Fufu Kawaguchiko

All 32 rooms are suites, in a forest overlooking Mount Fuji

Fufu Kawaguchiko is a luxury resort standing in the forest on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, close to the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum. Built around the idea of a forest resort without boundaries, where the trees are fragrant and the light shimmers, it has 32 rooms, all of them suites with views of Mount Fuji. Each room is fitted with an environmentally friendly bioethanol fireplace, so guests can settle in surrounded by Mount Fuji and the nature of Lake Kawaguchi as they change through the seasons. It is about 15 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line, with free parking; there is no shuttle from the station.

An open-air onsen bath lined with Mount Fuji lava rock in every room

The greatest draw is the open-air natural onsen bath that comes with every room. The tubs are lined with Mount Fuji lava rock, whose far-infrared effect warms the body gently. The spring water is a calcium and sodium sulfate spring (hypotonic, weakly alkaline). There is also a communal bath, with a loyly dry sauna on the men's side and a mist sauna on the women's side, but children who are not yet out of diapers (not yet toilet-trained) cannot use the communal bath. With an open-air bath in the room, however, families with a baby can soak in the onsen on their own whenever they like, which makes the layout comfortable for parents in the diaper years.

Yamanoha, a restaurant of firewood and flame, with children's menus

Both dinner and breakfast are served at Yamanoha on the first floor of the main building, which offers Japanese cuisine made with local ingredients. For children, there is a children's kaiseki course (9,350 yen) or a kids' plate (5,500 yen) at dinner and a children's breakfast (2,200 yen), all of which can be ordered even after booking. Disliked ingredients and allergens are accommodated as far as possible if you let the resort know in advance. Baby food may be brought in, and the staff will warm it. Bringing food and drink into the restaurant is generally not permitted, but baby food is an exception.

A full set of provisions for families with babies

Babies and young children are welcome to stay, and cribs, bed guards and diaper bins are available to borrow; quantities are limited, so please inquire when booking. Children's room wear comes in three sizes: S, M and L. You can also ask at the time of booking to have the beds pushed together. Strollers are not available to borrow, so bring your own if you need one. Rooms come with a humidifier, air conditioning with an air-purifying function and Wi-Fi, and drinks in the refrigerator and minibar are free of charge.

Staying here with children

Children below junior high school age pay a facility fee of 1,650 yen each. Check-in is from 3 p.m. and checkout is at 11 a.m. A butler supports your stay, so it is easy to ask about things like warming baby food or arranging an anniversary cake, which needs to be requested at least one week in advance. The resort is highly rated, at 4.8 out of 5 on Rakuten Travel (97 reviews). Prices are on the high side, but with the onsen and the Mount Fuji view both complete within your own room, it suits an anniversary trip with a baby or a special multigenerational stay.