Kawaguchiko and around

Kawaguchiko

Fuji-san peeking through the cloud, seen from Mt Kachikachi yesterday

The path down from Kachikachi

Mount Fuji from Kawaguchiko, earlyish this morning before the clouds rolled in

Fuji from Okinawa - somewhere a little below 5th station where the road ends and most hikers begin their climb

Shengen Shrine - traditional start of the Fuji-san pilgrimage.
Saw a few pilgrim-walkers setting off, dressed all in white with bells on. Literally.

Informative map of ice cave

What not to do in the ice cave

Masa in the ice-cave. The blocks have been cut from further inside the cave.

Icicles in the cave

Icicles again. The temperature in the cave was zero. It drops to minus 3 at its coldest. Walking towards the entrance, then down into the cave, you can feel the temperature drop in sudden steps. When American forces were stationed here they built a dance hall in the entrance to caves to make the most of this natural airconditioning.

Oh look, icicles. Well, icicle stalagmites.

Mount Fuji from the shore of Motosuko

This is the viewpoint used for the illustration on the 1000 yen note.
Presumably on a clearer day.

Gardens on shore of Kawaguchiko, just before the storm