Enjoying Fuji and Fruits to the Fullest!

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:00 JST, February 11, 2021

When you think of Yamanashi, you of course think of Mt. Fuji and the Fuji five lakes. Each of the lakes is a different size and shape, and Mt. Fuji looks a bit different depending on which lake you’re at. So, you can enjoy a unique landscape at each lake.

My favorite place is Yamanakako Hananomiyako Koen (Lake Yamanaka flower park). At this 300,000-square-meter site, beautiful flowers proudly bloom in each of the seasons. There’s also the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway at Lake Kawaguchi, which makes for a superb view with the famed mountain as a backdrop.

Other than the Fuji five lakes, I also recommend Budo no Oka (grape hill) in the city of Koshu. If you purchase a tasting cup, you can sample about 200 varieties of wine. There’s also a restaurant where you can enjoy dishes that use their wine in the recipes, and because there’s also an onsen hot springs facility, you can even stay the night.

As you can probably guess, the most well-known foods from Yamanashi are fruits. The local yields of grapes, peaches and plums are, of course, the best in Japan.

The World Heritage site Mt. Fuji and location of the best fruits in the country really makes you want to come and enjoy Yamanashi to the fullest as soon as you can, right?