Kawaguchiko Onsen Hotel Mifujien

Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from every room: an onsen inn where the view is the star

Hotel Mifujien is a 49-room onsen inn in the Asakawa Onsen district on the southern shore of Lake Kawaguchi. Its biggest selling point is, above all, the view. Every room looks out over Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, whether it is an 8-, 10- or 12.5-tatami Japanese-style tatami room or a modern Japanese-Western room. The hotel 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 (for the ride to the hotel, call from the station between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; return shuttles leave at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.), so it is easy to reach for families traveling by train. Its Rakuten Travel rating is 4.0 out of 5 (284 reviews). Guests are highly satisfied with the views and the food, rating location at 4.56 and meals at 4.23, while facilities score 3.79 and some reviews point out the age of the building. The best approach is to come expecting a superb view with the facilities of an old-fashioned tourist hotel.

A 7th-floor communal bath and open-air bath with Mount Fuji in view

The baths are on the top floor, the 7th. In both Mizubasho for men and Hanamizuki for women, the communal bath and the open-air bath look out over a panorama of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. The water is a natural onsen that rises from 1,500 meters underground, a calcium-sodium chloride-sulfate spring classed as a saline spring, and it is heated, diluted with water and recirculated. Bathing hours are 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to midnight. If you bathe early in the morning, with a little luck you may catch Akafuji, Mount Fuji glowing red in the dawn light. After your bath, there is a rest area where you can rehydrate with Fuji no Reisui chilled water. Note that no cosmetics are provided in the changing room, and no baby bathing items such as a baby bath or baby chair are listed, so if you plan to bathe with a child who is not yet out of diapers, it is a good idea to check 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, which is worth knowing 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 (8, 10 and 12.5 tatami mats). A tatami room where you can lay futons side by side is a good match for families with children of co-sleeping age. 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 for bookings of 2 or more adults, the child rate applies to children of elementary school age and younger. Two points deserve attention. First, Rakuten Travel's notes state that children aged 3 and over cannot co-sleep, so even preschool-age children are generally booked with bedding and meals. Second, 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, a Japanese-style tatami room is really the only option. Humidifiers are available to borrow for guest rooms in limited numbers, which helps on family stays during the dry season.

Dinner brings Yamanashi flavors such as Koshu beef grilled on a magnolia leaf, and a 7 p.m. last seating

For guests in Japanese-style tatami rooms, both dinner and breakfast are served at the dining venue (a restaurant or banquet hall), and the signature plan centers dinner on Koshu beef hobayaki (grilled on a magnolia leaf). Dinner starts between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., and under hotel policy dinner is no longer available if you miss the last 7 p.m. seating, so plan 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. The official website does not give details of meals for children, so ask when booking whether you can bring baby food and whether a kids' menu is available.

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 little play after dinner. During the day, you can enjoy the lakeshore within walking distance, and Fuji-Q Highland, the sightseeing boat and the ropeway are all a short drive away. With the simple reward of Mount Fuji from both your room and the bath, it suits a first trip to the Fuji Five Lakes when you want to show your children the real Mount Fuji.