Mount Fuji Day Trip - Part 1

Enjoying some rare time off on a Friday, a friend and I piled into a car and headed west. Our destination? The spectacular and sprawling Mount Fuji area.

The area's most famous icon is the mountain itself, but this region, also called Fuji Five Lakes, has numerous other sites of interest.

Map of the Fuji Five Lakes area (click to see details):

The first stop was to view two caves, created by lava flows from two former eruptions at Mt.Fuji and a neighboring mountain (which was destroyed during its eruption).  The first cave was Fugaku Lava Cave and the second, Narusawa Icicle Lave Cave, are a constant 0 degrees inside! Bringing mittens and a warm hat are encouraged. ^_^

The temperature inside the cave? A cold 0 degrees!

Visitors can purchase one ticket for the two caves, costing ¥500.

Entrance to the Lava Cave:

English speaking visitors should note, there is little information provided in English. I could find this plate outside the exit of the the first cave, which offered a simple explanation. Signs inside the cave are only in Japanese; bring a Japanese speaking guide/ friend if you want to understand everything.

Ignore the Engrish "fo"

After viewing the Lava Cave, we decided to hike through the forest to the second cave. At the Fugaku Lava Cave's information booth, on the left, there is a path. The sign says it takes about 25 minutes and there are a lot of lava rocks, so good hiking shoes are a must. 

The first sign pointing to the way to several attractions in the area:

Our direction: to the bat (ice) cave! 

This hike is strongly recommended as you will likely find no one else on the trail. It's also a great way to enjoy a forest which has grown out of the old lava flows.

Below: a split stone created by old lava flow which cooled, then broke apart.

As it was 紅葉 (mo-mi-ji = autumn leaves) time in Japan, we enjoyed the red maple leaves lying on the path or falling from the trees above.

Hiking path - from this point, about 10 more minutes to the Ice Cave.

Finally, we arrived at our second cave, the Narusawa Icicle Lava Cave. This was loads more fun due to the tiny 91 cm high passageway at one point in the cave. We literally had to crouch and crawl through this cave! (Note: Don't wear nice clothes if you are visiting this particular cave)

Entrance sign to the cave from the main road:

At the information desk, I really enjoyed a cardboard display explaining the highlights and which sections in the cave are a bit tough for climbing. 

Inside the Icicle Cave (as explained by cardboard cartoons) 

* Click for details *

After going through the gate, we walked through this cave. The total time inside: about 15 minutes. It's very cold, so again, bring gloves, a hat and a warm coat (even in the summer months!). 

Entrance to the Icicle Cave:

I visited many more spots in the Fuji mountain area. Check back again to see other interesting sights.

Fugaku Lave Cave information is HERE. Narusawa Icicle Lave Cave site is HERE. Cost: ¥500 ($5) per person to visit the two caves. Parking is free. You can walk between the two caves via a hiking path (25 minutes) or the main road (15 minutes). Access: Located in Yamanashi prefecture. Get there by bus or car only (see websites above for specific directions). 日本語の情報は HERE.