Fukujuso

A small 9-room minshuku on the south shore of Lake Saiko

Fukujuso is a 9-room minshuku (a family-run Japanese guesthouse) standing on the south shore of Lake Saiko, one of the Fuji Five Lakes. It is about 25 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station, and about a 3-minute walk from the Saiko Minshuku bus stop on the Fujikyu Bus. Surrounded by forest and lake, it is a quiet spot for a simple lakeside stay with a different feel from the more touristed area around Lake Kawaguchi. Parking is free for 15 cars, with no reservation needed. The location works well as a base for nature spots that children enjoy: Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba, a recreated village of thatched-roof houses; the Saiko Bat Cave, where you can get the feeling of exploring a cavern; and the shores of Lake Saiko itself, known for wakasagi smelt and crucian carp fishing.

Generous, entirely home-cooked meals

The centerpiece of this minshuku is its food, all of it home-cooked. Guests write that "the portions were big enough to burst, but it was so good we finished every bite" and that "breakfast had a lot of variety and was delicious" - and both breakfast and dinner are served in the large hall. Along with the two-meal plan there are room-only and breakfast-included plans, so you can choose to suit your children's mealtime routine. Note that no drinks or alcohol are stocked, so bring drinks for your children. Rates and meal arrangements for children under school age are worked out directly with the minshuku, and you need to get in touch by the morning of the day before check-in.

Tatami rooms, and family baths used in turn

The guest rooms are tatami rooms, including a 4.5-tatami Japanese-style tatami room for 2 to 3 guests with no bath or toilet. With futons laid out side by side, the family can sleep in a row, so there is nothing to worry about with a small child rolling out of bed. There are two baths, used as family baths that each family takes in turn. You never share with other guests, so bathing with a young child is easy and relaxed. Room equipment is minimal - a TV and slippers, with a refrigerator in some rooms only - and you need to bring your own bath towel, face towel, toothbrush and pajamas. There are no cribs or children's items, so if you are traveling with a baby, plan on bringing a full set of your own.

Staying here with children

Check-in is from 3 p.m., checkout is at 10 a.m., and the doors are locked at 11 p.m. Credit cards are not accepted, so bring cash. The plans on Rakuten Travel set children's rates for upper-grade elementary school children, lower-grade elementary school children and children under school age, and for the youngest group you can choose in detail whether meals and futon bedding are included. There is also a 45-tatami hall with a piano and a blackboard, which suits three-generation trips, group trips with relatives and children's sports training camps. This is an old-style minshuku for families who care less about the grade of the facilities than about staying cheaply and playing to their heart's content out in nature.