Kawaguchiko Onsen Hotel Mifujien

Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from every room: an onsen inn where the view takes the lead

Hotel Mifujien is a 49-room onsen inn in the Asakawa hot-spring district on the southern shore of Lake Kawaguchi. Its greatest draw is simply the view: every room, whether an 8-, 10- or 12.5-tatami Japanese-style tatami room or a modern Japanese-Western room, looks out over Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. It is about 10 minutes by car from the Kawaguchiko Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, and a shuttle for staying guests runs from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line (call from the station between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the ride to the hotel; return departures are at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.), so it works well for families traveling by train. Its Rakuten Travel rating is 4.0 out of 5 (284 reviews), with high satisfaction for location at 4.56 and meals at 4.23, while facilities stand at 3.79, and some guests note the age of the building. The right way to stay here is to come knowing it as a place with a superb view and the facilities of an old-style tourist hotel.

A 7th-floor communal bath and open-air bath, with Mount Fuji in view as you soak

The baths are on the top floor, the 7th, and both Mizubasho for men and Hanamizuki for women offer a panorama of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from the communal bath and the open-air bath. The water is a natural onsen drawn from 1,500 meters underground - a calcium-sodium chloride and sulfate salt spring, heated, diluted and recirculated - and bathing hours are 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to midnight. Bathe early in the morning and, with a little luck, you may catch Mount Fuji glowing red in the dawn light. After your bath, there is a relaxation area where you can rehydrate with Fuji no Reisui chilled water. Note that no cosmetics are provided in the changing room, and no baby items such as a baby bath or baby chair are listed for the bathing areas, so if you plan to bathe with a child who is not yet out of diapers, it is worth confirming with the hotel in advance. The building is not barrier-free, and there are steps at the entrances to the rooms and the bathing areas - something to know if you are traveling with a stroller or small children.

Mainly Japanese-style tatami rooms with a bath and toilet, and free co-sleeping for children under 3

Guest rooms are mainly Japanese-style tatami rooms with a bath and toilet, in 8-, 10- and 12.5-tatami sizes; a tatami room where futons can be laid side by side suits families in the co-sleeping years. Children under 3 stay free of charge when co-sleeping, though no amenities are provided for them. Children aged 3 and over are charged, and when the booking is for 2 or more adults, the child rate applies to children of elementary school age and under. Two points deserve attention. Rakuten Travel's notes state that co-sleeping is not available for children aged 3 and over, so even preschool-age children are generally booked with bedding and meals. And the two-room modern Japanese-Western rooms are limited to ages 13 and over, so families with children aged 12 and under cannot use them. For families, then, a Japanese-style tatami room is the way to go. Humidifiers are available to borrow for guest rooms in limited numbers, useful for a family stay in the dry season.

Dinner brings Yamanashi flavors such as Koshu beef grilled on a magnolia leaf - note the 7 p.m. final start

Both dinner and breakfast are served at the dining venue, a restaurant or banquet hall, and the signature plan features Koshu beef grilled on a magnolia leaf as the main dish at dinner. Dinner starts between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., and under hotel policy no dinner is prepared for guests who miss the 7 p.m. final start, so aim to arrive early in the Lake Kawaguchi area, where traffic often backs up. Breakfast is from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Details of children's meal options are not listed in our information, so ask about bringing your own baby food and whether a kids' menu is available when you book.

Staying here with children

Check-in is at 3 p.m. and checkout is at 10 a.m. The hotel has table tennis and a shop, handy for a bit of play after dinner. During the day you can enjoy the lakeshore within walking distance, with Fuji-Q Highland, the sightseeing boat and the ropeway all a short drive away. The reward here is easy to grasp - Mount Fuji from your room and from the bath - which makes it a good choice for a first trip to the Fuji Five Lakes when you want to show your children the real Mount Fuji.