Shunbun no Hi in the shadow of Mount Fuji

Yesterday was the Spring Equinox, when day equals night and Spring officially starts. In Japan the day is a national holiday called ‘Shunbun no Hi’ and part of a week long celebration called ‘Higan’ during which Japanese people pay respects to their ancestors by visiting graves, cleaning them and offering incense and presents to console the ancestral spirits. Shunbun no Hi is also a day when people engage in a communion with nature and a celebration of all living things.

This year it was a beautiful day and, with Japan not subscribing to the Daylight Saving System, the first time in my life that I would actually experience a real Equinox with day and night being equal without having to worry about forwarding my clock before going to bed. So we decided to go to Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) one of the five lakes in the periphery of Mount Fuji, and apparently one of the best places from which to observe and witness the majesty of Japan’s most famous attraction, and quite possibly one of the world’s best known mountains.

I can see Fujisan (the Japanese name for the mountain – which shows the respect and adoration which the Japanese have for the old volcano) from where I live on a clear day, however no matter how impressive it’s been to see the mountain from where I live and work, nothing could quite prepare me for witnessing it from close up.

The journey to Kawaguchiko took about 2h30, with a beautiful train ride from the west of Greater Tokyo into the mountains, via hills, valleys and quiet little villages – all of which are served by a train which rides all the way into central Tokyo. Once in Otsuki, the terminus of the Tokyo JR line we had to switch to a local train, which took us to Kawaguchiko. As with a lot of Japanese trains it seems that the word express is most definitely used loosely – we took the express train rather than the local, a difference of only 10 minutes and at the pace the train goes you really wonder who in the hell thought it’d be a good idea to call it express.

Still the ride was nice and as we arrived near Kawaguchiko we could start seeing Fujisan… but it was covered in clouds and you could only really see its base, not a good start to the day ad: Still we got to the station and decided that with a good 7 hours ahead of us before we had to go back, chances are the clouds would go – especially if we thought about it hard enough. After all this was Shunbun no Hi and I wasn’t going to let clouds ruin the day.

We made our way to the lakeside and on the way found an interesting shrine. Once there we started walking around the eastern part of Kawaguchiko, with clouds above and a chilly wind blowing. With the weather being less than co-operative I decided to search for an onsen, another of the reasons why I’d come to Kawaguchiko. Onsens are a Japanese institution – outdoor hot springs in which you relax and generally just watch nature and enjoy not having to do anything but feel comfortable in 40 degree waters. However things definitely weren’t on our side – we walked to Asakawa spring town, 10 minutes on the other side of the lake, only to find that the promise of onsens which you could rent by the hour were unfounded (or just not where we were). The only ones available were part of hotels and you had to stay the night to enjoy them. Ok then, let’s move on.

We stopped for some food, and a lovely bit of Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) before continuing our walk around the lake. By that point Fujisan must have heard us as the wind was blowing the clouds away and it was emerging into the sunshine. We continued walking around, finding an amazing view point from which to enjoy Fujisan in all its glory, as well as the lake. I’ve got to say it was one of the most humbling nature experiences I’ve had so far. To see this mountain, this symbol, you’ve seen so many times, up close really was amazing. The spirit of Shunbun no Hi must have had an effect on us as it definitely made all the worries and problems I’ve been having seem irrelevant. How can anything matter when you’re sitting by a lake looking at something so majestic and awe inspiring.

With things looking up we headed back to Kawaguchiko and with onsen still very much on my mind, I set out to find the one in town which the map indicated. 10 minutes later and I’d found an amazing day onsen, with a relaxing Japanese garden and the kind of setting that really makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Japanese culture properly. Unfortunately the onsen didn’t have any private rooms for man and woman, so Ella went on a trip while I spent an hour relaxing outside, in the sun bathed in hot water. I then made my way to the first floor of the building and there was a hot bath with Fujisan right in front it – amazing. Sit in the water, relax and take in all the beauty of the scenery. Works wonders on your mind and body.

Feeling refreshed and content we then found a winter festival where we witnessed some local food being made in a most bizarre way – and the Japanese have many bizarre ways to make food. Actually they’re not so much bizarre as entirely alien to a European. And that’s where this feeling of bizareness comes from. I love food, but it’s got to be said that some local food in Japan really leaves me wondering what in the hell it actually is. Two men were working on it, with a giant wooden pot in which one kept pouring water over a mixture of something or other while the second man kept hammering said mixture with a giant wooden mallet. All the while a third man kept shouting something everytime the mallet hit. Whatever it was the locals seemed to enjoy it – I didn’t get round to tasting it though. I then had a go at walking on stilts, for the whole of a minute and a half. I ain’t got no balance, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change ops:

We then spent the rest of the day walking around the town part of the lake, window shopping (Ella’s terrible when it comes to deciding on things when there’s too much choice – I can’t talk though, I’m worse) and looking for a hotel with private onsen for the night. With the Japanese politeness and way of doing things, trying to simply inquire as to room prices and availability for the night is one of the weirdest things ever. In most countries, you walk in, blabber in English or the local language and walk away with the information. In Japan, half the hotel staff congregate round you, and before you know it everyone knows what you want and walking away from it feels like the most awkawrd thing ever. And on top of that, 5 pm on a national holiday isn’t the best time to be shopping around for hotels, especially when you can’t speak Japanese and ask where there is a hotel with private onsen. Ah well, next time I’ll come prepared and informed.

We walked back to the station, and just as we turned the corner we stopped and gawped – there was Fujisan in all its glory, set against a clear blue and pink sky and the sunset on its side… I’ve never felt so speechless and excited at the same time in my life. Feeling tired from walking and a little disappointed at not finding a hotel, seeing the old volcano again and in a new light made me feel the same as when I first saw him a few hours before – utterly speechless and in awe of its majesty. We snapped him up a few times and went for some food and drinks at a restaurant with a panoramic view of the mountain. An ideal way to end the day.

As we rode the train back to Tokyo, I felt more serene then I’ve felt in a long time. Seeing Fujisan and just being out of Tokyo for the day, closer to nature in a place where time moves slower than the capital really made me realise how things can pass you by before you’ve even had a chance to realise it. Shunbun no Hi will be a day that stays with me for a long time. There’s a lot to be said about the Japanese’s approach to life, but their respect for and communion with nature is unlike anything I’ve seen. And their most famous old man truly is awe inspiring.

You can see a full set of pictures from the day, including a lot of postcard Fujisan moments, over at Flickr:
Shunbun no Hi Flickr set

You can find out more about Fujisan and the Japanese lake district here