Mount Fuji

From April 20th to 26th, from Tokyo to Hamamatsu

On Monday, April 20th, we left Tokyo in heavy traffic. It took us almost two days to get out of the city. Cycling on the bike paths wasn’t always easy, as delivery trucks tended to park there. After a peaceful night in a small hostel, we finally left Tokyo on Tuesday morning. We were now on the mountain road that would take us towards Mount Fuji.

The reward

After three days of cycling and sleeping in a rather basic campsite, we finally discovered Mount Fuji. It stands at the foot of Lake Yamanaka. We were able to admire it all day until we arrived in Fujiyosida, a town very popular with Japanese tourists who come to see Mount Fuji and visit the Chureito Pagoda. The pagoda is located on a hill, and to reach it, you have to climb more than 600 steps. The reward awaits at the top of the stairs, where you can see both the pagoda and Mount Fuji. A beautiful viewpoint—it’s a shame we didn’t have any sunshine.

Mount Fuji is a landmark in Japan, a symbol of beauty, and a sacred site for Buddhists. It has a regular conical shape and is the highest peak in Japan, reaching 3,776 meters. Every year, millions of people view it from various vantage points, and approximately 300,000 climb it. This has created such a level of overtourism that in some areas, authorities have erected massive barriers to prevent tourists from stopping to photograph it.

What a wonderful moment in an onsen!

On Friday the 24th, with more clement weather, we continued along the road that follows Mount Fuji. Despite the lack of sunshine, it occasionally broke through the clouds, allowing us to observe it from different perspectives. We ended our day in Fujinomiya. We stayed in a hotel where we had never experienced such luxurious service for such a modest price. We enjoyed the hotel’s public bath. In Japan, they are called “onsen,” and they are found almost everywhere. It’s part of Japanese tradition: hot baths where one bathes completely naked. They can be public, mixed, or segregated. Mixed baths, however, are becoming less common.

A Buddhist wedding

After a restful night, we set off again towards Shizuoka. The sky was overcast, and unfortunately, we never got to see Mount Fuji in the sunshine. During a stop at the Fujisan Hongū Sengen-Taisha temple, we came across a traditional Buddhist wedding; it’s always a pleasure to witness this kind of event.

News item

An unusual incident occurred when, after taking a road prohibited to bicycles, the Japanese police escorted us with flashing lights for a few kilometers to help us find a permitted road.

A philosophical moment: Has the mobile phone developed a form of narcissism in humans? For my part, I think so, given how impressive it is to see the number of people taking selfies in public places, in front of monuments and other well-known locations.

Met :

• Dave and his partner, two English cyclists, are finishing a 10-month trip to Tokyo. A message for Dave: if you see this message, could you send us your Instagram handle? The QR code we were given when we met isn’t working.
• Komiko, a Japanese woman who speaks perfect French, lived in Paris for several years. We spent a long time chatting about Japan and its way of life. A wonderful encounter, just the kind we love.
• Nakamura, a Japanese cyclist who rode with us for over 25km and accompanied us to our hotel.
• Sixte, a French cyclist who left Paris 7 months ago with one goal: to avoid using airplanes, hopes to reach the USA on a cargo ship after passing through Japan.

Course

We covered 318km from April 20th to 26th. Click HERE to see the map of our route.

Did you know: Japan is a monarchy with an Emperor at the head of the country. His role is purely ceremonial; he is the symbol of the country and represents the unity of the people. It is the democratically elected parliament that appoints the prime minister, who then forms the government.