Day 1、After our meet and greet at 10 am Haneda Airport, we drove directly to Mt. Fuji and headed for Lake Saiko, on the way we stopped at the lumber cutting factory and got some interesting shots of Mt. Fuji with the lumber factory which appeared abandoned, but it is in operation, this is my first time photographing this scene in the region. Once we reached Lake Lake Saiko we found thin ice on the lake, and we got some great photos of the lake with Mt. Fuji in the backdrop, interestingly Fujisan had a Lenticular clouds around it all day, which is rather rare for winter, then we spotted a fisherman coming to shore in his boat, and once he landed he allowed us to photograph his catch. After we drove to Lake Motsou, which is the deepest lake of the FujiFive and is said to be home to (Mossie) akin to the Loch Ness Monster, but I have yet to photograph one. We snapped images of Mt. Fuji from the viewpoint that is on the Japanese ¥1,000. After we took a quick 10-minute drive to a viewpoint, we could see a village below that home to wasabi and rice fields in the Shizuoka prefecture next to Yamanashi prefecture, this region has some of the cleanest waters in Japan. Then we drove by the yellow submarine, unfortunately, the redwood forest was closed for the winter, and we could not gain entrance. Next, we checked into our lodgings, Fuji View Hotel, and then we went out for dinner at Kaiseki a Traditional Japanese Restaurant, they have various private dining rooms, and each room has its own theme. After dinner, we returned to our lodgings for the night.   

https://fhr.fujiview.jp/rooms/index.html

Day 2, We meet in the lobby of our lodgings in the blue hour. This morning Mt. Fuji was completely overcast from all viewpoints, so we visited Kitaguchi Hong Fuji Sengen Shrine Complex, where we photographed from about 06:30 till 08:30 then we returned to our lodgings for breakfast.  According to weather charts Mt. Fuji was scheduled to clear up around about 11am to about 2 pm, so we departed our lodgings about 10:15, we stopped in the town of Fujiyoshida for street photography and Mt. Fuji, then we made our way to Lake Yamanakako where we spent several hours photographing Swans and other birds with Mt. Fuji in the backdrop. Then we drove by Kawaguchiko, Saiko, and Shoji lakes, and sure enough, Mt. Fuji was overcast, so we visited the Sea of Trees and the Dragons Cave. Just before sunset we departed the cave and drove to Sun Lake Resort and Restaurant on the shore of Lake Saiko for Fresh Trout Dinner. The trout species we dinned on is “Hime Masu (Kokanee trout)" and it is caught next to the restaurant, this type of trout is special and the entire fish is eatable including the head bones and tail. There are various regions throughout Japan where this type of trout is found, along with about 23 other species, about 5 of them the entire fish is eatable. Japan is over 75% unpopulated wilderness and we have some of the cleanest fresh waters in the world, and the trout fishing is amazing, along with camping and outdoor life. After dinner, we returned to our lodgings for the evening.

Day 3, This morning Mt. Fuji was completely overcast and snowing, we ate breakfast and then checked out of our lodgings. On our way to Hakone, we stopped at MontBell Shop for a few hours shopping for hiking boots and ski gear for your upcoming adventures. Then we made our way to Hakone, where we visited Choanji Zen Buddhist Sanctuary Complex, this temple was established in the mid-1300s and is known as a local power spot, there are dozens upon dozens of rakan statues of Zen Buddhist Monks with human expressions.  This region is also said to be the location of an ancient Kofun site.   Across Japan there are over one hundred and sixty thousand Kofun burial mounds and villages, and the caretaker of these mounds and villages is the imperial family, but they only recognize about a dozen or two of them, most of the sites have been lost to forests, but now and again one is discovered untouched.  At sunset, we made our way to our lodgings check-in and dinner.  

https://hanaori.jp/ashinoko/room/ 

Day 4, With Mt. Fuji completely overcast, we visited Grass Lands and Hakone Main Shrine which dates back to about the year 755. With rainy weather and slippery roads, I drove this morning in order to give us enough time to make both stops. First, we visited the grasslands, then we made our way to Hakone Shrine, then we returned to our lodgings for breakfast and checkout. After checkout, we visited Amasaki Tea House which has been serving guests for over 400 years. Then we made our way to the town where most "Yosegi" Hakone Wood Mosaic art is hand made, we visited several shops, and then for lunch, we ate 100% Soba Buck Wheat Noddles with freshly picked mountain vegetables, most shops mix wheat flour with soba flour but not Kikyoya Soba Shop. After lunch, we stopped for a demonstration of how Yosegi Hakone's wood crafts are made. Then we made our way to Tokyo and dropped you off at your lodgings in Ginza.
Thank you, and we look forward to our next adventure together. Return clients receive a 20% to 25% discount. In the coming days, I will email my essence of autumn photo tour that I know would be perfect for you.
Namaste, Blain, and Manami