Eco-o Tourism Japan

Archive for the ‘Green Tourist Spots’ Category

Mt. Fuji is the tallest volcanic mountain in Japan. Its height scales to about 12,388 feet. As far as its location is concerned, Fuji Mountain is about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo in Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Mount Fuji is adored by all the Japanese people and they call it as ‘Fuji-san’. Mt Fuji has been one of the main spotlights for various Tokyo sightseeing tours. Climbing Mt. Fuji is the dream of many Japanese people. But, it is not safe to climb this mountain in every season. Officially, the best time to climb the mountain is from early june to august end. During this time, all the trails gets crowded, however, one will always be discouraged to climb during the off season due to the bad climate.

Some quick facts about Mt Fuji include that it is 3776 metres (12290 feet) high, approximately 161km (100 miles) south-west of Tokyo and that the last eruption of Mount Fuji was about 300 years ago, in 1707. The busiest time to visit the mountain is July, when with Japanese schools have their holidays, however about a third of all climbers are foreigners. The snow capped pinnacle can quite treacherous outside of these months with freezing temperatures, avalanches and strong winds. When the snow melts in warmer weather it more resembles a lunar landscape covered with black volcanic rock. Although many people have seen the well known photograph of Mount Fuji with the shinkansen bullet train barrelling through the fields in the foreground, perhaps the easiest and best way to get to Mt Fuji from Tokyo is by finding Tokyo sightseeing tours such as bus which only takes a few hours.

The highway bus departs from Shinjuku station, however you may need to change buses at Kawaguchiko station. The official climbing season runs from July to August and crowds of young and old make the ascent each day. During this period there are around 15 buses each day leaving from Shinjuku in Tokyo. At other times transport can be limited and climbing Mt Fuji is not recommended anyway. People don’t need climbing experience, that’s why there are many small children and elderly folk along the way. Good study shoes, some water and energy snacks are a must, along with a raincoat, torch, hat and warm clothing if you intend to hike at night.

Even in the warmer months the temperatures at the top can drop to around 6°C (43°F). The way up is divided into 10 stations or checkpoints. Generally visitors elect to start climbing about halfway up Mount Fuji on the Kawaguchiko trail at station 5. They arrive by bus or car and the climb takes around 7 hours to reach the summit and then another 4 to get back down again. The round trip can be completed in a very long day. Many people choose to begin their trek at nightfall and time it so they and arrive at the peak at dawn. During July and August there are huts, toilet facilities and food stops open on the mountain for tourists to rest. On a clear day seeing the sunrise from this highest point in Japan is quite a breathtaking spectacle and is sure to be the highlight of the sightseeing in Japan. It’s definitely a worthy side trip from Tokyo and the view from the top of Mount Fuji gets etched forever in the mind.

Sankeien is a famous garden in Yokohama. If you’re looking for somewhere to relax away from your Yokohama guesthouse or hotel, you may want to consider checking out Sankeien. Sankeien is a traditional Japanese garden that is located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It was established in the year 1906. It was fully designed and built by Tomitaro Hara. However, he also used a fictitious name; Sankei Hara. His fictitious name is where the name for the garden came from. Regardless, he was a silk trader.

Almost all of the buildings around Sankeien were bough by Hara and are historical buildings. These buildings are from all over the country of Japan. Included are Tokyo, Kyoto, Kamakura, Gifu Prefecture, and Wakayama Prefecture. Ten of the buildings are said to be of important cultural property and three others are tangible cultural properties.

Sankeien features ponds, streams, and paths among its 175 thousand square meters of land. One thing the Japanese garden is pretty well-known for is the cherry blossoms that are found throughout the land of Sankeien.

The garden also features the attractions of Kakushokaku, Sankei Memorial, the Outer Garden, the Former Yanohara House, and the Inner Garden. The Kakushokaku is located next to the entrance of Sankeien and was the former residence of the Hara family. However, it is now rented out for meetings and parties. The Sankei Memorial is located right after the Kakushokaku and was built for the sole purpose of introducing people to the garden with exhibits, images, and art. The Outer Garden is the area next to the main pond. It features the Tomyo-ji’s former main hall as well as Tomyo-ji’s former three-storied pagoda. The Former Yanohara House used to be the home of an extremely wealthy family during the Edo period. Today, it serves as more of an exhibit or museum. The Inner Garden is located to the north of the main pond. The Inner Garden features many buildings including the Gomon Gate, the Hakuun-tei, the Rinshunkaku Gekkaden, the Tenju-in, the Choshukaku, and the Renge-in.

With the nature surrounding the Saneien as well as the history within it, it is definitely worth checking out. You can relax and learn about some history. You really can’t go wrong.