Traveling Around The Tsuru Area And Amazing Views Of Mt. Fuji

by Brandon Moore

This past Friday, I traveled around Tsuru County in Yamanashi Prefecture to view some of the wonderful sites the area has to offer. Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan is home to Mt. Fuji, one of the most important symbols of Japan. This trip gave me the opportunity to snap some of my best pictures of Mt. Fuji yet! I hope you enjoy the scenery and perhaps the stunning views will motivate you you take a trip to Yamanashi!

Yacho-no-Mori Bird Park Gallery

 The first stop on my visit was the Yacho-no-Mori Bird Park Gallery. The gallery is a small museum at present, full of pictures of birds and other wild animals. It also has a number of models for children to study first hand in order to learn more about wild birds.

This igloo-like structure will soon be covered in snow in the shape of Mt. Fuji

This odd structure is a yearly feature in the area. Every year, this structure is rebuilt, turning into a replica of Mt. Fuji, covered in snow. There are also light up events that are held, making this a wonderful site in the winter.

Going up the steps like followers of the Fuji-ko religion

The area around Mt. Fuji is also home to Fuji-ko, a sort of folk religion based on worship of Mt. Fuji. as part of this religion, followers would make pilgrimages to Mt. Fuji, some people from as far as Edo (now Tokyo), taking days to reach the base of the mountain. The graves of these followers are found here as well.

We also had the opportunity to visit Sengen Shrine, a shrine in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi where the Yoshida Fire Festival happens every year to mark the end of the climbing season for Mt. Fuji. This festival usually occurs sometime in August. The enshrined deity, a fire god, is taken through the city on a portable shrine in order to convince her that her people are good so she does not burn the town down.

Gate to Sengen Shrine

The shrine is home to a number of attractions, such as the torii Shinto gate in the picture above and the husband and wife tree from below.

 This tree is actually two trees. Originally planted separately, two trees grew together to look like one tree. Because of this, a story emerged refering to these two trees as a married couple.

Cleanse yourself at the shrine!

Sengen Shrine also has an area to wash your hands. Those familiar with shrines will recognize this area, often equipped with instructions, as a staple at any Japanese strine. The purpose of this area is  to physically cleanse your hands and mouth in order to symbolize the purity of heart expected at the shrine.

View from the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji 5th Station

View of Mt. Fuji from Lake Yamanakako

Finally, we also traveled to the 5th station and to Lake Yamanakako. As you can see, we were able to snap some pretty nice pictures. Luckily for us, the weather was great that day, with very few clouds and Mt. Fuji visible from a number of angles. Winter is rumored to be the best season to see Mt. Fuji (but don't try to climb it as it's very dangerous!), so I highly encourage you to come this season and see Japan's foremost mountain for yourself!