I was extremely excited before my Mount Fuji day trip during a recent holiday in Japan, as I had heard so much about the place. Mt Fuji has long been known for her beauty and iconic status within the East Asian country. The Japanese are sometimes close to worshipping the currently dormant volcano and this is shown in the various smaller mountains all over the country that are being called mini-Fujis. My tour to Mount Fuji was to be a guided one since my sister and I decided not to deal with the hassle of planning the whole route with the train rides and bus trips sure to do our head in. We could enjoy all the sightseeing parts of the trip while not having to worry about other details which are what the guides and companies are for.

We were carried off from our hotel to the main meeting point in one of the train stations in Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, the group was a large one, comprising close to 20 individuals or groups. I was surprised thought that our guide was a Japanese lady. Worried at first that she might not be as well conversant in English, our guide was a pleasant surprise with her excellent language and presentation skills. All the way from Tokyo during our Mount Fuji tour, to the final destination at Tokyo train station at the end of the night, she added to the fun of the whole trip with her stories and great attitude and hosting abilities. Everyone learned a great deal from her about the various destinations along our trip.

We wondered how far Mount Fuji was from the heart of Tokyo, and it consisted only of about an hour plus ride from our departure point of the Hammamatsucho bus terminal. The tour coach ferried us during the whole journey except the end where we were treated to the bullet train experience. That is typically the structure of any Tokyo package tours of Mount Fuji as we were told, while ours included the additional itinerary stopping at Hakone, Lake Ashi and Mount Komagatake. Yes! There was a second mountain to experience and it was a pretty exhilarating one too with a Hakone aerial cableway all the way to the top of Mount Komagatake. Well, more on this later.

On the way to Mount Fuji via the visitor centre, the coach ride was very comfortable and our guide told us more about the history of the snow peaked mountain which is actually a volcano. Mind you, Fuji-san is not dormant and could erupt anytime, however most of the experts have predicted that will not happen anytime soon although they warned the next one could be devastating. So if you are still to visit Mt Fuji, better make it now or soon before it blows up again and levels half of Tokyo, as we were jokingly told. The ride to the fifth station of Mt Fuji, which is the last stop for any tours or groups unless one wishes to climb the heights seriously, was serenaded by really beautiful views of serene forests and sights swaying peacefully in the light mountain winds. We were given a preview of the magnificent view of the Fuji peak along the way and out came all the cameras snapping away. Quite astounding when you tilt your head up and take in that famous snow peak with the sun's rays peeking from behind.

The fifth station allowed us to have even clearer views of Mount Fuji's peak, which we are told is not that easy. The clouds were already forming at that point and we had to make a beeline for photo snaps before Fuji decided to hide herself. There are the usual souvenir stores at the fifth station as well as some nice eateries. After grabbing hold of the usual array of gifts for relatives and friends, some of us helped ourselves to the goodies by the food stalls. Despite the chill since the fifth station was considerably high up in terms of altitude, I still got myself ice cream and it was a delight chomping on it while taking more photos of the sweet shrine at the station and looking down at the dizzying scenery below of the surrounding areas of Fuji and Tokyo in the distance.

The next stop on our Fuji day trip was to the Lake Ashi boat ride at Hakone. Hakone is something like a spa town in Japan, famous for their natural hot springs, or onsens as they are better known for those familiar with the popular things in Japan. They are a hot spot for families and tourists who frequent the town for a dip in the hot springs while enjoying the other attractions there like a small aquarium, the serene waters of Lake Ashi, and of course, the nearby Mount Fuji. You can actually see Fuji-san's peak from Hakone in particular at Lake Ashi which was the purpose of the boat ride actually. You get to see the 'dragon gate' in the lake as well, which is similar to the structure that identifies many of the shrines in Japan - the entrance. Mt Fuji was still quite clear during our boat ride and it was quite pleasant, smooth and sort of a lazing pace so that nobody could possibly suffer from any sea sickness. Sat back and enjoyed some drinks while taking more photos of the surrounding greenery and sightings of other small towns which were really pretty.

The final stop was to be the breathtaking Mount Komagatake. While one normally could only ascend to the fifth station of Mount Fuji, you can go right up to the top of Komagatake with the help of the cable car ride. There's even a huge shrine there and words cannot do justice to the immense views that you will get standing at the edge of the viewing platform right at the top and looking down at the low lying lands around the mountain. I had my breath literally taken away. We also had time to walk around and did some exploring, including the short walk from the cable car station to the shrine. It was refreshing as the air was really really fresh, good exercise, and the shrine had a mystic feel to it. Very interesting, very unique.

At the end of all that, we made our way back to Tokyo via the bullet train or Shinkansen as it is called in Japan. I don't believe I've ever sat in a train ride that smooth and quiet. A simple pleasure at the end of an amazing day trip to Mount Fuji. Our dinner took place in Tokyo when we returned and we spent about two hours just going through the day's photos while enjoying the great ramen. I do hope to return to the place again someday in the future even though there are so many other places to visit in Japan.