Walking away from Kawaguchiko Tourist Trap – Part 1: Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba

What?
Kawaguchiko (河口湖) is one of the Fuji Five Lakes (富士五湖) located north of Mount Fuji (富士さん). People flock here – of course – to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji as a backdrop to the lakes. On cloudy days, there are still plenty of attractions, of which the Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba Traditional Village (西湖いやしの里根場), the Narusawa Ice Cave (鳴沢氷穴), and the Fugaku Wind Cave (富岳風穴) are just a few.
Where?
Kawaguchiko Station (河口湖駅) can be reached by train in about an hour via the Limited Fuji Excursion Express (富士回遊) from Shinjuku (新宿). Alternatively, highway buses also depart from Shinjuku. They are cheaper but take around two hours. Transport around the lakes is quite well organized, with sightseeing bus lines (red, green, and blue) serving as the main way of getting around. The Green Line serves the Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Traditional Village, while the Blue Line goes to the Narusawa Ice Cave. Both the Green and Blue lines stop at the Fugaku Wind Cave, but I recommend the Green Line.
URL
Japan Guide

Continuing with my island-hopping challenge, the next goal on the list was Mikurajima – perhaps the hardest Izu Island to reach after Aogashima. But my preparation was flawless! Ferry, accommodation, and mandatory hiking guide booked, plus an extended stretch of vacation days in case my return ferry wouldn’t depart.
Only… given that I am usually quite lucky with these things, I didn’t account for my ferry to the island being canceled.
Well, nothing for it. And looking at the weather forecast for the next few days, maybe it was for the best that I could walk away without any costs thanks to the cancellation.
But I suddenly needed a Plan B, one I hadn’t prepared.

After Mikurajima, I was supposed to meet up with a friend in Kofu, so I decided to make part of the journey in advance. In other words, I chose to spend a few days in Kawaguchiko, in the vicinity of the Fuji Five Lakes.
These lakes were high on my list during the corona years, and for good reason.
I know this place is extremely popular with tourists, and that period would have been the perfect timing, just like my few visits to Kyoto. Tourism itself isn’t a bad thing, but overtourism is. And with a government whose only economic plan seems to be boosting inbound tourism… well, it can ruin what would otherwise be perfect experiences.

While rain and waves battered Mikurajima Island, Kawaguchiko was spared from all this. It was cloudy, though, so the town’s main attraction – perfect views of Mount Fuji – was unlikely to appear today. I decided to buy a two-day bus pass and visit some attractions away from the center. Somewhere online, I had read that Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba was a great place to experience an old Japanese atmosphere without too many tourists. This small park gathers thatched-roof houses where traditional crafts can supposedly be admired.
People who have read my blog more than once know that I’m not the harshest critic. Despite my somewhat dark character, when traveling I try to focus on the good rather than get stuck and angry on the bad. There are, of course, some notable exceptions – Tojinbo comes to mind – and this place ranks right up there.

I should have realized that this one too was a prisoner of the tourist trap.

Immediately after opening when pictures without people was possible.

I took the earliest bus possible and arrived at a place that was indeed fairly devoid of visitors. Nonetheless, a small group of tourists felt the need to laugh and shout across the entire area. And if that wasn’t enough, they went on to bother other visitors, including me. I thought they’d quiet down after a few minutes, but they kept shouting and annoying anyone even remotely within eyesight.
Now, apart from maybe asking them to keep it down, this isn’t something the park can fully control. But that wasn’t the only issue.
Where were the crafts I had come to see? Every single thatched-roof house was a shop. Even the one labeled “museum”! After maybe twenty minutes, I felt I had seen enough. Or so I thought.
As I walked toward the exit, entire busloads of people started pouring in, and welcoming them, a sea of overpriced food stalls and souvenir shops. I had planned to wait at the exit for the sightseeing bus, but I needed to get away from this horrible tourist trap. Instead, I walked back to the previous bus stop just to find some quiet.

I calmed down a bit when the bus finally came. I hopped on, and to my surprise it was empty apart from me. Even at the next stop – the thatched-roof-town-of-all-that-is-evil – no one got on. At that point, I probably should have realized I had boarded in the wrong direction… But truth be told, those fifteen minutes alone on the bus were exactly what I needed to come back to my senses. At a transfer point between several lines, I got off and then took the correct bus toward the Wind Cave and Ice Cave, two small caves not far from each other. Still touristy, yes, but in a much more acceptable way, and for me, more importantly, my way out of that first incredibly bad impression of Kawaguchiko.

Walking away from Kawaguchiko Tourist Trap – Part 1: Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba
Walking away from Kawaguchiko Tourist Trap – Part 2: The Caves and Mount Ashiwadayama