted to see this Pagoda and Mount Fuji together.
So I booked bus tickets from Shinjuku Station to Chuo EXPWY Shimo Yoshida bus stop from this website. It took 1 hour and 30 minutes from Shinjuku to this area and from the bus stop to the Pagoda cost around 15 - 30 minutes depends on your pace.
When we arrived there I felt a bit confused because there was nothing there except the bus stop and the highway. But I was startled and pointed to Mat's back, I asked him to turn around– when he did he was like "WHOA!". We both shocked at the beauty of Mount Fuji and how glorious it is behind us... *0*
It looks really small here but in reality, it was really really BIG! We will never forget those moments /// we were so happy and we felt like a child again.
Our feeling was unexplainable, the beauty of Mount Fuji and the clear sky made us stunned for the whole day. That day Mat didn't have a proper sleep because he worked on his assignment until 3, he should finish them soon and send the data to his professor.
I slept on the bus and Mat was still doing his job, I felt bad for him.. All I could do was give him endless support. I was really happy when I saw him excited over all the beautiful sceneries we've seen.
I tried some snacks on the road, one of them was Calbee. The taste is really similar to Taro, a snack that I love when I was little. Because Mat was working, I felt happy because I had a chance to feed him hehe, he loves chips so much!
I hope our trip made him feel relaxed. He was really patient and helped me bring some tools for taking pictures. We also brought a tripod and a remote for taking our own pictures. Sometimes we both feel reluctant to ask someone for helping us so bringing a tripod is really helpful.
I made a mistake by leaving the tripod in a toilet because I was in a rush, I didn't remember... T__T and Mat was running to the toilet to get the tripod which I left.. I feel sooo sorry but he didn't mad at my carelessness. I was prepared to get scolded by him but he didn't. Thanks, sayang :D
Before we arrived at the bottom of the Chureito Pagoda, we bought some drinks from one random vending machine, I chose a Peach Water. We love it so much! You must try it!
We climbed many stairs, it was quite tiring but paid off by the beautiful view at the top. You know, there are many parks and Sakura trees around the Pagoda, it was lovely! We were spending our quality times together by looking at the sky and admiring the Mount Fuji.
This Pagoda was very charming when I photographed it from this direction because there were little branches of Sakura trees covering the Pagoda, it becomes very aesthetic. I slightly edited this photo as well to make it look brighter.
Luckily we didn't forget to bring our tripod or else we won't have many good pictures of us. I never expected we could see Mount Fuji this clear plus there were many cherry blossoms in full bloom.. I feel blessed. My best experience in Japan!
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| some pictures were taken by Mat, I think he's getting better at photography *w* |
Mat and I took a leisurely stroll around this garden, we sat on the grass while enjoying the beautiful view of Mount Fuji under a shady tree. A very pleasant and soothing feeling.
As we looked up, there were a lot of full-bloomed cherry blossoms danced beautifully just above our heads .. we felt very grateful to be given this opportunity. I really felt all my prayers answered, thanks God for your kindness.
I really love this kind of trip, we're able to explore the entire place carefully and we can take many photos of our memories. Since we will live together forever, we want to make a lot of memories so we can remember them later on our retirement days. I want to use some of our photos in Japan on my wedding day, it'll be wonderful.
Before we left the Chureito Pagoda we tried some foods first because we felt hungry already. We only had some snacks and Onigiris on the bus. I ordered a box of Karage and Sakura Mochi flavoured ice cream. We sat back while enjoying the food and filled up our energy before we continued our journey.
We arrived at noon that day because all the morning tickets were sold out. I suggest that you book your ticket at least 2 weeks before your trip because the ticket sold quickly.
When I bought the tickets I was very surprised because all the morning schedule was sold out. We got tickets with the noon schedule– it would be nice if we could arrive in the morning so we could spend more times there. However our worries replaced by a beautiful sunny day at Mt Fuji area!
Book an online bus ticket is really easy. I bought a ticket that departs from Shinjuku station, and returns from Kawaguchiko station to Shibuya station. We stayed in Yutenji and Shibuya is really close from there, I thought it'd be easier for us when we were on our way back.
Before your trip, make sure to check the location of your station on the website. Come 30 minutes ahead from your departure time because Japanese people don't like to be late, they won't wait for you.
After you booked and paid your order, you'll receive a confirmation email. You can choose whether you want to receive your ticket in print–form or in mobile form. I chose the mobile ticket because it was easier to bring around (I won't forget my phone)! All I need to do was screenshot–ed the mobile ticket and showed it to the station attendant.
I hope my explanation was clear enough for you, it's really important to have wifi in Japan. After you get off at Shimo Yoshida station, search Chureito Pagoda in your Apps. Don't walk on the highway because it's dangerous, go downstairs, choose the road on the right and walk on the path provided for the pedestrian.
Happy travelling! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram to receive my updates. :)
