Kawaguchiko

We decided quite early in our planning that we should try and visit Mount Fuji, Japan’s largest volcano and one of the most breathtaking sights in the country. We were thinking about a day trip before we realised that the region is home to an array of ryokan (traditional inns), and we’d miss a trick if we didn’t stay the night and experience the region’s typical spa experience. We were super excited to try something that was completely outside our comfort zone and after many weeks of looking online, we decided to go with a ryokan overlooking Lake Kawaguchiko, Rakuyu, decked out with tatami-matted rooms, communal and private onsen, and an in-house restaurant.

We used our Japan Rail Passes to get to the closest big station of Otsuki, which took around an hour and half. Then we caught the Fujikyu Railway Line to Kawaguchiko Station on a small regional train the rest of the way. It was pretty funny to see that the train carriage was (bizzarely) branded with Thomas the Tank Engine imagery. Only in Japan!

When we got to the inn, they offered us a choice of yukata to wear (a kind of kimono for bathing and spa visits). This traditional japanese robe set, complete with slippers, is worn the entire stay - even at dinner! We couldn’t wait to wear them. As soon as we put them on we felt like we fit right in. They showed us to our room and we were amazed to see floor-to-ceiling windows with a mesmirising view of the lake. When we arrived, it was FOGGY (with the whole of Mount Fuji hiding behind a wall of fog). The mist gradually lifted while we sipped green tea at our little table by the window and watched the world go by. It was very serene; the hustle and bustle of the big city felt very far away in that moment.

When we checked in, we made sure to book a private onsen, and made our way there in the afternoon. There was a communal onsen available, but they are always split by gender and it was something that we wanted to experience together. The onsen is a bath full of heated spring water, and in this region they (obviously) source their water from Mount Fuji and the surrounding lakes. The water used in an onsen must contain at least one of the 19 designated chemical elements that naturally occur in hot spring water, and must be at least 25C when it comes out of the ground. A popular past time in Japan, it is said that bathing in the spring water is great for your circulation, skin and general health. We’d done our research and taken the time to read up on onsen etiquette beforehand - the main rule being that you’re expected to shower beforehand (if you’re in a public onsen, you sit on a bucket and wash yourself as standing up in the shower is considered to be rude as your water could splash onto your neighbour). Also - no clothes allowed! Everyone is 100% naked when they visit an onsen which can be quite nerve-racking for a Brit, but no one pays you any mind - for the Japanese it’s perfectly normal.

Our private onsen was outside on a balcony, facing the January elements, but the heat from the spring water stopped us from being cold at all, the fresh misty air was really nice on our faces as we sat looking out at the breathtaking mountain views.

(Note from Lauren: It’s important to say here that in a rather dramatic turn of events, I passed out when I got out of the onsen - I have long-standing circulation issues and probably stayed in there longer then I should have! The staff were AMAZING when this happened and I couldn’t have been more looked after. Poor Rob got QUITE the fright and was worried that the stay would be ruined, but after a rest and some of their amazing grape juice, I was dandy.)

That evening we’d booked the traditional Kaiseki (multi-course dinner). We got back into our yukatas and made our way downstairs to the quiet dining room. As it’s important that the guests feel absolutely blissed-out during their stay, we were shown to our own little booth and felt as though we were the only people staying there. You can hear the gentle conversation from people in the other booths but couldn’t see them at all. Then our nine-course dinner commenced. Over the course of the next few hours, we were treated to delicate hand-made sushi and sashimi, fresh miso soup, grilled fish, seared wagyu beef and vegetables which we cooked ourselves at our table, chicken hot pot with rice and a trio of traditional desserts. The food was absolutely outstanding, and as we sat there, in such a beautiful environment, wearing our robes, we couldn’t believe how lucky we were to experience such a dinner.

After dinner we had coffee and chilled out in the reception area which, in the evening, is a large room facing the lake with cosy sofas and a fireplace. We played a game of chess and chatted about everything that had happened that day. We went upstairs, full of food and feeling super calm and happy, when Rob got down on one knee and proposed and made the moment even more unforgettable!

Fuji

We slept like logs on our futons after a day of being looked after. Rob also said he was just relieved that the proposal was over so he could sleep soundly again! The next day, the fog had magically cleared for us. We were able to see Mount Fuji in all of its glory, rising up from behind our ryokan. We ate a sublime breakfast of japanese delicacies (including a piece of fish Rob still dreams about) and visited Fujiyama Cookies for a few of their delicious yogurt-topped biscuits (they are soooooo good you guys.) We then visited the mountain cable car, Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway to take some photos of Fuji from up high. We were super blessed to have clear blue skies and such a beautiful view; the perfect place to have our first photo as a newly-engaged couple!

Lauren Loves

Wow what can I say? The whole visit was a dream from start to finish (despite my fainting episode!) I’ll always remember the day we got engaged, following the best dinner of my life and the most special place I think we’ve ever stayed in. The honeymoon has a lot to live up to!

Robert Loves

The secretive reason for wanting to go to Japan was to propose to Lauren. I had already managed to smuggle the ring across country borders and had planned many weeks in advance to propose that evening. You can imagine it was quite a shock with the faint incident, luckily Lauren came to quite quickly but it was quite a shock to the system. Could I still propose or should I wait and hope another good moment would come by? I knew Lauren doesn’t like a fuss so there was no better place than one where no others were around, a moment just for us. As you can guess from this post I did move forward with the plan and decided it would simply be part of the story we tell. A magical moment I’ll never forget ( even though Lauren has forgotten all about the speech, which is maybe for the better ) and of course let us not forget about that piece of fish for breakfast.