mount fuji (day 1)

Our tour started at 7:00, we all met at the Shin-Osaka station (where the Shinkansen (bullet train) runs).

The tour guide mentioned that there were 43 of us, almost making a full bus load (which I think is 50), I think this tour was popular because there was a holiday the next day.

For two days, we would all seek out Mount Fuji...

From Osaka we travelled to Shizuoka, which took about 3 hours because we took the slowest Shinkansen (Kodama).

Our first stop was Nihondaira, a plateau from which you can see Mount Fuji, the Pacific Ocean as well as another sightseeing spot, Miho no Matsubara, an 8 kilometer (4.9 mile) stretch of beach that is lined with pine trees.

It was a spectacular view.

Lunch was at Umi, a small sushi shop inside the S-pulse Dream Plaza, a tiny shopping mall, located at the Shimizu Port.

I had the local fish sushi (the sushi chef rattled off the names of the different fish, but it was too quick for me to understand)...still, this was delicious and just the right amount for me...1600 yen (tax not included).

Satoshi had the edo-mae sushi 1800 yen (tax not included).

After lunch, we walked over to the ferry terminal to take in a view of Mount Fuji.

Our next stop was Miho no Matsubara located on the coast of the Miho Peninsula, which is part of Suruga Bay.

If this beach area looks familiar to some, it is apparently where the opening of Abarenbo Shogun was filmed.

Not only was the view of Mount Fuji beautiful, these pine trees on the walk to the beach were too.

I have to tell you that not all 16 spots were those we were able to stop at and get off the bus to take a picture, some spots were seen as we passed by.

Our last stop of the day was at Lake Yamanaka.

By then, the sun was starting to set (that is Mount Fuji in the glare).

I had posted this picture of the sunset on Instagram, as seen from our hotel's garden.

It was a great day, the weather super sunny, and we got our fill of Mount Fuji, for the first day...