tokyo-gotemba

From where we live, it takes almost 2 hours by train to Numazu.

Here, we transferred to the Gotemba line and rode from Numazu to Fujioka.

About 3 minutes from the station is a lookout area called Fujimidai where you can see Mount Fuji.

Pretty majestic! and the weather was beautiful, yeah?!

We then caught the train from Fujioka to Gotemba.

For the areas we wanted to visit, the woman at the Gotemba Station information counter told us to catch the free bus that was heading to the Onsen Kaikan and to get off at the stop for Chichibunomiya Park.

From this stop, we walked to the Higashiyama Pond Fishing Area...

where Mount Fuji was visible and there were many people fishing.

And then a couple more minutes to the Former Kishi Residence.

Which is where current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi used to live.

Loved how the living room and dining room had big glass doors that open up to the garden.

We were hungry so we went in search of lunch...there was a soba shop which kind of looked like a chain type and a kamaboko shop across the street...

We went to the kamaboko shop...Suzuhiro which is a kamaboko maker from Odawara (Kanagawa Prefecture)

We tried their takoyaki...the outside made from kamaboko filled with tako (octopus) and topped with a wasabi cheese sauce (top of the photo).

Ototto Rice...rice and kamaboko skewered and deep fried (bottom left).

Assorted Veggie Kamaboko...potato, pumpkin, gobo (burdock) & carrot, renkon (lotus root)...my favorite was the pumpkin and potato (bottom right)

These are called "kamaboko" but we call them satsuma age.

After refueling, we walked to the Heiwa Kinen Koen (Peace Memorial Park).

Which has a spectacular view of Mount Fuji and will be beautiful when all the cherry trees which line the path up to the lookout area are in bloom.

From the park it was a short bus ride up to Otome Toge (Otome Pass)....I had thought we visited this pass back in 2015, but the actual Otome Toge is a little farther up the hill.

Satoshi hiked up the hill to Otome no Kane (bell of the maiden) and took this shot of Mount Fuji.

The woman at the Gotemba Station information counter had said we would be able to eat lunch here, but it was closed for renovations...Thank goodness we had already eaten!

We caught the bus back down to our hotel for the night...Rembrandt Premium Fuji Gotemba.

I had heard about this hotel from a television show and it had been on our "to go" list for awhile...the building kind of reminded me of something that might appear in a Ghibli or science fiction movie.

Thankful Satoshi was able to get us a room with a view of Mount Fuji.

Dinner was an assortment of Japanese-French...my favorite was the beef tongue which was super tender and the lemon marmalade that came with the pork.

I'll continue more of our adventure tomorrow.

Suzuhiro
1074-12 Higashiyama
Gotemba, Shizuoka
Phone: 0550.81.4147
Hours: 9:00-18:00

Rembrandt Premium Fuji Gotemba
2571 Fukusawa
Gotemba, Shizuoka
Phone: 0550.82.9600